DUPAGE DOMINANCE: Chaps win fourth consecutive NJCAA title
GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - Another year. Another championship trophy. The College of DuPage maintained their place atop the mountain with a 31-14 win over #2-seeded Louisburg College to win their fourth consecutive NJCAA Division III Football Championship on Saturday. The Chaparrals are now one of four college football programs to ever win four consecutive national titles, and the first to do it at the junior college level. Sophomore defensive end Darion Johnson was named the Most Outstanding Player, while Matthew Rahn earned his fourth Coach of the Championship Award. (Recaps: NJCAA | DuPage)
The College of DuPage wasted no time getting points on the board as they took the opening drive 62 yards in eight plays and four minutes to score on a 36-yard pass play from Justin Blad to Clayton Bone. Still a one-touchdown game in the second quarter, the Chaps added a 24-yard TD run from Ernest Temple and a three-yard scoring plunge from Bland to make it 21-0 before the Hurricanes finally got on the scoreboard with a two-yard run. The first half scoring, however, was not over as COD marched into field goal range and Christian Casillas booted a 45-yard field goal to make it 24-7 at the break.
The defenses stiffened in the second half as both teams were limited to just one touchdown over the final 30 minutes. Louisburg (8-3) cut the differential to 24-14 in the third quarter with an eight-yard scoring run. The Chaps put the game out of reach with a 58-yard drive in the fourth quarter that was capped by another Bland run across the goal line to make it 31-14 with six minutes to play.
FOUR-PEAT‼️
— NJCAA Football (@NJCAAFootball) December 7, 2024
DuPage has won the 2024 #NJCAAFootball DIII National Championship! The Chaparrals take down Louisburg 31-14 for their fourth straight national title.https://t.co/wZjCshcyF1 pic.twitter.com/k1JM1PGdzV
Bland finished 11 of 23 passing for 180 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing seven times for two touchdowns. Jamareon Dale and Temple rushed for 56 and 51 yards, respectively. Temple also hauled in two passes for 69 yards.
Johnson racked up 1.5 sacks and four tackles for DuPage (11-1).
Most Outstanding Player
Darion Johnson, DE, So - College of DuPage
Coach of the Championship
Matthew Rahn - College of DuPage