THE COLLEGES : Chapman Takes Its Time Before Routing Redlands

ORANGE — Darnell Morgan could have been excused for being frustrated, but he knew better.

Even after he had two rushing touchdowns nullified by holding penalties in the first half, he was calm and collected.

“I just knew it was a matter of time,” Morgan said, “before my guys were going to get the job done.”

Morgan was dead right, and his patience was rewarded with four second-half touchdowns in Chapman’s 54-24 victory over Redlands in a nonconference game Saturday in front of 3,094 at Chapman.

Morgan, a senior from Norwalk, gained 292 all-purpose yards, rushing for 183 in 23 carries, catching three passes for 88 yards and returning a kickoff 21 yards.

Morgan had touchdown runs of 59, nine and 12 yards and took a screen pass from Greg Hyland for a 67-yard score.

“They were trying to predict which way we wanted to go,” Morgan said. “But when they were wrong, they’re not going to catch any of our guys from behind, especially not me.”

Redlands (4-3) was doing a lot of chasing Saturday.

The Bulldog defense was clearly overmatched by Chapman’s speed on offense. Chapman (6-1) gained 502 yards in total offense.

Starting quarterback Josh Bravo gave Chapman a 14-0 lead with a one-yard run and a 10-yard pass to Oscar Ford. Then he was replaced by Hyland, who gave the Panthers a 27-10 lead with a 16-yard touchdowns pass to tight end David Vaccaro and a 60-yarder to Martrice Stephens.

Hyland finished with seven of eight passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns.

Redlands made it interesting for a few minutes in the second quarter, getting as close as four points, 14-10.

Morgan Bannister, a junior from San Clemente High, blocked Mario Acosta’s punt into the end zone and Acosta ran back to the ball and kicked it backward off the field.

Acosta took the free kick from the 10 because of a penalty for kicking the ball out of the end zone, and Redlands got the ball at its 44.

The Bulldogs drove deep in Chapman territory and scored on fourth and one from the two on Otis Harrison’s dive with 6:57 left in the second quarter.

But until the fourth quarter, Redlands couldn’t get anything else going.

Chapman’s defense didn’t allow Redlands much breathing room until late. Redlands quarterback Danny Green was hounded all night by Chapman pass rushers, especially defensive ends Robert Ernster and Toney Eggleston.