The Aubrey Chaparrals football team pulled off their biggest win of the season so far, upsetting the former No. 3 ranked Decatur Eagles 28-21 on Oct. 9.
The Chaps traveled to Eagle Stadium and came out fast, taking control of the contest in the first half and holding on through a second-half comeback effort to earn their third district win of the season.
“Our players played their hearts out, and I felt like our coaches did an outstanding job preparing them throughout the week,” said Keith Ivy, Aubrey athletic director and head football coach. “It was the best first half of football we’ve played all year, and to take down the No. 3 team in the state, who a lot of people picked to play in the state championship game, was a huge win for our team and our program, and I couldn’t be more proud of our kids and our coaches.”
Chaps running back Marcus Julu got the scoring started for Aubrey with a 2-yard touchdown run that put the Chaps on top 7-0 in the first quarter.
Aubrey added to its lead when quarterback Connor Murphy connected with wide receiver Will Storey for an 8-yard touchdown reception, making it a two-possession game going into the second quarter.
Murphy called his own number on the Chaps' next end zone visit, racing away from the Eagles’ defense for an 80-yard rushing touchdown, extending Aubrey’s lead to 21-0, which remained the score as the game reached halftime.
Murphy carried the ball into the end zone again, this time from 24 yards out, for the first score of the second half, giving Aubrey a 28-0 lead in the third quarter.
Decatur finally found the end zone when running back Akilyz Rivera got away from Aubrey’s defense for a 26-yard touchdown, making the score 28-7 at the end of the third quarter.
The Eagles would add two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with a 14-yard touchdown pass and a 22-yard run by Rivera, but the Chaparrals held on to take the win 28-21.
Murphy led the Chaps with 251 yards of total offense and 3 TDs, followed by running back Corbin Frazier, who added 45 yards on 7 carries.
“We were just clicking on offense,” Ivy said. “Our offensive line took control of their front and opened up some big holes for our running backs to run through, and Connor was able to throw it well enough to keep them off balance defensively. … It just felt like we took control of the game from the very first series, and that’s been a point of emphasis for a while, and we finally put it all together.”
Ivy also highlighted the Chaps' defense, which bottled up an Eagles’ offense that came into the matchup averaging over 55 points a game.
“We didn't give Decatur many holes to run through or many good balls to catch,” he said. “… Our guys were just swarming to the ball all night and playing with a lot of confidence and energy. I can’t say enough about the job Coach Bloedel, our defensive coordinator and our defensive coaches did because our overall effort was outstanding.”
With the win, Aubrey now finds itself tied for first place in its district with Alvarado.
“I talked with our guys this morning when we had our scouting report and let them know that we’re going to get everybody’s bet game these last four weeks of district, and we can’t be complacent,” he said. “We have to continue to grind and work hard each and every day. … We’ve still yet to play our best football, and that’s the exciting part. We’re getting better each week, but we’re far from where we’re capable of being by the time we get to the end of district and into the playoffs.”
