Jason Jarvis
Staff Writer

Division III football is a different brand compared to that which is played at schools in Division I. At this level the game is played for one reason: love.

The emphasis at this level truly is on the student and then the athlete. These players play because they love the game, competition and the team.

Many players have to juggle school, football and a job. It really takes a lot of dedication from the athlete to make this possible.

The University of La Verne football team is full of dedicated players and each one has his own story to tell.

With the final game on Friday, the team’s season officially came to an end.

In their first and only night game of the season, the Leopards finished with a 35-12 loss to Chapman.

“We started strong but they scored off our turnovers,” offensive junior lineman Daniel Castro said.

Chapman would get on the board first to take the 7-0 lead but La Verne would answer back with a score of their own.

Junior quarterback Troy Doolittle would hook up with junior wide receiver Michael Moreno for the 14-yard score. Chapman would block the extra point attempt to keep the one point lead.

After Chapman took a 14-6 lead, the Leopards responded with a 6-play, 70-yard drive of their own.

It was capped off when Doolittle found senior Melvin Ward for a 15-yard touchdown to bring the Leopards to within two points at the half.

La Verne took the lead early in the fourth quarter but it was short lived. Chapman scored 21-points in the quarter, including a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior defensive back, Sean Ward.

Penalties and turnovers hurt the Leopards.

Chapman intercepted Doolittle four times in the game and forced three turnovers in the final 15 minutes of play.

La Verne also suffered from 11 penalties that cost the team 114 yards.

The game marked the end of both the season and the careers of the seniors who played this year. With 13 seniors on the team, their leadership and contributions will be missed. The team will be losing many of its top offensive weapons.

Wide receivers Melvin Ward, Adrian Del Haro, Matt Griffin and Zaven Peronian as well as fullback Joe Comacho are just a few of the seniors who played in their last ULV game.

The team will also lose a lot of experience on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive back Vance Tate, linebacker Justin Fields and defensive linemen Dennis Parr and Kevin Knosp are just a few of the players that will be missed.

“I’ll remember the friendships and memories,” said Griffin, “It feels weird now with so much free time.”

The Leopards will rely on the juniors next year to step up and become leaders.

Quarterback Troy Doolittle will be one of the top returnees for the Leopards as they try to get back to the top of the SCIAC conference.

“The juniors will step up,” Comacho said. “They will have a lot of opportunities to show what they can do.”

The Leopards finish the season with a 3-6 overall record and 3-3 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Leopards SCIAC record earns them a third-place tie with Cal Lutheran.

Redlands finished the season in second-place with a 4-2 conference record and Occidental won the SCIAC crown for the second consecutive year.

They finish the season undefeated in SCIAC play with a 6-0 record.

Jason Jarvis can be reached at jjarvis2@ulv.edu.