What We Saw: Black, McClurkin Power Chapman Past Clinton

Jed Blackwell October 16, 2021 @ 08:22 AM

Chapman’s [player_tooltip player_id="153245" first="DJ" last="Black"] has turned in a strong performance for the Panthers in several games this season. Friday night might have quite literally been his strongest. Black ripped a 35-yard touchdown catch away from a Clinton defender in the front corner of the end zone on 4th and 24, giving the Panthers a 27-26 lead, one that would stand up as Chapman took the victory in a game between two teams ranked in the Top 5 of the 3A classification. "I won the fight for it on the way down," Black said of the catch. "There was no doubt that I was in." Black’s score was his second of the night, as he caught 7 balls for 132 yards and the two scores. He opened the scoring for Chapman with an 8-yard catch in the first quarter, set up the Panthers’ second with a 59-yard catch-and-run, and pulled in the game-winner with a little more than 7 minutes left. "I love that my quarterback trusts me to just throw it and let me try to go make a play," Black said. Black’s big night was complemented by the re-emergence of [player_tooltip player_id="153247" first="Tim" last="McClurkin"]. McClurkin. McClurkin has missed most of the season with a torn quad, but returned last week against Emerald. He got back in a big way against Clinton, with 7 catches for 70 yards, including a 27-yard grab to help Chapman flip the field and a late conversion on third-and-9 to keep the Panthers’ final scoring drive alive. "That’s how it was always supposed to have been," McClurkin said. "I just missed some time. He (Black) held it down. I’m proud of him. I love him to death." • [player_tooltip player_id="153248" first="Drew" last="Settle"] continued to impress. The Chapman QB threw for 273 yards and threw three touchdowns, with two to Black and another to Rashawn Cunningham. • Derrick Miller keeps getting better after returning from injury. Chapman’s feature back rushed 14 times for 75 yards and a score. His output included a pair of late first downs that helped the Panthers bleed time off the clock when they needed to. •Clinton’s Copeland brothers played a huge part in the game. Justin Copeland had 2 catches for 31 yards and a touchdown, while Jishun Copeland rushed for 127 yards and a score. Both turned in a good performance on the defensive end as well.