Rice Makes the Big Plays to Help La Verne Get Past Chapman

Running back Anthony Rice bedeviled Chapman all evening with slashing runs, but it was the first defensive play of his college career that sealed the victory for La Verne on Saturday night in front of 3,874.

La Verne’s Rice intercepted Curtis Robinson’s pass with 47 seconds left to end Chapman’s final attempt at a comeback and preserve a 22-19 Division II football victory.

It was the third consecutive victory by La Verne over Chapman, which has lost four games in the last three years. All three La Verne victories over Chapman have been by three points or fewer. Chapman, ranked fourth in the West in Division III football, was playing without two athletes who were determined to be ineligible.

It had won 13 consecutive games since losing to La Verne a year ago, 35-34. La Verne has won five in a row.

Chapman wide receiver Martrice Stephens was a thorn in the side of La Verne’s secondary all evening. If he wasn’t catching a pass, he was being held. That was the only way the Leopards seemed to be able to slow him down.

When Chapman got the ball back trailing by three points with 1 minute 8 seconds left to play, it appeared clear that Robinson was going try to hook up with Stephens.

“Coach just told me to go in and watch No. 4, because we couldn’t stop him all night,” said Rice, a senior, who was surprised when La Verne Coach Don Morel sent him in.

Rice, playing free safety, was on the play when Robinson’s nine-yard toss to Aaron Meschuk bounced off his hands after Meschuk was hit hard by linebacker Anthony Russo.

“Pass interference calls had a lot to do with tonight’s game,” Chapman Coach Ken Visser said. “I thought their defense player did the right thing. He tackled Martrice. He interfered with him. It’s only a 15-yard penalty, why give up 50?”

Rice, who rushed for three touchdowns, finished with 218 yards in 37 carries. His 14-yard touchdown run with 3:44 left in third quarter brought the Leopards back from a 19-15 deficit.

Robinson completed nine of 21 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Stephens had four catches for 96 yards. His 24-yard pass to Stephens with 8:36 left in the third quarter brought the Panthers (5-1) back from a 15-13 halftime deficit.

Chapman had difficulty moving the football the first time it touched the ball, but after a punt, the Panthers forced La Verne to punt.

But Chapman punt returner Darnell Rubin misjudged the ball fumbled at his 40. La Verne recovered at the Panther 34 and Rice raced 29 yards on the next carry down to the Chapman 5. Two carries later, he scored from the two-yard line, but the Leopards mishandled the snap on the kick, which.

Chapman overcame an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on its next drive and Robinson passed 41 yards to tight end David Vaccaro for a touchdown.

But Vaccaro was penalized for celebrating--15 yards on the ensuing kickoff. La Verne made good use of good field position, taking over at their 46. Six plays later, Rice ran 39 yards for another touchdown and a 12-7 lead.

Hernandez made it 15-7 with a 27-yard field goal with 5:45 left in the second quarter.

After several frustrating drives, Chapman struck quickly in the final minute of the half to get as close as two points.

The Panthers got the ball back on their 32 after Hernandez’s 48-yard field-goal attempt was short. Robinson passed 58 yards to Stephens, then hit running back Ralph Langston on an 11-yard scoring strike with 52 seconds left.