CHAPMAN OFFENSE HELPS PANTHERS PULL AWAY FROM SAGEHENS

Claremont, Calif. - The Chapman Football team, one week after defeating Whittier 72-40, continued to click on offense, scoring touchdowns on all five of its first half possessions and taking a 62-21 win over Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday at Merritt Field.

With the win, Chapman improves to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SCIAC, remaining the league's only unbeaten team. Pomona-Pitzer slips to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in league play with the loss.

Freshman Alex Bresler made his first collegiate start at quarterback for the Sagehens and helped keep Pomona-Pitzer in the game for a while. Bresler completed 15-of-20 passes in the first half for 147 yards and a touchdown, and just missed a chance to cut Chapman's 34-14 halftime lead even closer as the half ended with a near nine-yard touchdown that was broken up in the back of the end zone on the final play. Bresler ended the day 22-of-38 for 225 yards and a TD while also adding two rushing touchdowns on quarterback sneaks from one-yard.

Senior Duncan Hussey was his top receiving target with 10 catches for 119 yards, while senior Ryan Randle (pictured) added eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Brett Harper had 13 carries for 69 yards to lead the Sagehens on the ground.

Chapman quarterback Michael Fahey was almost perfect throwing the ball on the day, completing 24-of-30 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Junior defensive back Don Swan gave him his only real blemish with a diving interception early in the third quarter. That pick set up a 61-yard scoring drive, as Bresler connected with Hussey on a 37-yard pass down to the one-yard line and snuck in at the 7:07 mark of the third quarter to make the score 34-21 in Chapman's favor.

However, the Panthers then closed out the game with 28 unanswered points to pull away. Keith Stancil returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to the Pomona-Pitzer 43-yard line, and Lahey used the short field to bring Chapman into the end zone in seven plays, connecting with Spencer Jordan on a nine-yard pass, his final throw of the day, to make the score 41-21 Chapman with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

After a stop, Stancil drove Chapman down the field in his first possession at quarterback, and Kevin Hunter came into the game and threw an 11-yard touchdown on his first pass to Riley Guilbeault at the 14:17 mark of the fourth quarter to end any Sagehen comeback hopes.

Kyle White had an opportunistic day for the Panthers with 15 yards rushing for two touchdowns, and one catch for 21 yards and a third touchdown. Senior linebacker Kyle Roskamp led the Pomona-Pitzer defense with 11 tackles, while senior cornerback Weston Staubus added six and a pass break-up. Chapman linebacker Greg Johnson led all tacklers with 14.

The Sagehens will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Whittier for a 3 p.m. contest.