In a matchup between the top two teams in the conference, Chapman is set to face off against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the SCIAC Football Championship on Saturday, November 14, in Orange, Calif.
For a second year in a row, the Panthers finished their conference slate undefeated with a 7-0 record, extending their SCIAC winning streak to 15 consecutive games. The Stags finished 6-1, with their one loss being to Chapman. This is now the Panthers' fourth consecutive season playing in the championship game, while CMS returns to this stage for the first time since 2022.
Chapman, who is currently nationally ranked in the AFCA poll at No. 25, won each of their seven games by two scores or more with an average margin of victory of 26 points per game. The Panthers have the best ranked offense in the conference with nearly 37 points scored per game while also allowing a SCIAC-best 10.9 points per contest.
Leading a strong run game that averages 192.3 yards on the ground, Fischer Huss is second in the league with 470 rushing yards to go along with eight touchdowns. He has done so on just 62 attempts, good for 7.6 yards per carry. Just behind him is Andrew Latu, who has totaled 358 rushing yards. In his first year as a starter, quarterback Eli Brandt has thrown for 1,237 yards and six touchdowns, while also adding 210 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. His top pass catcher Jason Bruce is top-five in receiving yards in the conference with 434 on 27 receptions. Four of Brandt's six touchdowns have gone to Bruce.
Yards have come at a premium against Chapman, as four players are in the top-10 of the SCIAC for tackles for loss. Nic Ramos has tallied a team-high 7.5 for a loss of 35 yards, including 4.5 sacks, while Jake Underwood is just behind with four sacks of his own.
For the Stags, quarterback Robert Litscher has had the most efficient season amongst SCIAC signal callers with 1,495 passing yards and 11 touchdowns to just one interception. He's done so on a 67.5 completion percentage, which is a conference best. Receivers Noah Macapulay and and Quinin Craig have combined for 958 yards and seven touchdowns, as the pair rank second and third, respectively, in receiving yards in the conference.
On the defensive side of the ball, Joseph Kessler has collected a team-high four sacks and seven tackles for loss. The secondary has also been a strength for CMS, as it intercepted the quarterback eight times and returned two of those for touchdowns. Evan Gerber is up to a SCIAC-high three interceptions and one pick-six.
In the two teams' previous meeting, the Panthers defeated the Stags, 49-28, in what was a neck-and-neck game going into the fourth quarter. CMS led 28-27 at one point, but Chapman scored 22 unanswered points to take the win.