Chapman’s Door to Postseason Could Hinge on Opener
It would be hard to overstate the importance of Chapman’s football season opener Saturday night.
The host Panthers desperately need a win over No. 14 Willamette (Ore.) at 7 just to stay in the playoff hunt.
“It’s a very, very important game if you have aspirations at all of a playoff situation, absolutely,” Panther Coach Ken Visser said.
While most conference champions from around the country receive automatic playoff berths, independents like Chapman have to be almost perfect to be considered for the handful of at-large bids in the 24-team field, according to Visser.
“To get a playoff berth, you’d have to be no worse than 8-1,” Visser said. “But there was a year when La Verne went 9-0 and didn’t get in.”
Chapman has yet to advance since dropping to Division III seven seasons ago.
Powerful Willamette is led by preseason All-American defensive end Eric Thomson, and the Bearcat offense, which uses alternating quarterbacks, returns most of its skill players from a team that ranked fourth in the nation in rushing.
“‘Offensively, we’ve got a shot at being better than we were last year,” Willamette Coach Mark Speckman said.
On paper at least, Chapman, 5-4 last season, has its best team in some time. The offensive line is nearly intact with four starters back and its top two offensive players return with high expectations.
Quarterback Stanley Villanueva set a school single-season record in 1999 by passing for 2,379 yards. Tailback Phil Cruz scored 21 touchdowns last year. Also back is Trent Frisina, who will most likely move to wingback. Andre Morrison also figures to carry the ball some.
Cruz understands the importance of Saturday’s opener.
“Willamette is a huge test for us,” said Cruz, who expects to carry the ball 20-25 times a game. “If we don’t take that game we’re going to be looking at things from a different point of view.”
Villanueva seems unruffled by Willamette, which defeated Chapman, 42-13, in Salem in the second game of the 1999 season.
“Definitely, I feel a lot better going into this year than I did last year,” he said. “Last year everybody was new when we played Willamette. We were just getting to know each other. Toward the end of the season we put it together and with this many returners, particularly on offense, we should be able to put a lot of points up again.”
Starting guards Jeff Tappenden and Joey Iantorno and center Mark Shafer return, as does tackle Chad Cooper, who has moved to the left side. Visser said he’s unsure who will fill Cooper’s role at right tackle.
But who does Villanueva pass to? There are no returning receivers.
“Several new guys have stepped up in practice and hopefully that will carry over into the season,” Villanueva said.
Among them is Greg Garand, a former quarterback from Fullerton College who has moved to wide receiver. Bobby Calderon, who played baseball last season, appears headed for a major role as a receiver on the football team.
“If we can have a balanced attack, that makes us that much more of a threat on offense,” Villanueva said. “That means that opponents can’t key on the quarterback or just a single running back or a receiver. That’s to our advantage.”
In the secondary, the Panthers lost Dino Rossi, who was expected to start at cornerback but injured a knee during the summer and will redshirt.
But the Panthers look solid overall, and Cruz says he likes what he has seen so far.
“Last year when we played Willamette it was only our second game. We we weren’t all together,” he said. “We didn’t execute the plays. This year things seem more in sync.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
2000 Schedule
*--*
Date Time Opponent Sept. 9 7 p.m. vs. Willamette (Ore.) Sept. 16 1 p.m. at Whitworth (Wa.) Sept. 23 7 p.m. vs. Whittier Sept. 30 1 p.m. at Cal Lutheran Oct. 7 7 p.m. at Redlands Oct. 14 7 p.m. at Occidental Oct. 28 7 p.m. vs. La Verne Nov. 4 6 p.m. at Azusa Pacific Nov. 11 1 p.m. at Menlo
*--*