Chapin Overcomes Deficit, Hangs On to Win Battle with Aiken

AIKEN | Friday's Week 3 matchup between upward-trending Aiken High and Chapin programs just seemed from the start like it would come down to the wire.   The first two quarters felt like two completely different games, yet at the midway mark the teams were right back where they started with a tied score. Big positive plays would create big positive momentum, only for overexcitement from all three teams on the field to lead to costly penalties that helped keep things close until the very end.   Any time it seemed out of reach, along would come a boost that would put the game right back within the grasp of both teams, until - fittingly following another frantic flagging - it all came down to one final, untimed down.   Aiken had the ball at its own 30-yard line, trailing by a field goal. Only there could be no field goal here. The Hornets needed a touchdown, and they needed it now.   Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1820316' first='Tanner' last='Padgett'] dropped back, having continued his torrid pace early in the game by carving up the Eagles before having his rhythm disrupted, only to settle right back into it during the game's most uncomfortable stretch. [player_tooltip player_id='1614255' first='Allen' last='Cummings'] hooked back in just shy of the 40, ready to secure his seventh catch of the night and then lateral it to [player_tooltip player_id='1530765' first='Darius' last='Walker'] in search of his third touchdown of the night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1811070' first='Parker' last='Collins'] had other ideas. The Eagles' senior linebacker knocked the ball away from Cummings, picking up the biggest pass break-up of a night that for him also included maybe both the biggest sack and biggest interception - and secured the 24-21 win that sends Chapin into Week 4 with a 2-1 record.   "Man, it's a blessing," said Collins (pictured). "I was just grateful my coach put me in the position to make that play, man. It's rare that us linebackers get to do that, especially for me. I was just so grateful and blessed for it."   His PBU was the final play in a game that could have claimed any number of players as its biggest hero. But that's how both of these programs have been building all of those good vibes they carried into this matchup, and that's what gave both a crack at the win.   Chapin looked to have landed the knockout blow with 5:29 to play. The Eagles, who got the ball at the Aiken 16-yard line after [player_tooltip player_id='2182512' first='Clinton' last='Gentry'] sacked Padgett and Charlie Pinner blocked a punt two snaps later, were faced with a massive decision on fourth-and-3 from the 9.   Kicker [player_tooltip player_id='1149041' first='Beckham' last='Diimmler'] all but guarantees the Eagles three points, and the reigning 5A Upper State Special Teams Player of the Week had already cleared the crossbar from 42 yards out with a kick that was a bounce or two away from reaching Aiken's softball field. But sending him out for another field goal would keep it a one-score game with plenty of time remaining, so after the teams traded timeouts Chapin kept the offense on the field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824394' first='Tyler' last='Black'] took the snap in the shotgun and pitched backward to [player_tooltip player_id='1818504' first='Harper' last='Ellerbee'] for a halfback pass, which he floated perfectly to [player_tooltip player_id='1825267' first='Anderson' last='Stutts'] in the end zone for Stutts's third touchdown of the game that, more importantly, made it a 10-point lead.   Aiken needed an answer, and needed it quickly. Padgett, who started the game with seven consecutive completions before the Chapin defense settled down and settled in, rediscovered the form that produced a 322-yard game in last week's win over Swansea. That, combined with some 15-yard penalties against Chapin, immediately put the Hornets back in business.   Padgett, who finished the game with 205 yards on a 16-for-31 night, found Cummings for a 23-yard completion down to the 1 to set up Walker for his second touchdown to cut it to 24-21 with 3:27 remaining.   Aiken couldn't sort out its onside kick attempt, giving Chapin the ball at the 40. [player_tooltip player_id='2210109' first='Charlie' last='Howell'] ran it down to the 2 on first down. Game over? Not exactly. The Hornets' defense forced a third-and-4, and a direct snap to Howell was off-line and left the Eagles at the 13. They sent out Diimmler, but difficulties with the snap and hold led to a low hook that missed its mark from 30 yards out to give the Hornets the ball back with 57 seconds to go.   Penalties on both sides extended the confusion that hung over this game for most of its 48 minutes, before finally it came down to that one last play with the clock turned off. Then Chapin made sure it would stay off.   Black passed for 161 yards and two scores, with Ellerbee throwing for the third. Diimmler caught three balls for 75 yards and Riley Ashton had four catches for 47, but it was Stutts with his three snags for 43 yards and three touchdowns who truly took home top receiver honors in this one.   "The game-plan that we set out, the whole week, watching film, knowing what the defense was going to give us, and my coach just giving me chances to make plays," was how he summed up what was working.   Howell rushed for 54 yards on 19 carries on a night where running room was at a premium. That's typically going to be the case against Aiken's ferocious defensive front, with [player_tooltip player_id='1467819' first='Brandon' last='Poston'] throwing a tackle-for-loss party for he, [player_tooltip player_id='1840741' first='Johnny' last='Dobbs'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1274484' first='Zion' last='Lewie'] while [player_tooltip player_id='1840755' first='Malik' last='Cuyler'] picked up his fourth sack of the season, but it was even tougher for a Chapin offensive line that was missing three starters.   The Eagles knew they had reliable linemen still available in [player_tooltip player_id='2173701' first='Henry' last='(Hank) Olds'] plus [player_tooltip player_id='2174886' first='Thomas' last='Griffin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2173955' first='Anthony' last='Nunez'] - and then added in a couple of big-time performances on 48 hours' notice. [player_tooltip player_id='1818507' first='Kemp' last='Tisdale'] was the projected starter at left guard at the start of the week but had to move to center, and Garrett Graham was only going to play defensive tackle before adding guard to his duties for the game.   Padgett, who through three games has already surpassed last year's yardage total in a more wide-open Aiken offense, hit four different receivers to accumulate his 205 yards. Cummings led the way with 82 yards on six grabs, speed merchant [player_tooltip player_id='1840740' first='Stephan' last='Pope'] had 60 yards on five catches, and [player_tooltip player_id='1840715' first='Tarrant' last='McKenzie'] had 55 yards and the game's opening touchdown on four catches.   Walker led the way in the run game, grinding his way to 83 yards and the two scores on 20 carries. Some of his best work was done right up the middle, following behind [player_tooltip player_id='1840797' first='Kylin' last='Morgan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1840772' first='Alexander' last='Hughes'] on his way to some nice gains.   [player_tooltip player_id='1054957' first='Gray' last='Kitchings'] blocked a punt early in the second quarter that Poston fell on at the Chapin 16, but the Hornets couldn't capitalize which kept it a 7-0 lead.   Black and the Eagles got the passing game working late in the first half, with Ashton converting on a fourth-and-11 before Stutts got wide open in the end zone on a fourth-and-7 from the 19 to tie the game heading into the break.   Penalties dominated the second half, further delaying a game that already started 30 minutes later than scheduled due to heat. Chapin's opening drive of the half took up half of the third quarter, with Diimler finishing it off with his 42-yard field goal.   A failed fourth-down conversion ended Aiken's ensuing drive, but the Hornets were back in great shape after a blitzing [player_tooltip player_id='1840739' first='Benton' last='Osteen'] dropped Black for a 21-yard loss at the 9 following a bad snap. A nice punt by [player_tooltip player_id='1821850' first='Cooper' last='Derrick'] left Aiken near midfield, but it didn't take long for the Hornets to score. A 23-yard screen pass to Pope put them at the 13, and Walker powered in from there to put Aiken ahead 14-10 in the closing seconds of the third quarter.   More penalties followed, giving Chapin a short field but also taking away a potential Stutts touchdown. No worries, he said, taking another short pass from Black 15 yards for his second score and a 17-14 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter.   Collins intercepted a tipped pass on Aiken's next possession, but the Hornets forced a three-and-out. Derrick's punt left them at the 20, but Gentry pushed them back with the sack and then Pinner's blocked punt set up touchdown No. 3 for Stutts that ultimately sealed the deal.   Up next for Chapin is a home game Sept. 11 against Airport, while Aiken will visit Silver Bluff.    There won't be any teasing of Stutts by his Chapin teammates or coaches this week. They gave him a good-natured hard time last time after having two touchdowns called back due to penalties, but this time around Chapin's "everyday dude" got to keep his points on the board.   Three catches, three touchdowns. Well, technically four for four, but one of those was wiped out by a flag. Still, that doesn't negate the way he capitalized every time he was presented with an opportunity. He's a hard worker who head coach Cory Helms said has gone mostly unnoticed, but he's the kind of player who can help a team win.   Against Aiken, he did just that.

AIKEN | Friday's Week 3 matchup between upward-trending Aiken High and Chapin programs just seemed from the start like it would come down to the wire.