SCIAC Championship preview: Panthers pursue perfection on home turf
Photo courtesy of Larry Newman
Success in sports is built on having a roster of talented individuals who come together to form an even more talented collective. In 2025, Chapman football has embodied that ideal perfectly.
An undefeated conference run saw a Chapman player named Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Athlete of the Week seven different times. It also saw historically great statistics for the entire team.
In SCIAC play, the Panthers scored 224 points — 64 more than the next closest school. The defense only allowed 100 total points, averaging out to a measly two touchdowns per game. Once again, Chapman easily ranked the best in the conference.
It should come as no shock that the Panthers went 7-0 in the SCIAC. That record means they will host the California Lutheran University Kingsmen at 1 p.m. on Nov. 15 at Ernie Chapman Stadium. It is the third straight year they’ve made the final — Chapman hasn’t missed out since the SCIAC introduced a championship game in 2023. After winning their first one, and losing last year in heartbreaking fashion, this game represents a chance to cement themselves as the best Division III football program in Southern California.
How Chapman got here
One of Chapman’s SCIAC athlete of the week winners was junior business administration major Andrew Latu. The Panthers’ starting running back earned that honor twice, the first time thanks to an impressive three touchdown game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps college on Oct. 27.
Latu was quick to point out the effort and commitment the entire offense has been putting in, emphasizing that none of his success would be possible without them.
“It was a good feeling just knowing that all my hard work and all of our O-line and offense in general, all of our hard work came to fruition and I just ended up being the guy who got credit for it,” Latu said.
That mentality echoes throughout the team. Each player knows their responsibility, and everybody is bought into the fact that it not only takes a full roster to be great, but also great coaching, something that Latu didn’t forget to mention.
“Obviously thank you to (running back) coach (Izaiah) Williams,” he said. "He's a great coach and has developed all the running backs in the room so much that it’s just like night and day. When you watch our freshman year compared to our junior year, we have grown so much as a group.”
The team’s growth can be attributed to the consistency that the coaching staff has provided. While this season saw the end of longtime head coach Bob Owens’ tenure, and the beginning of offensive coordinator Casey Shine’s role as interim head coach, the core of the staff has stayed with this group of players. Most of them have been with the team in some capacity for over a decade.
Consistency has also become a staple for the players.
Day in and day out these players sit in meetings, work out, watch film and practice all while dealing with classes and assignments. Not only does everyone on the team ooze consistency, but passion and love for the game.
Even the new players on the team, who haven’t been involved in the Panther system for that long, understand the time and commitment it takes to be a member of the 97 player roster.
“I've been here for four years, and I think that the older guys and the younger guys have just meshed really well,” Pacheco said. “We got a really good culture going on in the locker room… everyone's fired up.”
That sense of unity has made consistency not just a habit, but a defining trait of the team's identity.
Another trait has been their ability to win close matchups.
In the fifth game of the season, the Panthers faced off against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges for the first time since their loss to the Sagehens in the 2024 SCIAC championship. In the tough environment of an away stadium, Chapman was able to hold the Sagehens to 10 points and win by a touchdown.
Two games after that, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges came to Orange to try and take down the undefeated Panthers. It took true grit from deep inside each player to avoid an upset loss. After four quarters and a double overtime effort, Chapman was able to take home the win. The Panthers also took home the knowledge that they can win any type of matchup.
Photo courtesy of Larry Newman
What to watch out for in SCIAC championship game
Chapman’s first game against Cal Lutheran was a lot closer than Shine would’ve liked. The Panthers jumped on their opponents early, but consistent errors allowed the Kingsmen to creep back into the game.
For this weekend’s matchup, Shine is preaching the simple things. He wants players to stick to their jobs and do what is asked of them. Nobody needs to play hero because the structure of the team is solid. And Shine doesn’t plan on altering what has worked this season.
“Looking at them on film, (Cal Lutheran) hasn’t changed much. If they don’t change much (this weekend), I feel really good,” he said. “There’s always things you want to improve upon, but I don’t know if we want to change many things, other than execute better. Just less mistakes.”
One thing that will likely change, however, are the playing conditions. Heavy rain is expected in Orange on Saturday, and while Chapman plays on a turf field, this can affect the handling of the football. Quarterback and business finance major Tyler Pacheco suggested the run game will be an important factor in these conditions.
“If we're doing well on the ground, that opens everything up. It's just about not making the stupid mistakes and not beating ourselves,” Pacheco said. “If we can run the football we’ll win the game.”
Luckily for the Panthers, all five of their starting offensive lineman are set to play this weekend following a stretch of injuries.
“Our O-line has been really good all season, but we've been pretty banged up… so that will be really fun to watch,” Pacheco said. “It starts with the O-line — just trying to run the football.”
In nastier weather, football games get even more physical and big plays become less likely. And in a championship matchup, every moment becomes more intense and important. That means the Panthers could be in for a tight game.
Chapman has prepared themselves for battle since week one.
The Panthers played two high-ranked DIII opponents before SCIAC play. Losses against Hardin-Simmons University and Linfield University didn’t look great on the record, but they gave the team much needed experience against the best in the country. Playing in a 37-30 shootout against the sixth highest ranked team in the country can make you believe you can compete with anybody and everybody.
What hasn’t been easy is swallowing last year’s championship loss. Chapman had the trophy in their hands. Up 28-7 at halftime, their mentality slipped and let the Sagehens come back into the game. Pacheco and the rest of his team still carry that weight. But instead of coming at it with a mentality of “must win,” Pacheco is taking a different approach in this year's game.
“We don't get into the championship and lose, especially after we've gone undefeated in conference,” Pacheco said. “At the end of the day, all that doesn't matter if we shit the bed on Saturday.”
As Shine said, the team needs to carry a little bit of swagger and arrogance into this matchup. But they can’t play like the game is already won.
“You want to have that chip on your shoulder like, ‘we’re the best team,’ and play like it,” he said. “But don’t lose the chip on your shoulder and forget about the preparation that got you to that spot.”
Why Chapman students should attend
Chapman sports are not known for garnering the biggest crowds. Despite the high-level, engaging play that is seen across Chapman athletics, students rarely show up. But if there were any football game this season to make an exception, this is the one.
Not only is the team amidst a historic undefeated season in SCIAC play, but the game is being played on Chapman’s home turf. There is no better opportunity to go out and show support.
An exciting atmosphere can motivate the home team and put stress on the opponent. Chapman has been winning games all year, but some extra energy in the stands could make all the difference.
Even more reason to go — Pacheco has full faith that the team will come out on top.
“We know that we're the better team. We already beat these guys,” he said. “We just got to go out there and execute.”
The SCIAC Championship will be played at 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 15 at Ernie Chapman Stadium. The Panthers are confident, focused and hungry. You don’t want to miss this.