In Second Year, Chapman Knows the Drill : Football: Panthers, who open season Sept. 9 at La Verne, start practice with little fanfare.

Football returned to Chapman Thursday--this time there was little fanfare.

A year ago the Panthers’ first football practice in 62 years attracted plenty of curious onlookers, including university trustee Ernie Chapman, who played on the school’s 1932 team.

Thursday morning, one fan showed up for the first practice of the 1995 season. Twila Bravo, mother of Josh Bravo, a quarterback from Fresno City College, watched as Coach Ken Visser and staff put the 110 players through their first wind sprints of 1995.

Time is short. The Panthers open the season Sept. 9 at La Verne and the team will be limited to one practice a day after the school year begins Monday. So Visser’s staff hopes to cram in as much as possible early.

“Keep it moving,” barked an assistant coach. “We need to get as many reps as we can get.”

Visser said preparations for this season are going more smoothly than last. “Everything is falling into place a little better,” he said. “Everything isn’t brand new and a question mark.”

Despite the uncertainty last year, Chapman was unbeaten in its first four games and finished 6-2-1. Most of the Panthers are back this year, including starting quarterback Curtis Robinson, and Visser has added about 40 players to the mix.

He says Chapman should be an improved football team. Much will depend on whether Robinson, a talented 6-foot-3, 210-pound player, stays healthy. Last season, he separated his shoulder in the first game and never fully recovered. Even so he passed for 719 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 469 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thursday, he said his shoulder is sound and his long passes were on target in early drills.

If Robinson falters, Visser should be able to replace him with a couple of able backups. Jacob Galasso, now a sophomore, filled in when Robinson and backup Todd Gragnano were injured and was the starter for the 62-0 victory over Menlo. Josh Bravo started two years for Fresno and last season passed for more than 2,000 yards.

The rest of the backfield is also strong. Tailback Darnell Morgan was the team’s leading rusher with 691 yards. Aaron Meschuk started every game at fullback and receiver/running back Oscar Ford rushed for 408 yards and caught 14 passes for 292 yards. Kelly Akridge, an All-West Region offensive lineman, and Bill Hamlin, a third-team All-American kicker, are also back.

On defense, Chapman suffered a big blow when all-region linebacker Kenison Poching couldn’t regain his academic eligibility in summer school. But defensive linemen Robert Ernster, an all-region pick, and Efriam Miranda and middle linebacker Aaron Gutridge are back to anchor the defense.

The Panthers will be facing a tougher schedule. Chico State, an NCAA Division II team, has replaced Pomona-Pitzer, a team the Panthers beat, 61-14. Visser said he expects Azusa Pacific (a 59-18 loser to Chapman) to be greatly improved under a new coach.

La Verne, however, looms first. The Leopards, ranked No. 16 in the Sports Illustrated preseason Division III poll, also return the majority of a team that advanced to the NCAA playoffs last year. La Verne beat Chapman, 36-33, in Orange last year.

Visser said he is thinking of little else. “I have gotten so wrapped up getting ready for them,” he said, “that I haven’t even thought about the rest of the season.”

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Chapman Schedule

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Date Opponent Time Sept. 9 at La Verne 1 p.m. Sept. 16 Cal Lutheran 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at Claremont-Mudd 1 p.m. Sept. 30 Occidental 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at Chico State 2 p.m. Oct. 14 at Menlo 1 p.m. Oct. 21 Bye Oct. 28 Redlands 7 p.m. Nov. 4 Azusa Pacific 7 p.m. Nov. 11 Whittier 7 p.m.

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