A month ago, Chapin High got demolished by its arch-rival Andress, fell to 1-3 and looked to be done.
Then the Huskies moved their best player, Daveon Singleton, to quarterback, and in the process resurrected a corpse.
Continuing a stunning second-half revival, Chapin used a string of big plays from Singleton in the first half and a suffocating defense in the second half to top Canutillo 35-21 for its fourth consecutive victory.
Chapin moved to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in District 1-5A Division II, while Canutillo fell to 4-3, 3-2.
Singleton had two long runs and a long touchdown pass in the first half, then in the second 24 minutes, Chapin’s defense, which at times got shoved around in the first part of the game, rallied in what looked like a microcosm of a season that is up off the mat and charging home.
Singleton rushed seven times for 167 yards in the first half, then managed the game in the second half as other tailbacks got involved.
As a result, Chapin’s season, which looked doomed in mid-September, is now in full flight.
Chapin leads 21-14 at the half
Chapin’s big plays trumped Canutillo’s ball control by a score, as the Huskies to a 21-14 lead to the half despite the Eagles’ 29-11 advantage in plays from scrimmage and a 17:26-6:34 edge in time of possession.
Chapin led because they struck quickly. Singleton sandwiched touchdown runs of 65 and 53 yards around a 62-yard pass to Corwon Martin, which accounted for 180 of Chapin’s 228 first-half yards. Singleton finished the half with seven carries for 167 yards.
Canutillo stayed in the game with touchdown drives of seven and 14 plays, the latter of which took 8:15 off the clock.
Up next
Canutillo heads to Hanks to take on the Knights for a 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, kickoff. Chapin will be back home to host Jefferson at the same time.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Chapin uses big plays, late defense to top Canutillo in key 1-5A Division II game
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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