ORANGE, Calif. - Pacific Football battled against a talented Chapman team, but the hosts out-scored the Boxers 28-7 in the second half to come away with the 42-21 victory in the season opener.
Forest Grove's team delivered a great offensive performance, racking up 435 yards of total offense on the night. However, their opponents proved to be extremely effective as well, posting 441 total yards. Chapman needed just 46 plays in its six scoring drives, showing their ability to produce the big play.
Top Performers
- Ryan Helt was very impressive in his first start under center, going 27-of-40 for 336 yards. The gunslinger tossed one touchdown and ran for another, facilitating an efficient offensive attack on Saturday night.
- Kai Bookland was Helt's favorite target with six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
- Isaiah Pitre delivered Pacific's longest play of the night with a 43-yard grab in the first quarter. The senior had five receptions for 78 yards in his season debut.
- Tyler Vargas was effective in the slot, racking up 48 yards on six catches.
- Deshayne Stevens and Zion Booker led the defense with seven tackles apiece.
How It Happened
Chapman struck early following a 49-yard run from Nathaniel Espinoza on its first play from scrimmage. Tanner Mendoza would punch it in from five yards out to give the hosts an early 7-0 lead.
Helt and the offense would go to work on Pacific's first possession. The Boxers' signal caller connected with Vargas, who came up with an important grab on third down to move the sticks. Pitre then found some separation on the outside before reeling in a 43-yard reception to put the Boxers in the red zone. Pacific would appear to settle for a field goal, but a roughing the kicker penalty would keep the drive alive. Despite the good fortune, the Panthers stopped four consecutive rushes on the goal line to force a turnover on downs.
On the Boxers' next possession,
Kash Taylor would carry the offense down near the 30-yard line before freshman
Brody Bantolina took a handoff around the outside. He made a couple defenders miss and scampered for a 29-yard touchdown, the first of his career, to tie the game at 7-7 just before the end of the first quarter.
Chapman regained the lead on the ensuing possession with Mendoza's 23-yard touchdown run to cap off a five-play, 71-yard drive in just 2:25.
Just before the halftime whistle, Helt orchestrated a perfect drive in just three minutes, completing four straight passes before hitting Bookland with an 18-yard strike to tie things up at 14-14.
Pacific got the ball to start the second half but saw its drive stall after five plays. The Panthers replied with another quick scoring drive to take a one-score advantage. Chapman doubled their lead when Espinoza completed back-to-back 30-yard passes to Wyatt Hardin, with the latter finding the end zone.
The Boxers faced a difficult third down situation near midfield and Helt clutched up with a precise pass under pressure to Bookland, extending the drive. Pacific marched deep into Chapman territory and Helt finished things off by calling his own number, scoring on a 13-yard rush to make the score 28-21.
Chapman restored their two-score advantage on their next possession, all but putting the game out of reach with seven minutes remaining. The hosts tacked on one more score in the dying minutes to solidify the 42-21 win.
By The Numbers
- Pacific was 8-of-16 on third down and 2-of-3 on fourth down.
- Chapman tallied 208 rushing yards in the contest.
- The Boxers' time-of-possession was 36:38 while the Panthers held the ball for just 21:07.
What It Means
Pacific falls to 0-4 all time against Chapman. The Boxers have lost their last six season openers.
Up Next
The Boxers will enter their bye week before returning to Hanson Stadium on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. to host Pomona-Pitzer.
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