Sat., Oct. 12, at 7:05 p.m.
Ernie Chapman Stadium
Chapman University
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The undefeated No. 15/17 University of Redlands football team heads to Ernie Chapman Stadium to take on the Chapman University Panthers in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) clash on Saturday night. The familiar foes each enter the contest undefeated with one conference victory in hand and high expectations for continued success.
After a tight first half against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges last weekend, the Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard with 21 points in the second stanza to take the game, 38-17. Redlands now owns a 4-0 record that includes wins over then-ranked No. 11 Linfield College (OR) and two other Northwest Conference opponents.
Against the Sagehens, the Bulldog defense held them to a stingy 42 yards on the ground in an outstanding effort.
"Those guys are doing a tremendous job and our defensive coaches are putting together great plans. I'd like to credit defensive linemen senior Elias Hackney (Santa Monica, CA), juniors Nathan Abelon (San Bernardino, CA), Solomon Iosefa (Riverside, CA), and Brandon Serrano (Chino, CA), and linebackers juniors Jacob Harrold (Lake Havasu City, AZ) and sophomore Joe Bennett (San Diego, CA) for doing a great job up front," commented Head Coach Mike Maynard.
Nationally, Redlands ranks first in turnover margin and second in rushing defense.
Offensively, the Bulldogs have plenty to celebrate as well. Junior quarterback Nathan Martinez (Redlands, CA) went 29-of-42 for 320 yards and four touchdowns. He utilized 10 different receivers with each recording at least one catch. Senior tight end Blake Roy (Camas, WA), who was recently named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy Award, hauled in six catches for two scores in a stellar showing.
"Martinez and our offensive line deserve a lot of credit. Nathan has good vision, knows what he is going to do, and gets the ball out of his hands quickly. Martinez and our offensive line are a great combination."
According to Maynard, one reason for that success is the amazing team chemistry.
"It is more important than height, weight, and speed. We recruit great young men who are tremendous student-athletes. They are fully invested in practice, games, and in each other," he added.
There is a lot of hype surrounding this Saturday's game, which features the only two undefeated teams on the West Coast in NCAA Division III. Last year, the teams met in Ted Runner Stadium, with Redlands capturing an exciting 39-26 victory. After neither team scored in the first quarter, the Bulldogs found their rhythm and went off for 517 offensive yards in a breakout performance.
Chapman currently owns a 3-0 record, which includes wins over then-ranked No. 10 Whitworth University (WA) and Pacific University (OR) of the Northwest Conference. In addition, Chapman kicked off conference play with 36-6 victory over Whittier College last week.
While utilizing two quarterbacks, Chapman managed 426 yards of total offense against the Poets. Quarterback Reed Vettel threw for 99 yards on eight completions while running back Isaiah Woods led the ground game with 76 yards on 10 carries. Defensively, linebacker Dillon Keefe recorded nine tackles to pace the Panthers.
On Saturday, both teams have a lot at stake in a premiere SCIAC game.
"Our game plan is to be us, be Redlands, do what we do," Maynard said.
Part of that stems from special teams creating great field position. Senior kicker Alex Raya (Jamul, CA) booted a 69-yard punt last week to propel the team to a net punt average of 46.7 yards.
"Alex has been a tremendous weapon for us as a kicker and punter. He works hard all year round," he added.
This week's captains include Hackney, senior defensive back Jeff Hector (Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA), senior offensive lineman Joey Caffaro (Jackson Hole, WY), and senior wide receiver David Molina (Laguna Hills, CA).
