Chapin’s football season ends on high note

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer

Chapin - Chapin’s 6-7 football season doesn’t look that good on paper, but the regular-season 35-34 victory over Region 4-5A rival White Knoll Nov. 8 surely made a lot of noise among the Eagles’ followers.

As Dutch Fork and Irmo battled for the region championship down I-26, the fourth quarter at Cecil Woolbright field was on fire.

White Knoll took a 21-7 lead on the Eagles early in the third quarter, but Chapin battled back and eventually defeated the Timberwolves 35-34.

Anthony Turnbow scored three touchdowns for Chapin in the second half—a receiving score, an interception return for a touchdown, and a kickoff return for another TD. He had 176 all-purpose yards on the night, from the pick-6, the kickoff return, the touchdown reception, and 37 rushing yards.

Besides Turnbow’s effort, Colione Martin rushed 21 times for 132 yards and a score, and quarterback Brady Albro had two interceptions but threw for 159 yards and a clutch TD pass to Turnbow.

“Our kids really played really hard, we talked about trusting the process in all phases of the game and they came in together and didn’t give up on each other, which is really good,” Chapin head coach Ryan Cole said. “We had a couple of turnovers we created on defense, which was great, Cole Martin had a really good second half, the linemen tightened down, and Brady (Albro) led them. I was happy that everybody came together at a time when we needed them to.”

That need came after Turnbow’s TD reception and pick-6 tied the game at 21 by the one-minute mark into the fourth quarter. In a fantastic finish, both teams scored four touchdowns within one minute and 20 seconds late in the game.

Chapin made it 28-21 on Gavin Stam’s 3-yard TD run at the 4:28 mark. Fifty-five seconds later, Jh’Quez Montgomery broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 28 at the 3:53 mark.

Special teams had a moment over the next minute. Turnbow broke free on his 76-yard return that gave Chapin a 35-28 lead with 3:40 to go. Then White Knoll’s Devin Geronomi took the Eagles kick to the end zone on an 85-yard romp with 3:28 left.

In all the excitement, the game came down to extra points. Johnny Aguilera, who was 4-for-4 up until that point, missed the point after.

Chapin took yet another kickoff, but this time ran out the clock and sealed its first region win of the year.

“I’ve told our kids from time to time that I’ve been waiting for them to put it all together,” Cole said. “White Knoll is a good football team and they do some great things, and I’ll be excited to play them again.”

The game was easily the highlight of Chapin’s football season. The Eagles had won their first four games, but lost the next five. After the win over the Timberwolves, the Eagles edged Goose Creek 17-16 in the first round of the 5A Division 2 playoffs, but lost 38-7 to Irmo Nov. 22 to close out the season.

Albro, who passed for 2,603 yards and 22 touchdowns, made the 5A All-State team, as did wide receiver Khalen Bostick (65 catches for 895 yards and 11 touchdowns) and offensive tackle Caden Muskus.