Chapman football all-stars

by Mark Carlisle

 

After a long hiatus, Chapman brought its football program back in 1994. Chapman was unaffilliated with any conference until joining the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) in 2012. This weekend, the Panthers won their first SCIAC championship.

 

We at Prowl looked back at the past 20 years of Panther football ('94-'13) and have created an All-Star team of Chapman football greats at each position.

 

This list examines stats from individual seasons rather than career stats. So the player selected is not necessarily the most talented player at the position, but rather the player that was able to put together the best season. We didn’t do it without help. Three highly knowledgeable football experts have added their thoughts:

 

Head Coach Bob Owens joined Chapman as head coach in 2006. Before that he had coached across from the Panthers from 1996-2001 as the head coach of the Whittier Poets.

 

Defensive Coordinator Dave Bishop has been with the team since its inaugural 1994 season.

 

Sports Information Director Doug Aiken has worked at the school since 1999 and was a student prior to that, from 1995-1999.

 

 

*Denotes a player that is on the current 2014 roster.

 

**From 1994-1999, games played were not recorded for many players. Averages with a ** are assuming that the player played all nine games that season.

There is a statistic glossary at the bottom of the story.

 

 

OFFENSE 

 

SENIOR QUARTERBACK MICHAEL LAHEY RUNS ONTO

THE FIELD DURING THE PANTHERS' 2014 HOMECOMING

GAME AGAINST POMONA-PITZER. PHOTO BY PAULINE YANG.

 

Quarterback

 

*Michael Lahey, 2013, Junior. #4

 

“Lahey’s gift is that he wins.” – Coach Owens

 

This one is a very close call. There are a number of guys that you could argue are the best at this position. But Lahey’s claim to this starting spot lies in his efficiency. Last season, his completion percentage led all of the Division III teams in the nation. Meanwhile, guys like Curtis Robinson and Patrick Josten had great seasons, but they finished under 50 percent in completion percentage.

 

“You know, we're not talking about throwing a lot of deeps balls,” said Doug Aiken, Chapman’s Sports Information Director. “He's still only throwing 30 to 40 percent of the plays as opposed to when we're running. But still, very efficient for the times when he is asked to pass.”

 

Lahey also didn’t put up the record-setting totals that Stan Villanueva did in 1999, but again, it comes back to efficiency. Villanueva had more yards and touchdowns because he threw the ball 80 more times than Lahey did on the season, but Lahey had more yards and touchdowns per attempt and less interceptions per attempt.

 

Lahey was named an All-American and the SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2013.

 

“Lahey's gift is that he wins,” said head coach Bob Owens. “In every place he's been, he's won. He won in high school, and he's winning here. Last year as a starter he lost one game. Who knows what he's going to do this year. And that does matter.”

 

This year Lahey, in his senior season, led the Panthers to their first SCIAC championship, clinched on Nov. 8.

​

Backup

 

Curtis Robinson, 1994. Sophomore. #9

 

“He was a man among boys.” – Coach Owens

 

Though he didn’t play in every game, Curtis Robinson emerged as Chapman’s top quarterback in the school’s pioneer season. Robinson was an all-around athlete and was as deadly with his feet as he was with his arm.

 

“[Robinson] was a guy that had a scholarship offer to USC, that was a minor league baseball player before he came here,” said defensive coordinator David Bishop, who has been with the team since 1994. “He's a professional golfer right now, could throw the ball 80 yards, could run [a] 4.5 [second 40-yard dash] and was 6'3".”

 

Robinson led the Panthers to a 6-2-1 record in the team’s first year back as a program. Chapman outscored its opponents 340-146 that year.

 

“If we were drafting a team, to start a team, I'd want Curtis at quarterback,” Bishop said.

 

There is a strong case that Robinson is the best quarterback the school has had overall. But his productivity was spread out over his three years on the team, and he never put together a single season that was better than Lahey was last year.

 

Robinson certainly had better rushing numbers than Lahey did, but he doesn’t compare to what Lahey did through the air. And Lahey ran the ball well enough to put him over the top. In fact, Lahey averaged more yards per carry.

 

“In terms of pure athleticism, Curtis is the better athlete,” Bishop said. “But it's hard to argue with 75% completions and Conference [Offensive] Player of the Year.”

 

Running Back

 

Darnell Morgan, 1995. Junior. #21

 

“Next thing you know there’s 30 scouts out here. It was like we were at USC.” – Coach Bishop

 

Morgan put up some insane numbers in just the second year since the program had returned. He 

averaged more than two touchdowns per game. And an average of 10.8 yards per attempt is just unheard of.

 

Owens, Bishop and Aiken seemed to agree that Morgan was one of if not the best player to every play at Chapman at any position.

 

“If he touched the ball and got on the sidelines, he's done,” Owens said. “You can write it up.”

 

The team went 8-1 in ‘95, losing only their opening game by a single point. The Panthers outscored their opposition 425 to 133, and Morgan had a lot to do with that success. Morgan received more attention from NFL scouts than any player that Chapman has had.

 

“When the NFL first showed up, and we said, 'You've got to take a look at our tail back,'" Bishop said. "And he was 5'8" 165 [pounds] or whatever it was, 5'9" 165 when they actually had NFL scouts measure him, they're like, 'Why did you guys call us?'

 

“Then, I can still remember, there was a scout here from somewhere, I want to say it was Pittsburgh. And we're telling him how fast Darnell is… And when they timed him in that 40[-yard dash], and on our old field which was grass and not very good, Darnell ran like low 4.4s… And that scout's looking like 'This can't be right.' Next thing you know there's 30 scouts out here. It was like we were at USC. There's general managers out here.”

 

Morgan was signed as a free agent by the New York Giants but was cut from the roster before the start of the preseason.

 

SENIOR QUARTERBACK MICHAEL LAHEY HANDS THE

BALL OFF TO JUNIOR RUNNING BACK JEREMIAH

McKIBBONS DURING THE PANTHERS' 58-0 DEFEAT

OF POMONA-PITZER. PHOTO BY PAULINE YANG.

 

Backup

 

*Jeremiah McKibbins, 2012. Sophomore. #9

 

“To be able to score four and five touchdowns in one game is unique.” – Coach Owens

  

McKibbins played in one less game than Morgan, but he had far more carries. He didn’t put up numbers quite like Morgan, but he still had an incredible year. The Panther offense revolved around McKibbins in 2012, as he led them to a 6-3 record and a 5-2 conference record.

 

McKibbins missed the entirety of his junior year with an injury, but has returned as the Panthers’ lead back in 2014.

 

“Right now, he's still in recovery,” Owens said. “Two years ago, he was a very dynamic football player to be able to score four and five touchdowns in one game is unique. And not score four and five touchdowns from the one-yard line, but to score four and five touchdowns from 15 yards, 20 yards, 50, 60 yards out. It's a very unique individual.”

 

McKibbins isn’t coming back to quite the same role as he had in 2012.

 

“He hasn’t been the showcase back,” Aiken said. “We have so much depth at that position that we don’t have to have him as the showcase back…So his numbers just don’t compare.”

 

But even with the lack of touches, McKibbins has made a huge impact in the Panthers' championship season, leading the conference with 14 touchdowns (as of Nov. 10).

 

Wide Receivers

 

Harrison Dull, 2007. Senior. #8

 

“He’d scare you to death when he’d line up against you.” – Coach Owens

 

Dull holds every yardage record for Chapman receivers. In 2006, he caught for 327 yards in a game against Pacific Lutheran.

 

“It was the first game ever played in this stadium, and the first play was a 60-yard bomb to him,” Owens said. “And about five plays later there was another 50-yard bomb on the other side, and all he did was catch the ball and then look back at the guy.”

 

Dull later missed the rest of the ’06 with an injury, but he returned in 2007 to claim his place in the record books.

 

“His last year, he was not 100 percent,” Owens said. “He was about 85 percent and still re-wrote the books.”

 

Dull’s one shortcoming was that he only found the endzone four times in ’07 while several Chapman receivers have scored nine times in a season.

 

“I don't think there's anything significant about it,” Owens said about Dull’s lack of touchdowns. “Just wasn't in the right place at the right time.”

  

Despite a lack of touchdowns, Dull was able to make his presence known each and every game.

  

“Harrison Dull could control a football game,” Owens said. “Because he'd scare you to death when he'd line up against you.”

 

Marvin Qualls, 1999. Junior. #6

 

“Deep-ball threat guy, explosive speed.” – Doug Aiken

  

Qualls didn’t even have the most receiving touchdowns on his team. Teammate Eric Del Conte edged him out with nine. So how is Qualls number two on the list? A combination of yards and touchdowns. Qualls has the second most receiving yards of any Panther receiver and the second highest total in receiving touchdowns.

  

Stan Villanueva posted a record-setting 2,297 passing yards in ’99, and Qualls was responsible for 45 percent of those yards.

 

“Neither of them [Dull and Qualls] were very big,” Aiken said. “So it's not like you were going to try to use their size to be able to get it past defenders. They had to find of burst and separate.”

 

Bobby Calderon, 2000. Senior. #19

  

No Chapman receiver has ever scored 10 touchdowns in a season since the program came back in ’94. Calderon posted the most receiving yards of anyone who scored nine times.

  

Panther quarterbacks combined for 16 touchdowns through the air in 2000, and Calderon was on the receiving end of nine of them. He also was responsible for 45 percent of the team’s completed passes and 50 percent of its receiving yards. That’s what coaches like to call an “impact player.”

  

Even with Calderon’s contributions, the Panthers went 2-7 that year and were outscored by their opponents 373-187. Imagine if Calderon hadn’t been around. Yikes.

  

“He only played one year,” Aiken said. “And that was because he was a two-year starter on our baseball team – starting shortstop. And when his baseball eligibility ran out, he still had a semester left and had some eligibility left. So he decided to play football.”

 

Backup

 

Martrice Stephens, 1996. Junior. #4

  

Stephens is one of five Panther receivers to have totaled nine receiving touchdowns on a season. Of those five, Stephens has the second-most yardage behind Calderon.

  

But Stephens’ real impact lies in his average. The guy averaged almost 30 yards every time he touched the ball. And with a long of only 65, you can tell that that number isn’t swayed too much by any outliers. Stephens also scored on almost a third of his touches.

  

He only had 30 catches on the year, but every time the ball found its way into Stephens’ hands, it was for a game-changing play. And he was doing it about three times a game.

  

This receiver even flipped the script and threw one pass that was completed for a 26-yard touchdown catch. That’s a 684.4 quarterback rating, if you were wondering.

 

Tight End

 

David Vaccaro, 1996. Junior. #97

 

“On a couple of those teams, he was the best receiver period.” – Doug Aiken

 

Vaccaro didn’t put up numbers anything like the top wide outs that have been on the team, but he is far and away the best receiving tight end the school has had. As you can see, his closest competitor has almost 200 less yards on the season and five less touchdowns.

 

“He was very good” Aiken said. “On a couple of those teams, he was the best receiver period, a la the way the Patriots use [Rob] Gronkowski.”

 

And the next year, Vaccaro did lead his team in both receiving yards (440) and touchdowns (6).

  

Vaccaro actually holds the school record for career receiving touchdowns with 19. And even with less yards than your average receiver in 1996, a guy that scored on more than half of his touches is pretty valuable to any team.

Backup

 

*Anthony Ezeakunne, 2013. Junior. #85

 

“He’s very athletic and has explosive-type speed.” – Doug Aiken

 

Chapman doesn’t use tight ends in the passing game as much as some other teams do. As you can see, the top two tight ends in history combined for less than 30 catches when a lot of receivers clock in around 60 catches on a year.

 

Panther receivers shared the wealth in Lahey’s record-setting 2013 season with no receiver totaling more than 450 yards or 5 touchdowns. But Ezeakunne, at 6’4” gave Lahey an excellent target in the end zone, accounting for three of the teams 21 receiving touchdowns on the year.

 

“They use him more so on the block, but he's very athletic and has explosive-type speed,” Aiken said. “So he can be a threat for sure.”

 

Offensive Line

 

Since there are no statistics for offensive linemen, these will simply be the best five for their careers rather than narrowed down to single seasons.

 

Matt Hertzler. Center. 1994-97. #59. 5’10” 220 lbs.

 

“Even though he’s only like 200 pounds, he was a four-year starter and our only Academic First-Team All-American.” – Coach Bishop

 

Despite his small size, Hertzler was able to make a big impact at the center position. He is the only football player in the modern era to be inducted into the Chapman Athletics Hall of Fame.

 

Kelly Akridge. Guard. 1994-95. #63. 6’2” 270 lbs.

 

“Kelly might have been as good as anybody we’ve had here.” – Coach Bishop

 

“He was a Junior College All-American and then a starter for us in those early years,” Bishop added.

 

And Akridge earned All-American honors at Chapman as well.

 

Muimoana “Mo” Liva. Tackle. 1994-95. #75. 6’4” 325 lbs.

 

“He was big-time good.” – Coach Bishop

  

Liva, Hertzler and Akridge all played together during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. These three were a big reason Darnell Morgan was able to put up such ungodly numbers. And Liva was the biggest of the three.

  

In fact, in ’95 these three helped Chapman set school records for most rushing yards and most rushing touchdowns in a season. The line also allowed only 14 sacks, compared to the 37 times that the Chapman D sacked opposing quarterbacks that year.

  

“[Akridge and Liva], those were the real guys that could have played at higher levels,” Bishop said. He added that as good as Hertzler was here, he couldn’t have played on the line at higher levels at high size.

 

Mark Shafer. Center. 1998-2001 . #50. 6’1” 260 lbs.

 

Shafer and Akridge are the only two athletic All-Americans Chapman has had on its O-line. In his senior year, Shafer spearheaded an offensive line that helped four different players rush for more than 275 yards each.

 

Justin Shulte. Tackle. 2005-2008. #66. 6’2” 280 lbs.

 

“Shulte was our best offensive lineman when I was here.” – Coach Owens

 

And Coach Owens has seen a lot of offensive lineman since he joined Chapman in 2006.

 

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

 

Matt George, 1997. Senior. #12

 

“…kicked in the NFL…” – Coach Bishop

  

Sixty percent isn’t very impressive, but what is impressive is George’s range. Matt Deter kicked Chapman’s longest field goal, a 55-yarder, in 2000, but George owns the next three longest. In 1996, George kicked a 53- and 52-yarder and then added another 52-yarder in ’97.

  

“At this level you just don't see 50-yard field goals, and he had three in his career,” Aiken said.

  

George had consistent range more than any other Chapman kicker.

  

George made it to the NFL, playing in a single game for the Pittsburgh Steelers before transitioning to a six-year career in the Arena Football League. Still, George is the only Chapman player to ever play a game in the NFL.

 

In 1998, in his lone NFL game, George converted two extra points and had his only field goal attempt blocked. The Steelers lost to the Tennessee Oilers 23-14.

  

“Matt George is a place kicker who kicked in the NFL and then kicked in the arena leagues,” Bishop said. “I think you've got to say he is the best place kicker.”

 

Punter

 

Mario Acosta, 1996. Junior. #11

  

Acosta has the longest yards-per-punt average of any Chapman punter. He also is tied with Jimmy Adranly for the longest punt in school history (69) with a punt in the '98 season.

  

The punter’s role is often overlooked, but Acosta, a two-time All-American, played the role excellently, helping the Panthers to a 7-2 record on the season.

 

“That's a position we've been fortunate to have some of the best kickers in Division III in Southern California – in the nation really – in several years,” Bishop said. “If you forced me to go with just one, couldn't have 'em all, I would go with Matt [George] as a place kicker and Mario [Acosta] as a punter.”

 

Kickoff Returner

 

Oscar Ford, 1995. Senior. Wide Receiver. #28

 

“(Ford) had a scholarship to Florida State, (got injured) and bounced back.” – Coach Bishop

  

Ford certainly lived up to his name. He averaged more yards per return than any Panther kick returner with five or more returns in a season. Even excluding his 97-yard touchdown, he averaged 27.6 yards.

 

Ford gave the offense great field position nearly every time he returned a kick, and he was a big reason why the Panthers were able to go 8-1 in just their second season of the new program.

  

“Oscar Ford was a kid out of Servite that had a scholarshio to Florida State, (got injured) and bounced back,” Bishop said. “He was an NFL player. I mean he was phenomenally good.”

 

Ford holds the school record for yards per return for both his career and a single season.

 

Punt Returner

 

Oscar Ford, 1995. Senior. Wide Receiver. #28

  

A team’s kick returner often returns punts as well, and that would certainly be the case with this team. Ford was listed as a wide receiver, but also got a few carries as the third back in Chapman’s three-back offense.

  

“He doesn't necessarily have a ton of stats because he played that weird position for us,” Bishop said.

  

But Ford took it to the house three times as a return man in ’95, twice returning punts and once returning a kickoff. His best game came against Whittier where he returned punts for a total of 160 yards.

  

Ford also holds the school records for punt return average for both his career and a single season.

 

 

DEFENSE

 

Chapman currently runs a 3-4 defense (three linemen and four linebackers) but this roster is arranged in a 4-3 (the inverse of the prior), which Chapman has run before.

 

Defensive Line

 

Efraim Miranda, 1994. Senior. #43

  

Yet another example of how good those teams were in the first few seasons. Miranda was an unbelievable force on the defensive line. He led the team in sacks and was a close second in tackles. And normally linebackers are the ones leading in tackles. Not to mention that 27 of his 87 tackles came behind the line of scrimmage, setting a school record.

 

On top of that, he broke up four passes and even picked off a pass. He added a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Wherever opposing offenses turned, Miranda was there to meet them.

 

Robert Ernster, 1994. Sophomore. #49

 

“He put up some kind of cartoonish numbers.” – Doug Aiken

 

Ernster holds the record for most sacks in a season with 14 and hurried the quarterback four times besides that.

  

Ernster holds the school record with 28 career sacks. Miranda, in second, has 18.

  

Besides being a great pass rusher, Ernster was just always around the ball. He had 63 tackles which is quite a lot for a defensive lineman, and he recovered four fumbles and forced one.

 

Toney Eggleston, 1994. Junior. #44

 

Eggleston was overshadowed by his teammates, but he still put up very good numbers in both tackles and sacks. He also holds the school record with six career fumble recoveries. On any other team he would have been the top guy.

 

With Eggleston, Ernster and Miranda all on the same line in ’94 and ’95, it’s a wonder why opposing quarterbacks didn’t just wave the white flag and sit down in the backfield.

 

Bob Burton, 2008. Junior. #87  

 

“He basically was half of the defense.” – Coach Owens

 

Burton didn’t put up quite the same numbers as those early guys, but his coaches think that he has comparable talent.

 

“If he was on the last three years' defensive football teams, he would have been a phenomenal guy with support around him,” Owens said. “I mean he basically was half of the defense.”

 

While the previous three spread opponents’ lines pretty thin, Burton received most of their attention.

 

“They doubled up on him every play,” Aiken said.

 

Even so, Burton led his team in sacks and was fourth on the team in tackles. Burton leads all linemen with 98 career solo tackles.

 

Line Backers

 

Keith Dykes, 1998. Senior. #17.

  

“He was not a good citizen, but…the guy was a beast on the field.” – Doug Aiken

 

While Dykes was incredible on the field, he got into a lot of trouble outside the lines and at one point ended up in jail. But Coach Bishop says that he’s turned things around.

 

“He's doing really well in life right now,” Bishop said. “He owns a business in Texas. He's married. He does have a degree from Chapman… But he's had some troubled times in his life."

 

Dykes was the only player in Chapman’s history to be named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First-Team All-American. He also holds the school’s record with 40 career tackles for loss and is third in career tackles. Dykes also had two blocked kicks in ’98.

 

"To be the First-Team AFCA All American in an area where were an independent and start-up program where nobody back east cared about us," Bishop said. "It goes to show you how good he was. He was phenomenal."

 

The coaches agreed that, despite his run-ins with the law, Dykes was the best defender Chapman has ever seen and one of its best players in general.

 

"Maybe the three best guys to ever walk through here, may have been Curtis [Robinson], the quarterback, may have been the running back [Darnell Morgan] and him [Dykes]," Owens said. "At any point in time they appeared on this campus, they would be number one at their positions."

 

Donnie Hohman, 2002. Senior. #44

 

Besides tackles, Hohman didn’t make much noise elsewhere on the stat sheet, but for a one-trick pony, he had a pretty great trick.

 

Hohman led the nation in tackles in 2002. He holds all of Chapman’s records for career tackles – solo tackles, assisted tackles and total tackles. He also holds the single-season records for solo tackles and total tackles, both set in ‘02.

 

Averaging over 17 tackles a game, Hohman was there to meet ball carriers no matter where they tried to run.

 

Kenison Poching, 1994. Junior. #55

  

Poching only played for Chapman in 1994, but he was an important part of that inaugural team, leading the defense with 130 total tackles. Poching stole a single tackling record away from Hohman, claiming the most assisted tackles in a season.

 

If ball carriers were fortunate enough to get through the defensive line that included Miranda, Ernster and Eggleston, they had to face Poching. In fact, those four players accounted for one-third of the team’s total tackles.

 

Poching made an impact in other ways too. While he didn’t have any sacks, he hurried the quarterback twice. He also caused two fumbles and picked off two passes.

 

Cornerbacks

 

Dino Rossi, 2001. Senior. #2

Rossi led the nation with nine interceptions in 2001. Three of his interceptions came in one game against Azusa Pacific. Rossi holds the school record both for interceptions in a season and interceptions in his career.

 

Rossi was also the team’s primary kick returner in ’01. Though he never found the end zone either on defense or on special teams, he averaged 13 return yards per interception. His longest return was 40 yards.

 

In addition to his record-setting interceptions, Rossi broke up six more passes. He also had a respectable amount of tackles and five tackles for loss – pretty rare for a cornerback. Rossi forced two fumbles and recovered one, and he also blocked a kick and caused a safety.

 

"Dino Rossi I think may be the best [defensive back we’ve had]," Bishop said.

 

Rossi was a First-Team All-American in 2001.

 

Mark Hastings, 1999. Junior. #8

On top of 43 tackles, Hastings was terrific pass defender, intercepting six passes and knocking down seven more. Hastings also had a three-interception game against Millsaps.

  

However, Hastings made the most noise after he intercepted the ball. He averaged 26 yards per return and scored on two of his six interceptions.

 

Safeties

 

Sean Ward, 2006. Senior. #12

 

“You better know where he was on the field, because you’re going to get hurt.” – Coach Bishop

 

Despite his small frame – 5’9” 175 pounds – Ward was an extremely hard-hitting safety.

 

"Every game he was a human highlight film," Owens said. "Every game, every school in this conference would watch our film to see who he hit in the game… They'd say 'We just wanted to see who he hit this time.'"

 

In addition to his 69 tackles, Ward forced the ball-carrier to cough up the ball three times.

 

But Ward still held his own in pass coverage as well, knocking down five passes and picking off two. He returned one of his two interceptions for a 63-yard touchdown.

 

Ward also played basketball at Chapman for two years, coming off the bench. But Ward clearly did his best work on the gridiron.

 

Richard Dinh, 2005. Senior. #10

Dinh affected the game in a lot of ways. He was second on his team in tackles and led the team in interceptions and tackles for loss. Dinh also had a three-interception game against Lewis & Clark.

 

Dinh was making noise wherever he was on the field, whether it was in the secondary, behind the line of scrimmage or even on special teams. Dinh had three blocked kicks in 2005.

 

 

Statistics glossary:

 

General:

GP – games played

 

Passing:

COMP – completions

ATT – attempts

PCT – completion percentage

YDS – total passing yards

Y/G – yards per game

Y/A – yards per attempt

TD – passing touchdowns

INT – interceptions

 

Rushing:

CAR – carries

YDS – total rushing yards

Y/G – yards per game

AVG – yards per attempt

TD – rushing touchdowns

FUM – fumbles

LOST – fumbles recovered by the other team

 

Receiving:

REC – Receptions

YDS – total receiving yards

Y/G – yards per game

AVG – yards per catch

TD – receiving touchdowns

 

Place kicking:

FGM – field goals made

FGA – field goals attempted

PCT – field goal conversion rate

XPM – extra points made

XPA – extra points attempted

PCT – extra point conversion percentage

 

Punting:

PUNT – number of punts

YDS – total net punting yards on the season

AVG – average net yards per punt

 

Kickoff/Punt returns

RET – number of returns

YDS – total return yards

AVG – yards per return

TD – return touchdowns

 

Defense:

SOLO – the player tackles the ball carrier by himself

AST – the player was one of multiple defenders to help tackle the ball carrier

INT – Interception

BrUp – the defender broke up a pass