Hyland’s Improvisation Sparks Chapman Rally

Last week, Chapman earned its first victory against La Verne since the Panthers reinstated football three years ago and quarterback Greg Hyland made the decisive play on something that wasn’t even in the game plan.

Hyland led the Panthers on an 80-yard scoring drive in the final two minutes to help Chapman rally for a 24-20 victory at La Verne. His game-winning 30-yard touchdown pass to Jason Jellerson also capped a record-setting day.

Hyland completed 26 of 40 passes for 346 yards, all three marks are single-game school records. And no completion was bigger than the final toss to Jellerson.

“Greg came over during a timeout and suggested that one,” Chapman Coach Ken Visser said. “During the entire drive, Greg was throwing underneath, so he wanted Jason to run an out-and-up pattern.

“But we had taken that out of the game plan for the week to simplify things.”

Simplifying and altering have been second-nature to the Panthers because of the rash of injuries they have incurred this season. Visser, a 20-year coaching veteran, has said repeatedly that he has never seen so many injuries in one season.

So improvisation on Saturday’s key third-down situation was nothing new, and the Panthers delivered on the big play.

“We decided to have Jason run the out-and-up, but La Verne came out in a defensive coverage that was designed to stop a play like that,” Visser said. “But the kids still hooked it up. It was great execution.”

Chapman (2-5) will need some of that precision if it hopes to win its final two games.

Cal Lutheran (4-3), which defeated La Verne, 34-7, visits Chapman Saturday. However, in its first game this season, Cal Lutheran lost to Menlo, one of the teams Chapman has defeated. The season concludes when Azusa Pacific (4-4) plays at Chapman Nov. 15.

“I still feel we’re very thin,” said Visser, whose team has won two of its last three games, the loss to Division I-AA St. Mary’s (Calif.).

Among the key injured players out for the season is last season’s leading tackler, linebacker Keith Dykes, who will sit out with ankle and shoulder injuries.

But Visser remains optimistic and is proud his team has not given up.

“We’re playing two tough teams,” Visser said, “but I think we got a real good shot at winning both games, a real fighting shot at it.”