2025 Preview: Chapman Panthers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sometimes, trial by fire is the best way to learn.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That was the case for last year's Chapman Panthers, where injuries dictated that a ton of young players saw time in the starting lineup for Chapman, even if they sometimes weren't quite ready yet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They're ready now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chapman coach Harry Cabaniss is excited to see all the unexpected experience pay off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We have a bunch of guys back, because we had to play a lot of young guys," Cabaniss said. "Some of it was due to injury, some of it was pure necessity because they were better than everybody else. We've got a lot of those guys back this year, and that experience is nice to have."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Experience is key at a couple of positions defensively for the Panthers. <strong>Chris Moorman</strong> is back at OLB, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1732638' first='Khamari' last='Turner']</strong> (pictured) is a three-year starter at DE. Both have played multiple other positions for the Panthers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Both of those guys do a bunch of things for us," Cabaniss said. "They can both play a lot of places and do a lot of different things well."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turner, particularly, has the potential to be an even bigger part of what the Panthers want to do. He's a monster on the defensive side of the ball, and is going to present a big target as a TE this season as well. He said the Panthers are excited to get started.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We really just want to work on improvement," he said. "We want to start working together as a team. It's just knowing that I'm not playing for myself. We're playing for the whole community."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensively, <strong>Bryson Cothran</strong> returns after playing a lot last year at quarterback.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"He started half the games for us last year," Cabaniss said. "We made a decision late in the year to stay on the senior and let him finish it out. Bryson's back for us, and we've got a running back, <strong>Jasaiah Copeland</strong>, who's played two years for us. He's back, which is nice. Outside, we have some guys who played well last season who are back. <strong>Blake Williams </strong>is back for us. <strong>Taylor Rogers</strong> came on for us, and he's going to be a junior. [player_tooltip player_id='1615119' first='Teagan' last='Cantrell'] was a freshman for us last year who really came along."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, the Panthers' new faces have been waiting patiently. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"On the defensive side, we have guys where it's just their time," Cabaniss said. "<strong>Austin Means</strong> is back at linebacker. <strong>Lewis McAllister</strong> is a four-year starter for us. He started at guard for us as a freshman. The last two years he played guard/linebacker/defensive end/H-Back. This year, finally, he's primarily going to be playing LB and H-Back, and it's nice to have that experience back there with him."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1732638' first='Khamari' last='Turner']</strong> DE/TE, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Turner is a wrecking ball on the outside. He's strong, fast, and disruptive, and he makes plays all over the field. This year, the Panthers expect him to do even more, as he'll see some time at tight end. There, he'll bring a physical presence in the run game and a huge target for Chapman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chris Moorman</strong> OLB, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moorman's exactly what you want in an outside linebacker - he diagnoses plays in a hurry, he's mobile enough to chase plays down from sideline to sideline, and he's physical and violent when he arrives. Moorman made a ton of plays for the Panthers last season, and he's finally going to get a chance to concentrate on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taylor Rogers</strong> WR, 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rogers did a little of everything for the Panthers as a sophomore. He notched some carries, he played some quarterback, but most of his damage came at receiver. That's where he'll be home for Chapman this season, giving the Panthers not only a dynamic playmaker but also a big-time threat when he can get the ball in his hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Darrien Burgess</strong> DB, 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burgess is one of those guys Cabaniss talked about who played out of necessity. He also played REALLY well. Starting at DB as a freshman, he routinely drew opposing teams' No. 1 receivers. The result? All-Region honors as a freshman. Burgess has track speed, all kind of coverage ability, and he's just going to get better the older he gets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Austin Means</strong> LB, 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Means is a physical guy who's not afraid to stick his head in on both sides of the ball. He's a big hitter at LB, where he also shows the patience to find the play and not overrun anything. Offensively, he brings a kind of nasty edge to TE, looking for big blocks to spring his guys. Cabaniss said Means is a guy who's always around the ball, and the tape shows that's true.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/23471383/674587389073481879b8e18d' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6867fbcfc4eca"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hank Tolleson</strong> ATH - Tolleson was one of those do-everything guys, and somebody Chapman couldn't afford to be off the field. He was lost to an injury last season, and graduation has taken him away for good, costing the Panthers a major weapon on both sides of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alex Cox</strong> OL - Cox was carrying on a family tradition, as either he or his brother Nick have played at Center for the Panthers since Cabaniss took over as coach. He was the only constant on the OL in a year where injuries kind of jumbled the playing rotation, and he earned North All-Star honors in the process.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Christian Brian</strong> DB, 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"He's got a chance to be really good," Cabaniss said of Brian. "He started the last two games of the season for us, because he's just one of those guys who had to play. We had to get him on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bryan is quick, he covers well, and he closes on the ball in a hurry. He's just scratching the surface of what he can do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caden Lachica</strong> DB, 2028 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lachica is another member of what has the chance to be an outstanding sophomore class for the Panthers. Like Burgess, he started at DB as a freshman. Also like Burgess, he's fast and he covers well. He's got the measurables, and a year of experience under his belt will only help him improve even faster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6867f1d996cd2"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1615119"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6867fbcfc7af1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cantrell played all over the place as a freshman for the Panthers, and played well. Linebacker, safety, receiver - there's not much that Cantrell can't do (or hasn't done, for that matter).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's a big hitter from OLB, and he brings that same aggressive style to the offensive side of the ball. He's a power runner, and he's got good hands out of the backfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/22564307/67a9ea1f0728724c669cb8be' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6867fbcfc7b32"} /-->