Photos by chapinsports.com – Chapin quarterback Tyler Black hands off to Charlie Howell
By Thomas Grant Jr.
After going from winless to a .500 record in one season, the Chapin football team now awaits its playoff position.
The Eagles finished the regular season 5-5 last Friday following a 31-24 overtime loss to Lexington at Cecil Woolbright Field.
The Eagles led 14-7 at halftime as quarterback Tyler Black threw two of his three touchdowns. A Shannon Lytes’ touchdown run tied the game in the third quarter.
A field goal by Beckham Diimmler put the Eagles up 17-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Lexington’s Ian Danson returned it 92 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-17.
Lexington’s Ethan Bailey added a field goal in the fourth quarter. With 3:08 left, Black threw his third touchdown pass to Connor Finley with 3:18 left to tie the game at 24-24.
The Wildcats drove downfield to open overtime and quarterback Easton Crocker scored on a 1-yard keeper. Chapin drove the football deep into Lexington territory, but running back Charlie Howell was stopped short of the endzone by Caleb Schrodt on fourth down.
Howell did reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Black finished with 143 passing yards and has 1,583 yards on the season with 14 touchdowns.
Chapin is guaranteed to finish in fourth place in Region 3-5A. Where it opens the playoffs will depend on the final projection of the Maxpreps.com RPI ratings.
The current ratings have the Eagles ranked 11th and they would travel to J.L. Mann in the first round of the Upper State playoffs. Dutch Fork, Northwestern, J.F. Byrnes and Dorman are the top four seeds and will have a first-round bye.
FALL PLAYOFFS
The Chapin volleyball team lost in the second round of the Class 5A Upper State playoffs Monday to Woodruff.
The Lady Eagles scored six straight points to rally in the first half before losing 25-20. They then lost the final two sets 25-12 and 25-17.
Chapin opened the post-season Oct. 21 by defeating J.F. Byrnes 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20). It finished the season with a 12-5 record.
Chapin golfer Ansley Couch
In girls’ golf, the Lady Eagles stood in eighth place Monday at the Class 5A final held at River Hills Golf and Country Club in Little River. They qualified after placing sixth at the Upper State qualifier held Oct. 19 at Greer Golf Club.
Ansley Couch finished third in the individual standings. River Bluff’s Minghe Huang shot a 69 to place first, followed by Fort Mill’s Addie Lupton.
