2025 was a tough year for the Panther faithful in Inman. Chapman, with a youth-laden roster won just one game amidst what was an absolutely brutal schedule — defeating a rebuilding Union County 30-27. In the end, the campaign unsurprisingly ended in a blowout loss to Southside Christian in the first round of the playoffs.
One might view last season as rock bottom for the program that has steadily slipped from being a region and playoff contender to where they are now (and that would not necessarily be an incorrect assessment). Subsequently, having hit the proverbial rock bottom, that should mean there is cause for optimism for the 2026 season. But, any optimism must be given the qualifier “cautious” based solely on the schedule alone.
With the new realignments in the SCHSL, the Panthers remain a 3A school and say goodbye to Mountain View Prep as a part of the region with their move to 2A. But like Boiling Springs with Gaffney and Byrnes no longer on their slate, or Gaffney no longer having to deal with Northwestern as the top team in the class as a 4A school, things don’t get any easier.
The Panthers’ 2026 schedule includes several perennial contenders in their respective divisions. They open the season at home against 5A Eastside on August 21st before facing back to back 3A non-region foes on the road in Walhalla and Seneca. A couple of familiar former region rivals will follow that in home contests with the now-2A Clinton Red Devils and Woodruff Wolverines before wrapping up non-region on the road with 4A Wade Hampton.
In region play, Chapman will face Blue Ridge on the road before back to back home games with Christ Church and Union and then wrap up the regular season on the road at Broome.
“We are very excited about the new realignment”, said Chapman Head Coach Harry Cabaniss. “The new schedule gives us the opportunity to see some new faces and some new challenges.”
The big net positive is that despite the schedule, Panthers will be entering 2026 with a little more experience on the roster, which should help them be more competitive. According to Coach Cabaniss, the only losses they will be feeling the sting of this year are defensive end/tackle Khamari Turner, who was a three-year starter, and the brothers Jayden and Josiah Copeland.
On the offensive side of the ball, three linemen return from a year ago — junior center/offensive tackle David Eaker, his fellow junior guard/tackle Cayden Gosnell, as well as Ty Scruggs. In the backfield, junior tailback/wideout Teagan Cantrell — who has been on the varsity roster all three years returns as well as another junior in Kham Von, who can also take reps at receiver.
But by far the biggest thing going for the Chapman offense is having Ashton Moore return at quarterback. Moore took over the starting QB role towards the end of last season, and with his abilities and the experience returning around him, there is real potential for the Panthers to make some big plays this season.
On defense, three key guys return in the secondary, including junior DB Darrien Burgess, a speedy senior who has played both ways for the Panthers in Keilon Tucker, as well as junior corner/wideout Caden Lachica. Along the line, senior defensive end Eli Herndon and fellow senior Mikael Tisdale also return for one last ride.
Cabaniss mentioned three newcomers to watch out for as well. On the offensive line, sophomore Carter Merritt has the potential to be a thorn in the side of some defensive linemen this season. Bryson Skipper, being a wrestler by trade, will also no doubt be able to hold some blocks this season. Lastly, sophomore two-way lineman Austin Goode should also not only be able to provide more valuable depth, but also some valuable reps.
With so many guys returning who have already played multiple years at the varsity level, there is little doubt that will be the strength of this team in 2026. But, the biggest question going into this season is whether or not that returning experience translates to better offensive line play — their biggest weakness aside from youth a year ago.
As the number of days on the countdown to August 21st gets ever-lower, there is one thing that you can count on from the 2026 Panthers — they will be ready.
“This team is older and is ready to take the next step”, said Cabaniss. “They have a very different mindset, and I am very confident in this group. Yes, they were young last year. But they have gone through a lot to get to where they are now. I feel like that is the biggest reason to have confidence in them.”
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