The three-time defending NJCAA DIII champions took the field on Aug. 22 against Ellsworth Community College and picked up where they left off last season. Sophomore running back Ernest Temple set the tone for their season opener after scoring on the first play from scrimmage with a 66-yard run up the middle.

“I’m pretty proud of our guys, and we have kind of been up and down in practices since we’ve had pads on. But our veterans proved that they had it under control and came through and played a great game,” said head coach Matthew Rahn. “Our scrimmage against Indiana Wesleyan got us prepared, and we haven’t been able to have one in the last five to six seasons, and that helped us get the yips out.”

Rahn was impressed by the performance of his young quarterback, Justin Bland, and highlighted how Bland was prepared to take the helm as quarterback before his first career start at COD.

“I’m not surprised by [his performance],” said Rahn. “[Bland] has proven that he can do that even when he was redshirted last year and I’m excited that he gets to go out and do it in the games this year.”

Bland started the game for the Chaparrals and finished with 423 yards and threw 4 TDs. The young quarterback displayed significant potential with his shifty running ability and arm strength after throwing impressive 75-yard and 69-yard touchdowns during his debut. Despite throwing an interception off an underthrow, Bland was pleased with his performance and looks forward to the future as the new starting quarterback.

“I feel like we executed well, focused on our operations, and got everything down correctly,” said Bland. “I thought I played pretty good and went through my reads the right way and was confident with my decisions. I could’ve done a little better without an interception, but I’m looking forward to taking every day seriously with every little detail we do in practice and bringing it into the game.”

The Chaparrals continued to display their explosive offense throughout the first half after scoring on their first three possessions of the game to create a 21-0 lead early in the game.

Temple finished the game with 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns. The second-year veteran showcased his power and speed throughout the game to carry on his success from last season. In addition to scoring a 66-yard touchdown off the opening play from scrimmage, Temple scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown from a handoff to the right side to keep the momentum on the Chaparrals’ side.

“I’m very proud of my team, and we executed what we have been practicing how we wanted to,” said Temple. “I was surprised by my [performance]. I’m not going to lie. I wasn’t expecting to break the runs I did, but that’s the expectation here, so I had to do what I had to do. The [first scoring play] was perfectly blocked and opened like the Red Sea, and the only thought I had was to not get caught.  I had to score.”

Wide receiver Clayton Bone served as a deep-threat option and found success after connecting with Bland to finish the game with 146 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bone caught the attention of many after leaping over a defender’s head down the sideline to secure his first touchdown of the night during the second Chap’s possession.

“I thought the offense did a good job of taking care of the basic things and that leads to success,” said Bone. “I’ve got a lot of stuff I need to work on in practice, and I expect big things this season. I’m obviously happy, but I got to thank my [wide receiver] Coach [Ja Vontae] Hence for getting my technique right and [Bland] or throwing the ball because without them, there isn’t any results from me. We’ve had this day and this season in our eyes since spring ball and winter workouts. We’ve got a mission to work hard every day, and we’re really excited for this season.”

The Panthers found their offensive rhythm with 1:40 left in the second quarter after scoring a 14-yard touchdown but struggled to keep up with the Chaparrals for the remainder of the game. Ellsworth did not score again until 1:55 left in the fourth quarter and failed on a two-point conversion attempt.

The Chaparrals will take on Hocking College at noon on Aug. 31 in Nelsonville, Ohio.