GLEN ELLYN (Aug. 24, 2019) — The Chaparrals opened their 2019 season on a sun-splashed day before an estimated crowd of 1,500 at Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium, but could not overcome a tough opponent in ASA New York, losing 29-9 on Saturday afternoon.
 
The visiting Avengers scored 23 unanswered points after the Chaps closed the first quarter with a 9-6 lead.
 
"For the first game of the year, I thought we got a lot of young kids some experience against a pretty good program,'' Chaps head coach Matt Foster said. "We had some silly mistakes that you can't afford to have against a good team. They took advantage of them. We're going to learn and grow from today.''
 
On ASA's second possession of the game, the Avengers drove 40 yards on 7 plays with Tyrell Jackson scoring on a one-yard scamper with 6:52 left. But on the PAT, the Chaps' Camron Harrell showed big-time athletic ability.
 
The Bradley native broke through and blocked the PAT. He recovered the ball and raced 93 yards for the two-point tally.
 
"Cam's athletic ability really showed on that play,'' Foster said. "He's got nice speed and ran away. That was a lift after giving up the TD.''
 
The Chaps received the kickoff, and put together their best drive of the game. On a second-and-9 play from their 37 yard-line, quarterback Benjamin Little Jr. evaded the Avengers' rush and found wide receiver Lazerick Eatman in the flat. The Elmhurst native dodged and weaved and scored a 63-yard TD for a 9-6 COD lead with 3:24 left in the opening quarter.
 
But that ended the scoring for the Chaps, who had costly penalties that stalled multiple drives.
 
The biggest momentum breakdown for COD occurred on ASA's opening drive of the second half. Linebacker Nathan Clark intercepted a Jackson pass, returned it for 25 yards and COD had the ball first-and-goal at the 10.
 
Two plays later, the Chaps turned the ball over on a fumble, and ASA made the Chaps pay with a 93-yard, 15-play scoring drive that opened up the 23-point scoring bonanza.
 
COD returns to action Sunday afternoon when it plays at Concordia in a game against its junior varsity. Kickoff is 1 p.m.
 
College of DuPage 9-0-0-0_9
ASA New York 6-7-13-3_29
First Quarter
ASA — Tyrell Jackson 1 run (PAT blocked), 6:52
COD — Camron Harrell 93-yard PAT returned, 6:52
COD — Lazerick Eatman 63-yard pass from Benjamin Little (Sergio Listo kick), 3:24
Second Quarter
ASA — Tyquan Brown 17 run (Andres Espinoza kick)
Third Quarter
ASA — Stephon Rucker-Carroll 1 run (Espinoza kick), 7:15
ASA — Devin Dawkins 7 run (PAT blocked), 2:03
Fourth Quarter
ASA — FG 29 Espinoza, 4:24.