INMAN, S.C. – Over the past few years on the gridiron, one thing has become apparent: the Chapman offense has become very familiar with the end zone and lighting up scoreboards.
The 2021 season has been no different as it has seen some eye-popping numbers posted along with program records being broken. Senior receiver DJ Black recently set the new benchmark for individual receiving yards in a single game by compiling 270 yards in a region win over Woodruff on October 1st. It was a record held by current San Francisco 49er Deebo Samuel, who held that record for nearly nine years after reeling in 266 yards in a win over Woodruff on October 12th, 2012. Last week, Samuel visited Chapman HS and congratulated Black, presenting him with a signed, game-worn jersey that read, “Congrats on breaking the record! Continue to be great! (I’ve) been watching you for a while. Congrats on all your success! Bright future!” Two more records were eclipsed in a region victory over Clinton on October 15th. Drew Settle threw for 283 yards and three scores, which allowed him to take over the top spot for the most passing yards in a regular season -- which was previously set by Colton Bailey in 2016, who accumulated 2,419 yards in 10 games as a junior. “It means a lot,” Settle said. “There have been a lot of great quarterbacks to come through here, especially Colton. It’s a huge honor to just be up there with him, knowing what he did at Chapman. I appreciate the honor and I can’t wait to do more work (on the field).” DJ Black broke another record that has been held by Deebo Samuel, this time for the most receiving yards in a regular season, with the previous record by Samuel being 1,246 yards in 2012. “Aww, man,” Black said humbly with a slight grin. “That was amazing. This means a lot to me, knowing that I’ve broken two of (Deebo’s) records. I couldn’t do it without the help of my offense and quarterback.” Settle and Black have accomplished their respective feats in just seven games. So far, Settle has tallied 2,528 yards and 30 touchdown passes, while Black has notched 1,249 yards and 17 touchdown catches. With the talk and attention that comes with breaking records and the success that Chapman has experienced on offense, nothing has affected the concentration of either player or the team as a whole. “These guys aren’t focused on records,” said head coach Harry Cabaniss. “When DJ broke Deebo’s single game (receiving yards) record, we went back to his goal sheet and checked it off. He said, ‘Coach, let’s celebrate that later. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.’ We have our team goals and we’ll celebrate individual goals at the end of the year.” Despite being able to accomplish a pair of individual goals, the two senior standouts were quick to direct the credit to those around them. “I think the chemistry (as a unit) is huge,” Settle added. “We all know each other and work together really well. We’re able to pick each other’s brains about things in practice and get better because of that.” “I think it starts with (Drew),” Black pointed out. “The way he leads this offense definitely plays a big role. We have a great offense that can do just about anything.” On Friday night, Chapman traveled up Highway 176 to face Union County in Region III-3A action. It was a back and forth contest, but the Panthers rallied late to force overtime. Senior kicker Ricky Montalvo drilled an 18 yard game-winning field goal on the last play of the frame, lifting the Panthers to a thrilling victory. With the win, Chapman clinched the region championship, marking the fifth conference crown in as many seasons for the program. This also secured home-field advantage throughout the 3A playoffs. “We praise those guys and they’ve done a really good job,” Cabaniss said. “I’m proud of them. They’ve earned every bit of it. I’m happy for them and I know the guys in our locker room are happy for them, too.” Chapman (6-2, 4-0 region) will conclude the regular season with a home tilt against the Broome Centurions on October 29th. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 PM. -Justin Mathis Comments are closed.
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