On Closer Inspection, CLU Painful to Watch

THOUSAND OAKS — Making his first start of the season, Cal Lutheran quarterback Zack Hernandez got an extended on-field look at his teammates under game conditions.

He didn’t like what he saw in a 49-7 loss to Chapman in a nonconference game Saturday at Cal Lutheran.

“This is downright embarrassing,” he said. “We have everything that it takes to win. There’s just these little things that we’ve got to fix. We’ve just got to cut out all the little mistakes.”

The most glaring of Cal Lutheran’s miscues were their fumbles. They lost five of six, and three of the turnovers led to Panther touchdowns. Another fumble stopped a Cal Lutheran drive at the Chapman three-yard line.

Largely because of the turnovers, the Kingsmen fell to 0-4. Chapman, which entered the game averaging 41.7 points per game, is 4-0.

Chapman rushed for 326 yards and gained 503 yards overall. Cal Lutheran had 288 yards.

Hernandez, a sophomore, made his first start in place of injured senior Ryan Huisenga, who last week suffered a rotator-cuff injury to his right (throwing) shoulder.

Hernandez completed 11 of 30 passes for 154 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also ran 17 times for 22 yards.

Tight end Ernie Foli made two receptions for 82 yards and wide receiver Dwight McNaughton had three catches for 21 yards.

Kingsmen Bill Busch had 39 yards and one touchdown in 12 carries. His seven-yard scoring run in the first half capped a seven-play, 91-yard drive and put the Kingsmen within 21-7.

“I really felt like we took a step back today,” said Scott Squires, Cal Lutheran’s first-year coach.

“Chapman is a good football team, but they’re not a 49-7 good team.”