The SCIAC Football Championship Game will not feature a third matchup between Chapman University and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, who now share the Surf Division yet lead a close three-team race for the title along with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in the 2025 SCIAC Football Preseason Poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
The Panthers, now under the tutelage of interim head coach
Casey Shine, boast the only D3football.com Preseason All-American returner in defensive back
Jacob Gaudi. Two offensive linemen,
Gavin Scott (First Team All-SCIAC) and
Lane Forti (Second Team) are back to block for Second Team running back
Tyler Pacheco. Linebacker
Tate Zimmerman will rejoin Gaudi on the defensive side of the ball after garnering Second Team recognition last year.
Defending champions thanks to an
epic 21-point rally, Pomona-Pitzer welcomes back its First Team quarterback-wide receiver connection in
Grady Russo and
Matthias Olson. Coaching Staff of the Year winner
John Walsh also has cornerback
Kalani Pickett and defensive lineman
Alden Kling, who made the First and Second Teams, respectively, in addition to First Team punter
Jack Walker.
Former Newcomer of the Year and 2024 First Team All-SCIAC defensive end
Michael Houk is the returning headliner for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. Another Second Team choice, linebacker
Harry Zhou, is back on defense for the typically disruptive Stags.
Standout defensive end
Jax Lee re-enrolled with the University of Redlands for a graduate year alongside fellow First Team defensive lineman
Aaron Muniz. Second Team offensive lineman
Benjamin Fitchett and running back
Isaiah Alvarado also return, as does offensive lineman
Tristan Murad, who made the First Team as a rookie in 2023.
California Lutheran University will lean on First Team center
Gavin Quiroz as well as Second Teamers
Hunter Hall on the defensive line and
Kyle Howie at punter. Running back
Dylan Turner and linebacker
Arthur Orta remain on the roster just a year removed from All-Conference recognition in 2023 while rookie safety
Blake Hurley turned in two particularly memorable displays to earn Newcomer of the Year accolades.
Wide receiver
Jimmy Rumsey was one of just two sophomores on offense to make the All-SCIAC First Team last year while the University of La Verne also welcomes back guard
Bernardo Brito and kick returner
Ronald Ropke, who was one of just eight total sophomore to make the All-Conference picture. New head coach
Richard Sanchez will lead the Leopards this fall.
2025 SCIAC Football Preseason Poll
1. Chapman, 32 points (three first-place votes)
2. Pomona-Pitzer, 29 pts (2)
3. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 27 pts (1)
4. Redlands, 18 pts
5. California Lutheran, 13 pts
6. La Verne, 7 pts
Follow the SCIAC on Threads (@theSCIAC), X - formerly Twitter (@theSCIAC) and Instagram (@thesciac) with hashtags #SCIACtion and #SoCalSoGood. Watch all home SCIAC games, matches, and meets online through FloSports: https://flosports.link/SCIAC