Kings Fall Short in Defensive Battle in Rematch Against #1 NJCAA College of DuPage

The LEAD Prep Academy Kings lost 14-7 to the College of DuPage Chaparrals this past Saturday in Glen Illyn, IL.

The loss is the first of the season for the Kings, after two home wins against NJCAA opponents, including beating the Chapparals 25-24 two weeks prior.

The defense played very well against the 5-time NJCAA national champions. The Chaps have only scored 14 points or less 2 other times since 2022.

“Playing on the road against a high-caliber and well-coached program like DuPage is always a massive test of execution,” LEAD Prep Academy General Manager Louis Adams shared. “Football comes down to a few critical plays and eliminating self-inflicted mistakes, especially on the road. Our focus right now is entirely on the bounce back.”

Ultimately, a couple of mental errors on offense made the difference. After scoring first in the game to close out the 1st Quarter, the Kings struggled to get back into the red zone.

“We just couldn’t get out of our own way,” Head Coach Alex Grignon said following the loss. “We had a ton of offense, but we made some wrong decisions. When those outweigh the good decisions, you’re going to struggle a little bit.”

After forcing a missed field goal on a red-zone drive for the opponents, the Kings ran the ball very successfully. WR Emere Atkins converted a critical 3rd-down on an end around before suffering a hard tackle from 2 Chaparral defenders. LEAD Prep Academy would continue to punish the interior defense with runs up the gut from Northwood transfer Bryan Weathersby and RB Jalen Brown. Finally, Post-Grad QB Davion Reese kept the ball on an option play from 3 yards outside the endzone for a touchdown. It was an 8-minute drive that was consistent with Coach Grignon’s vision for this offense.

The next drive saw DuPage score on a similar looking touchdown. The Kings would continue to battle and grind out the clock, but were forced to punt it away on the next drive. The Chaps were 8 yards away from paydirt when Tyler Bennett ripped the ball out of the running back’s hands to stop their drive short. Both teams would walk into the locker room tied 7-7.

Out of the half, DuPage went three-and-out, with a tackle-for-loss by S Carson Hurley giving the defense some momentum. On offense, they struggled to build momentum as sacks and TFLs plagued their drives as well. Procedure penalties would also move the Kings back 5-10 yards at a time. Ohio native Kamron Payne got a key pass break-up to stop DuPage’s next drive, but the following Chaps possession would see them score a touchdown towards the end of the 3rd quarter.

“We really can’t ask that much more of our defense,” Coach Grignon said. “14 points on the road is pretty impressive…We just have to keep getting better and chase greatness as best as we can.”

The storyline of a budding defensive slugfest continued into the 4th. While the Kings didn’t have much wiggle room on offense, the defense didn’t allow DuPage to breathe much either. LEAD Prep Academy stopped DuPage from gaining a first down on their opening 4th Quarter drive, followed by a stop by preventing their QB from getting loose on the next drive. However, sacks and penalties would pile up on LEAD Prep Academy’s side, and they could not overcome the setbacks the Kings put on themselves.

“We aren’t going to dwell on this tape,” Adams said. “We are going to learn from it, lock back in, and channel that frustration directly into our preparation for next week.”

Now, the focus shifts to Indiana Wesleyan University for a Monday-afternoon matchup. The Wildcats’ varsity team is currently ranked #6 in the country.

“It’s another opportunity to improve and get better,” Coach Grignon said. “This last game, we saw some things highlighted that weren’t present in the previous two games. Having that depth, some guys playing their first travel game, it’s nice to have that [game] under the belt.”

As LEAD Prep Academy falls to 2-1, their resolve will be tested. But with hard-fought games behind them and eyes set on improvement, the team remains unified. The Kings’ journey is far from over; each challenge ahead is another step toward proving they belong among the college football’s elite.

LEAD Prep Academy plays Indiana Wesleyan JV in Marion on Monday, September 28th, at 4pm. You can watch the livestream here!