COD Chaparral Gridders take on Golden Norsemen Dec. 2

Two years after the team's win at the Graphic Edge Bowl, the College of DuPage Chaparrals top off an impressive 8-2 season with a trip to the Citizens Bank Bowl Dec. 2 in Pittsburg, Kan.

The 15th-ranked Chaparral gridders face off against the ninth-ranked Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Golden Norsemen in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Carnie Smith Stadium on the Pittsburg State University campus.

The Citizens Bank Bowl, started in 2009, is sanctioned by the National Junior College Athletic Association and served as the NJCAA championship game for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons.

“The team's 15 wins over the last two seasons is the best two-year stretch since 1995 and 1996 when the Chaparrals won 19 games,” said Head Coach Gary Thomas.

Despite some difficult match-ups in their division, the Chaparrals performed strong this season, averaging 200 passing and 195 rushing yards per game, earning invitations to three bowl games, he said.

“We picked the Citizens Bank Bowl because we thought it was a good match for our players and because of its neutral location,” Thomas said. “Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is the highest-ranked team we've had to play and hopefully our guys are up to the challenge.”

While winning Dec. 2 would bring about a certain level of satisfaction, it could also clinch a non-scholarship school national championship for the COD team. The Chaparrals are ranked in the top four non-scholarship schools in the country this season.

“This is our Super Bowl,” Thomas said. “We just want to make sure we continue the momentum we built throughout the regular season. We're proud of where we're at and excited to have the opportunity to play a bowl game.”

For more information on Chaparral Football, call (630) 942-2364, or visit: http://www.cod.edu/dept/athletic/teams/football.htm.