Gilbert Beats Chapin

By Thomas Grant Jr.

Contributing Writer

Gilbert – Week Six provided a compelling game played under even more ideal conditions in Gilbert America.

The Indians faced fellow Lexington County team Chapin for Homecoming. Both teams had their share of inclimate weather the first five weeks of the regular season.

For their matchup Friday night, it was under a clear Full Moon night sky with hyped fans in both bleacher stands. Gilbert looked to snap the Eagles’ 4-game winning streak and improve to 9-20 all-time against them.  

In a contest that featured five lead changes, the Indians held on for the 28-24 victory. Quarterback Kendall Wright threw for 224 yards and a touchdown and Army commit Gavin Elliott scored the game-winning touchdown with 6:07 left in the game.

“They came in here…walking around our field like they owned the place,” Wide receiver Charlie McLauchlin said. “I’m just happy about the guys coming in and responding and even in 5A, not allowing anybody to mess with us.” 

Gilbert (4-1) trailed 10-0 after the first quarter. It responded with 14 unanswered points in the second quarter. Wright threw a pair of long completions to wide receiver Chandler Guthrie to set up a scoring run by Jaylen Brost and his 8-yard touchdown pass to Guthrie. 

Following halftime festivities that saw Chanelle Adams, daughter of Gilbert assistant coach Greg Adams, crowned Miss Homecoming, Chapin regained the lead on a second touchdown run by Charlie Howell.

Gilbert responded with a scoring drive capped by a 21-yard touchdown run by Daniel Preston to take a 21-17 lead.

After the Eagles were stopped on fourth down at the Gilbert 24, McLauchlin fumbled the football following an 11-yard catch. Chapin returned the football Gilbert 20 and retook the lead to open the fourth quarter on a 6-yard keeper by quarterback Tyler Black.

Gilbert then put together a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive on which Elliott converted three first downs, two on fourth down runs. The final conversion run on a 9-yard sweep in which he beat the defender to the pylon near the homestands provided the margin of victory.

Chapin had a final drive where it drove the football to the Gilbert 10-yard line. Three straight penalties had the Eagles facing a fourth and 26 with four seconds left and the Indians knocked down Black’s pass to end the game.

This was Gilbert’s third win over a Lexington County Class 5A opponent. It previously twice defeated both Lexington and River Bluff.

“We’re not afraid of anybody. We’re not ducking smoke,” Gilbert head coach Ozzie Exume said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to prep every team. I see it just like this. From 5A to 1A, high school kids are being coached, our coach is to prep our guys and I truly don’t care who we’re playing. We need to be the best version of us.”