Box Score Big plays and momentum were the calling cards all day long for the College of DuPage Chaparrals, who earned an impressive 28-15 victory over visiting Georgia Military in NJCAA football Saturday afternoon at Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium.
 
The Chaps (7-2 overall) earned a victory over one of the top scholarship programs in the NJCAA and helped themselves toward a potential berth in the Dec. 4 national championship game here at COD.
 
"Year in, and year out, Georgia Military is one of the best in junior college football,'' Chaps head coach Matthew Rahn said. "They have the talent, the coaches and the program where they contend at the top. This is a victory where we played very well in all phases of the game, and I'm hoping this will open some eyes in terms of us playing for a national championship game next month.''
 
It's not often when a recovered blocked extra-point can go down as a difference making play, but that played a critical role in the victory.
 
After COD took a 6-0 lead, thanks to Lavale Hill's 45-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, the Bulldogs evened the score on Sagel Hickson's 3-yard run with 1:38 left in the quarter.
 
On the extra-point attempt,  the Chaps blocked the attempt, and Tom Trieb picked up the ball and raced 88 yards for the two-point score and COD led, 8-6.
 
"That really was a big-time player making a big-time play,'' Rahn said. "It stopped their momentum, and it gave right it back to us.''
 
The Chaps padded the lead to 14-6 on a Brooks Blount to Lazerick Eatman 26-yard TD pass and catch to open the second quarter and went into halftime leading 14-9 after the Bulldogs' Jamal Larach hit a 24-yard field goal just before the half.
 
The turning point of the game came early in the third quarter. The Bulldogs, who deferred the coin toss and elected to receive in the second half, answered with a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive, capped by Daithan Davis's 12-yard TD reception from Donovan Anthony and. Georgia Military led for the first time all day, 15-14.
 
But on the Chaps' next possession, they answered with an eight-play, 70-yard drive when Myles McKatherine gathered in a 15-yard TD pass from Blount. The Chicago native made a tremendous catch with one foot in bounds for the tally.
 
On the kickoff, Nick Bucaro raced down the field and forced a fumble that teammate Danarius Shaw scooped up and the Chaps had the ball at the Bulldogs' 26. Four plays later, Blount connected on a 15-yard TD pass to Charlie King and the Chaps had their 28-15 lead.
 
"Our defense and our offense fed off each other,'' Rahn said. "Give credit to the guys, but I thought we were led all day by our sophomores. Those vets kept it together, and we played our best today.''
 
The victory was COD's first over Georgia Military in six seasons.
 
The Chaps close the regular season Friday night at home against Ellsworth College. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
 
Georgia Military 6-3-6-0_15
College of DuPage 8-6-14-0_28
 
Scoring
First Quarter
D — Lavale Hill 45 run (pass failed), 8:32
Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 1:53
G — Sagel Hickson 3 run (kick blocked), 1:38
Scoring Drive: 16 plays, 83 yards, 6:52
D — Tom Trieb 88 fumble return off blocked PAT, 1:38
Second Quarter
D — Lazerick Eatman 26 pass from Brooks Blount (kick blocked), 14:53
Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:34
G – FG 24, Jamal Larach, :09
Scoring Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 2:04
Third Quarter
G — Daithan Davis 12 pass from Donovan Anthony (kick blocked), 12:16
Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:29
D — Myles McKatherine 12 pass from Blount (Turnage kick), 8:51
Scoring Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:18
D — Charlie King 15 pass from Blount (Turnage kick), 7:42
Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:02
Fourth Quarter
No scoring