Dons Drop Non-Conference Game with Chaffey 56-35

Arthur Tuason pushes his way through the Chaffey defense for one of his two touchdowns in the first quarter.
Arthur Tuason pushes his way through the Chaffey defense for one of his two touchdowns in the first quarter.

SANTA ANA – The Dons dropped their third-straight game and second at home, following their 56-35 loss to visiting Chaffey College in a non-conference game. The loss drops the Dons to 1-4 while Chaffey improved to 3-2 on the season.

The Dons jumped out to an early lead behind a pair of rushing touchdowns by Arthur Tuason in the first quarter. Tuason's first touchdown was from three-yards out while the second was on a one-yard run. Chaffey answered with its first score in the second quarter on a 50-yard touchdown run by Quincey Ross.

But the Dons would get back to the 14-point lead when William Hanley scored on a 37-yard run to put the Dons up 21-7. However, Chaffey would score five straight touchdowns over the second and third quarters to double up the Dons at 42-21. The Panthers scores came on a 99-yard kickoff return, a 12-yard run, a 63-yard run, a 39-yard pass and a 37-yard pass.

The Dons finally snapped that run with 8:19 remaining in the third quarter when Marcus Swanigan returned a blocked punt 10 yards for a touchdown. Chaffey went on to score two more touchdowns, on a 60-yard pass and a 15-yard run, before Hanley capped the scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run.

Hanley led the way for the Dons with 71 yards rushing and two touchdowns while Taj Ashmeade followed with 46 yards on 10 carries. For Chaffey, Ross finished with 187 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns.