Panthers Football 2022INMAN, S.C. – Last year saw the Chapman Panthers earn their fifth region championship in as many seasons on their way to an 8-3 record and a berth in the second round of the 3A playoffs. Chapman saw some notable names graduate, including nine offensive starters, but the numbers don't tell the entire story about the amount of experience that comes back this season. “If you look on paper, nine of the 11 guys on offense were seniors,” said head coach Harry Cabaniss. “Due to injuries and outside things, those nine guys never started or played a whole game together all year. A lot of guys who were younger had to play, so we’ve got guys coming back who have started games for us but have never been the ‘starter’ consistently for us game after game.” With the Panthers returning two starters on offense in wide receiver Shawn Cunningham and lineman Jack Settle, some newer faces will be stepping into starting roles. “Shawn has started the past two years and has been really good for us," Cabaniss stated. "He’s a really clean route runner. We’re excited about the growth he has had this summer. There’s Mathai Scott at running back, who can do everything for us. He was injured last summer, and we didn’t have him (on the field) until week six or seven last year. He has grown leaps and bounds.” “Coleman Gray will be our quarterback and has waited his turn. He’s had a great summer, growing and becoming the guy we can depend on play after play. Up front, on the offensive line you’re going to see a rotation. Jack Settle has been a staple for us up there the last two years, playing every position. He’s like a Swiss army knife.” Chapman will also look to Keanu Na and Taylor Dunning to help share the workload at running back, as well as Daniel Brown and Braydon Bliss along the line. Defensively, the Panthers will bring back eight starters, which features all-region selections Devin Roe and Abraham Fyffe, along with several others who made key contributions last year. “Devin leads the back end of the defense,” said Cabaniss. “When the ball goes in the air, he’s going to track it down. It got to a point last year where teams didn’t throw near him because he’s either going to knock the ball down or pick it off. Starting cornerback Nigel Pate is back and we have three defensive lineman (Fyffe, Harrison Bridges, and Josh Wellmon) that are back as well. Kole Brown returns at linebacker as does Dalton Mahaffey who will be the middle (linebacker).” Names that will also be called upon include Chandler Cartee, Cole Daugherty, Hudson Moss, Kaden Thompson, and Reese Lynch. On special teams, Jackson Visoury will handle the kicking responsibilities. “There’s a bunch of guys on defense that have played, which is why some of those guys will be helping us on offense. We think this will give us a better depth chart on both sides of the ball and our coaches are excited about it.” As Cabaniss begins his third year guiding the Panthers, it's not just about the expectations for the program on the field, but also the bigger picture off the field. “When you talk about Chapman, you have to talk about getting back to Columbia,” Cabaniss stated. “We set up our non-region schedule on purpose to get us ready for the region. We want to be in that conversation to crank up the bus and head to Columbia on December 1st. When people talk about expectations, I worry about today and how fast we can do things right, as the rest of it will take care of itself.” "Wherever they go after this – college, tech school, or whatever their job is – hopefully we had a little part in what they did. We’re always (talking) about that and I’m excited about this group. I think we have a lot of guys that will be community leaders, there’s no doubt.” Chapman kicks off the 2022 campaign against longtime foe Woodruff at Panther Stadium on Friday, August 19th. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 PM. Panthers Girls GolfThe Chapman girls golf team head into the 2022 season looking to repeat their region accomplishments from last season while possibly adding a state title to the mix as well. "We hope to continue to improve while competing for another region title and qualifying for the state tournament," said Chapman head coach Kevin Atkins. Chapman won their region last season but fell short of qualifying as a team for the 3A state tournament. The Panthers will be returning two-time All-State player Olivia Ireland this season who they hope will be competing for an individual state championship this season in her senior season after finishing last year in fifth place. Ireland will be joined by fellow returnees and All-Region selections from last year Savannah Burns and Annabelle Blackwood as they look to back up their region championship from last season. The Panthers will tee off their season on August 23rd against Landrum at Village Greens before competing in the Lady Rebel Invitational with numerous other local teams on August 30th at River Falls. **We at the Boiling Springs Sports Journal emailed all fall sport coaches for information and if any team is missing it means we didn't receive any information in return.
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