In December of 2025, the College of the Canyons basketball team lost one of its own. 25-year-old Donovan Chapman died in a tragic accident, leaving behind a team still feeling the loss of a teammate, leader, and friend.
It was just after 4 a.m. on December 21st, a violent crash along the northbound Interstate 5 in Pacoima. Investigators say a sedan slammed into a large truck near Branford Street just north of the 170 interchange.
“We met together as a group right after, everybody got the news, and we spent that whole day together, in thought, and prayer for Donovan,” said Alan Woskanian, COC Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach.
“He’s always in our talks, we speak his name every day, you know he’s in practice every day with us, we speak his name in practice, we speak his name before games, so he was a big part of the team, you know the guys really liked him a lot.”
But as the season moved forward, the focus quickly shifted. For this team, every practice, every game, became about something bigger than basketball.
“After we found out about Donovan, I feel like it brought us together as a team, and we were kind of doing it for him,” said Wyatt Wilson, COC Basketball player.
Chapman was known for his energy, his competitiveness, and his constant desire to win. But more importantly, he was someone who pushed his teammates and helped change the program’s culture.
“He was a culture changer, he brought in a high level of work ethic, great teammate, you know, constant desire to win, you know, competitive,” said Woskanian.
“He was a really big part of the culture change that took over here.”
And even after his passing, that impact hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything, it’s become the driving force behind this team.
“I think winning because he always wanted to win and he does anything that takes to win, so when we would win, I’d feel like that was a feeling that I’d associate with him,” said Wilson.
A season played in his honor and the legacy that continues to live on through his team.
