The College of DuPage Chaparrals will play for a national championship.
 
For the first time in school history, the Chaps will play for a title, after closing the regular season with a 44-28 victory over Ellsworth College on a frigid Friday night at Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium.
 
The top-ranked Chaps improved to 8-2 overall with a hard-fought victory that saw momentum swing in their favor, and then bounce back to the Panthers before COD dominated in the second half.
 
"I'm so happy and proud for all of our guys,'' head coach Matthew Rahn said. "The majority of our guys didn't get a season during 2020 and we had a shortened spring. And now we get to do something that hasn't been done in school history and that's win a national title in football.''
 
Behind quarterback Brooks Blount's three first-quarter touchdowns, the Chaps built a 20-6 lead in the first quarter.
 
An Andrew Turnage 28-yard field goal midway through the second quarter added to the Chaps lead and it seemed as if the victory was well in hand.
 
But the Panthers answered back with a pair of TD passes  to wide receiver Darrius Jackson from QB Josh Bauer. The first was from 19 yards and the second from 20 and the ballgame all of a sudden swung in Ellsworth's favor as it trailed just 23-20 at halftime.
 
"Football is a game of momentum,'' Rahn said. "We had it, and they stole it from us. Let's just say we talked at halftime about making an adjustment and that we needed to respond.''
 
And that's exactly what happened. The Chaps scored 21 points unanswered all on touchdown runs from Lavale Hill (2 yards),  Taveon Porter (10 yards) and Hill with a 3-yard run with just 4:49 left and COD ahead 44-20.
 
Rahn singled out his running back depth as difference makers.
 
"Darrell Smith was a terror all night long for us,'' Rahn said. "And we got big efforts from Lavale, Taveon and Jessi Plunkett.
 
The Chaps now await Tuesday's national championship announcement. The Chaps, who are ranked No. 1 in NJCAA Division III play will face either No. 2 Itasca (Minn.) or a rematch with No. 3 Nassau.
 
The championship, named the NJCAA Division III National Championship at the Red Grange Bowl, is slated for 1 p.m. on Dec. 4.
 
"That we get to play for a title at home is going to be very special,'' Rahn said. "The (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers got to do it, why not us?"
 
 
Ellsworth 6-14-0-8_28
DuPage 20-3-7-14_44
 
Scoring
First Quarter
D — Brooks Blount 1 run (kick failed), 11:18
Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:53
E — Isaiah Smith 32 punt return block (kick blocked), 7:46
D — Blount 1 run (Joshua Winslow kick), 5:38
Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:08
D —Blount 10 run (Winslow kick), :44
Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:16
Second Quarter
D — Turnage 28 FG, 7:43
Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:30
E — Darrius Jackson 19 pass from Josh Bauer (kick blocked),  6:18
Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:04
E — Jackson 20 pass from Bauer ( Jackson pass from Bauer), 2:16
Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 1:39
Third Quarter
D — Lavale Hill 2 run (Winslow kick), 1:46
Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 2:07
Fourth Quarter
D — Taveon Porter 10 run (Winslow kick), 11:50
Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:14
D — Hill 3 run (Winslow kick), 4:49
Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 3:50
E — Jackson 22 pass from Bauer (Jackson pass from Bauer), 2:16
Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:16