Chapin head coach Rene Hernandez said earlier in the week that his defense was going to carry the team this season. His prediction came true Friday night as the Huskies delivered a 41-0 shutout of the Austin Panthers. It is the second consecutive year that the Huskies have shut out the Panthers. It was a lights-out performance, both literally and figuratively.
Chapin had a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter when Austin quarterback Jose Tovar was picked off by Chapin cornerback Will Williams, who returned the interception 60 yards inside the Austin 10-yard line. Then, with 3:21 to go in the first quarter, the lights went out. Fans at R.E. McKee Stadium turned the game into a light show accompanied by music from the Chapin marching band. After about 45 minutes, an unusual decision was made. The game would continue at Chapin High School less than four miles away. In a sense, it was a home game for both teams.
“It was the strangest thing we’ve ever gone through,” Hernandez said after the game, “We’ve never done this but I didn’t want to come back the next day and do it as well as (Austin Head Coach) Rodney Ryan. He didn’t want to do that either.” After an approximately 90-minute delay, history was made. The Chapin Huskies played a home game on their field for the very first time. Chapin typically plays their home games at nearby Irvin High School in Northeast El Paso, but with Irvin also hosting a home game Friday night, the choice was made to play at a stadium with one set of bleachers, no press box, and a running clock for the rest of the game.
“We prepare for everything,” Williams said, “We don’t over-stress about the little things and we just continue to move forward.”
On the first possession at Chapin, the Huskies offense marched quickly down the field as running back Angel Soto ran in a nine-yard score to make it 21-0. Soto would another 2-yard score later in the half to take a 28-0 lead into halftime. From there, the stout defense of Chapin held Austin’s triple option offense to just 45 yards on the night, capped off with a 30-yard scoop and score by senior cornerback Alfonso Fernandez late in the third quarter to make it 41-0. It was the third turnover forced on the night and the third defensive touchdown by the Huskies this year. On paper, the final score will be 41-0, but for the players and coaches, this game will be one they won’t soon forget.
“We made history tonight,” said Chapin quarterback Anthony Baird, “It was the first varsity game under these lights at Chapin High School and it felt good.”
“This is awesome. I know it’ll be the talk of the school,” said Hernandez. “We’ve never done it before; it was the very first varsity game at Chapin. The kids were thrilled when I told them back at Austin and we enjoyed the heck out of it.”
Chapin moves to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in District 1-5A. They will host El Paso High next Friday. Austin falls to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in District 1-5A. They play at Jefferson next Friday as well.
