Chapman's Season Rally Capped With Win Over Cougars

ORANGE, CALIF. -- Chapman University, which opened the season with its first-ever four-game losing streak, completed a late-season rally with a 17-12 victory over Azusa Pacific in a nonconference game in Orange, Saturday night.

With the win, the Panthers finish the season with a three-game win streak and a victory in four of its final five games to close the 1997 season at 4-5. Likewise, Azusa Pacific closed the year at 4-5, it's the first losing campaign since 1994.

Junior QB Greg Hyland completed 19-of-32 passes for 244 yards and a TD to lead Chapman. Hyland hooked up with tightend Dave Vaccaro on the game's opening drive for a 44-yard TD strike and a quick 7-0 Chapman lead, which it never relinquished.

Panther Robert Hayes, who begin the year as a seventh-string tailback, rushed for a career high 105 yards on 20 carries in just his second career start. He scored on a five-yard TD run with 9:44 left in the third quarter to put the Panthers 14-3 at the time.

Chapman did all that could to keep Azusa Pacific in the game, committing five turnovers, including two interceptions. However, Azusa Pacific could not turn any of the Panther miscues into points.

"We didn't capitalize on turnovers and good field position" said Azusa Pacific coach Vic Shealy. "This kind of game illustrated our season. We just never quite made a turn on this season, and we didn't make it in this game. I thought if we could have got on top and get the lead, we would go on to win the game."

Cougar WR Dexter Davis scored the lone Azusa Pacific TD on a 37-yard catch and run from QB Brian Lucas with 1:35 left in the game. For the game, Davis caught a career high 11 passes for a career-high 187 yards, and in the process broke a pair of Azusa Pacific receiving records. The first was Paul Nath's 1978 mark of 64 receptions in a season. The second was Bob Drakes 1966 record (the oldest Cougar football record book) of 955 reception yards in a single season. Davis finishes 1997 with 71 catches for 1,012 yards to become Azusa Pacific's first-ever 1000-yard receiver.

The victory is Chapman's fourth straight over Azusa Pacific, and marks the second straight season in which the Cougars close a season with a loss to Chapman.

Print Friendly Version