College of DuPage gets the best of Harper

A standing-room-only crowd gathered at Harper College to watch the defending NJCAA Division III champion Hawks take on border rival College of DuPage (1-1) on Saturday afternoon.

To add more intrigue to the rivalry, former Harper coach John Eliasik, who retired following a distinguished career at Harper after the 2007 season, was patrolling the COD sideline as an assistant for head coach Fred Fimbres.

It was a new era for 25th-ranked Harper, too, as Eric Waldstein was coaching his first game. Waldstein is Harper's third coach in as many seasons.

Field position was critical all game for both teams as both teams started near or at midfield all afternoon. COD got the better of the battle and came away with a 27-12 victory in Palatine.

The Chaparrals took the opening kickoff return 66 yards, deep into Hawks territory. A couple of plays later, running back Mike McNulty (York) ran it in for a 2-yard touchdown. The Hawks' defense had trouble tackliing McNulty all afternoon.

COD will travel to preseason ranked No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater next Sunday to play the school's JV team. The Warhawks were the 2008 NCAA Division III runner-up.

The main question for the Harper was who was going to start at quarterback. That answer came when sophmore Pat Czerwiec came trotting onto the field with the first-team offense. Czerwiec was replaced in the fourth quarter by Cam Kinley (Larkin).

"Pat just made too many bad decisions," Waldstein said of his choice to pull Czerwiec. Both quarterbacks are expected to play a half when Harper (0-1) travels to Rock Valley College next week at 1 p.m.

To make matters worse for the Hawks, freshman guard Ronald Haver had to leave the game after Harper's second drive on what coach Waldstein called a chest injury.

Waldstein will evaluate the 6-foot-3, 330-pounder during practice this week.