Brainerd quarterback Vesta Melvin Jr. scans the field against Chattanooga Christian School.As Chattanooga Christian School football coach Mark Mariakis displayed a postgame dance move to the delight of his players, his celebration masked the relief and sadness he felt within.
After taking a 28-0 lead in the first quarter Friday night, the Chargers held off a furious comeback and defeated visiting Brainerd 37-27 in the season opener at David Stanton Field.
Mariakis had a storied coaching career at Ridgeland, but this was his first win as head coach at CCS after serving as offensive coordinator last year. But there was still a somber feel for the rain-soaked coach.
"It's a special night to pick up this first win, but it's also bittersweet," Mariakis said. "This is the first game I've coached where my dad wasn't here, as he passed away earlier this year. So there's a lot of emotions going through my mind right now."
The Chargers scored on four of their first five possessions to seemingly put the game out of reach. Brainerd had turnovers on its first two kickoff returns, and CCS had run 16 offensive plays before the Panthers had a single snap from scrimmage.
But an errant snap over the head of CCS quarterback Matthew Mercer resulted in a 25-yard scoring gallop by Brainerd's Jamal Herman Jr. to breathe life into the Panthers at the end of the first stanza.
CCS was limited to a 25-yard field goal from Ian Gaines over the second and third quarters, while Brainerd (0-1) was gaining confidence.
The Panthers' Vesta Melvin led a pair of scoring drives on consecutive possessions to cut the gap to 31-27 with 6:10 remaining.
"They had us on our heels. We knew we had to do something with our next possession because we couldn't stop them. I challenged our guys to respond," Mariakis said.
CCS stepped up behind running back Mondo Ellison to seal the victory. Ellison accounted for 64 yards on five carries to cap a 66-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown blast, his third score on the evening. Ellison finished with 91 yards on 14 carries.
Herman added a touchdown run and caught a scoring pass for the Panthers, closing with 86 yards on 18 carries.
"We didn't handle our early success well, but we rose to the challenge when we had to," Mariakis said. "Give Brainerd plenty of credit, because they could've easily quit but they never did. That's a tribute to their coaching staff."
Contact Paul Payne at sports@timesfreepress.com.