Win at Okawville, 43-32 and at Pinckneyville Shootout vs Cisne, 75-51 to even record at 12 wins and 12 losses
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – The Chester High School YellowJacket Boys had a great Week 10 winning back-to-back games to improve to 12-12 for the season and 2-4 in the Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division. With those wins, the Jackets have won six of their last eight games.
Week 10 began Friday January 26 on the road at Okawville for a Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division match-up. The Jackets defeated the Rockets, 43-32, to improve to 11-12 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
Week 10 concluded Saturday January 27 at the 2024 Pinckneyville High School Shootout. Chester was paired with Cisne High School, which is a school of 141 students located in the North Wayne Community School District. The YellowJackets beat the Runnin’ Lions, 57-51, to improve to even their overall season record to 12-12.
Chester 43-Okawville 32
The evening began with the JV YellowJackets winning, 50-45, over the Okawville JV Rockets. In that win, Chester was led by two players who scored in double figures. TaShawn Palacio scored 16 points and Evan Dunning scored 10 points. Tray Peters and Gabe Coffman each added seven points apiece. Trey McCartney scored six points, and Zane Eggemeyer and Tallen James each contributed two points apiece.
In the varsity game the YellowJackets were tied after the first quarter but never trailed the rest of the game.
Chester’s Devante Palacio (5) was the YellowJacket’s leading scorer Friday January 26 when the Jackets beat Okawville, 43-32, on the road. Palacio scored 18 points in the win. Jim Beers Photo
In the first period, Devante Palacio, a junior, paced the Jackets with seven points on a pair of 2-pointers and a trey. Senior Lucas Thompson added a 3-pointer and junior Brenden Malley hit a bucket to give CHS its 12 points.
Okawville matched the YellowJacket’s offensive production as Anderson connected for three buckets and Turner and Obermeier each drained three balls for the other six points. The score was tied, 12-12 after one quarter of play.
In the second quarter the Jackets matched their first quarter production adding 12 more points to their total. In that frame Lucas Thompson drained his second three of the game and senior Gabe Steele connected for a pair of 2-pointers. Brenden Malley made a bucket and added one more point with a free throw. Devante Palacio topped off the scoring with another basket giving him eight points in the first half.
Chester held the Rockets to just seven points in the second frame. Turner added six of those seven points with a pair of 3-pointers, his third of the half. Anderson made 1-of-2 free throws for Okawville’s seventh point. Chester led by five points at halftime, 24-19.
TaShawn Palacio (21) led the CHS YellowJacket Junior Varsity to a 50-45 victory Friday January 26 when Chester traveled to Okawville for a Cahokia Conference match-up. Palacio, a freshman, scored 16 points to lead the Jackets in the opening game of the night. In the nightcap, Palacio’s big brother, Devante Palacio (5), a junior, led the Varsity Jackets to a 43-32 win over the Okawville Rockets Varsity with his 18 point outing. Jim Beers Photo
The third quarter was won by Okawville as they outscored the Jackets, 11-8. In that period Devante Palacio hit a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer for five points. Gabe Steele made a bucket and Brenden Malley made 1-of-2 free throws.
The Rocket’s Turner paced Okawville with six points on a 2-ponter, a 3-pointer and a free throw. Schaller knocked down a 3-pointer and Shubert hit a bucket for Okawville’s 11 points. The YellowJackets still led by two points, 32-30 at the end of three quarters.
The final stretch made the difference in the game as Chester outscored Okawville, 11-2 in the 4th quarter.
Kolton Jany lived at the free throw line in the final 8-minutes. He made five trips to the line, having two opportunities each trip. He made the front end in two trips and the back end in two trips. In one trip he came up scoreless, for a total of four points out of a possible ten.
Devante Palacio made a pair of 2-pointer and Lucas Thompson connected for his third 3-pointer of the game. The Jackets ended the game leading by 11 points, 43-32.
In the win, Devante Palacio led the scoring for Chester with 18 points. Lucas Thompson followed with nine points. Gabe Steele and Brenden Malley each added six points apiece and Kolton Jany added four points.
Chester was 6-of-16 from the free throw line (37.5%). The Jackets made 11 two-pointers and five 3-pointers. CHS was called for 11 fouls.
Okawville was led by Turner who scored 15 points. He was followed by Anderson (9), Obermeier (3), Schaller (3), and Schubert (2). The Rockets were 2-of-11 from the free throw line (18%). They made six 2-pointers and six 3-pointers. They were called for 15 fouls.
With the win, the YellowJackets improved to an overall record of 11 wins and 12 losses. The win was Chester’s second in the Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division giving them a conference record of 2 wins and 4 losses.
Chester 57-Cisne 51
Chester traveled to Pinckneyville Saturday January 27 to play Cisne in the 2024 Pinckneyville Shootout and came home with their 12th win of the 2023-24 season.
The Jackets flew out of the hive with a 15-12 first quarter behind senior Lucas Thompson’s three, 3-pointers. Thompson, who had three 3’s against Okawville the night before was still buzzing the next day against Cisne as Thompson contributed nine points in the opening quarter. Cayden Brunkhorst, Devante Palacio and Gabe Steele each knocked down buckets to complete the 15-point first frame.
The Runnin’ Lions had a good first quarter as well, as K. Atwood knocked down a pair of baskets, and A. Atwood drained a 3-pointer and free throw for a combined 8 of the Lions’ 12 points. K. Baker and K. Dagg finished the 12-point effort and Chester led, 15-12, after one quarter of play.
The second quarter, Cisne turned the tables on the Jackets outscoring CHS, 17-12. Chester sent the Lions to the free throw line three times in the third period and each time they made both ends of a 2-point opportunity for six points with nobody guarding them and the clock stopped.
- Atwood scored four more points on two baskets and A. Atwood made both a 2-pointer and a 3-pointer for five more points. C. Bowen rounded out the quarter with a bucket for the Lion’s 17-point effort.
Chester’s Lucas Thompson (40) a senior, paced the YellowJackets to a 57-51 victory over the Cisne Runnin’ Lions in the 2024 Pinckneyville Shootout Saturday January 27. Thompson, who has been in a slump as of late, broke his slump to score 17 points in the win. The night before, Thompson scored nine points and helped his team beat Okawville, 43-32, in a Cahokia Conference match-up. For Week 10 Thompson drained eight 3-pointers in the two games against Okawville and Cisne. He couldn’t have picked a better time to arise from his slump than here at the end of the season when post-season play is in the forecast. Jim Beers Photo
Chester got three points from senior Lucas Thompson, five points from Gabe Steele, and two points from Devante Palacio. At the half, Cisne led by two-points, 29-27.
Chester got back on track to start off the third quarter and outscored Cisne, 14-9, in the third frame.
Cayden Brunkhorst a junior, led the charge by draining a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer for five points. Lucas Thompson continued his 3-point contributions with his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Brenden Malley added a basket and a free throw for three points and Kolton Jany sank a shot for two points. The Jackets re-took their lead by three points, 41-38, after three quarters of competition.
The Runnin’ Lions refused to go away down the stretch, however, and made the YellowJackets earn the win. Chester did managed to outscore Cisne, 16-13, in the final 8-minutes to seal the deal and the win!
Lucas Thompson, who had been in a scoring slump most of the “new year”, continued to demonstrate that he was over the slump by hitting his 5th three-pointer of the game. Cayden Brunkhorst stuck to his scoring plan and added two baskets and a free throw. Brenden Malley hit a bucket and a free throw.
In the final period, the Lions sent the Jackets to the free throw line five times on shooting fouls with CHS making 7-of-10 free throws.
The Lions showered the Jackets with three pointers down the stretch with H. Howard, A. Atwood, and C. Bowen draining treys. K. Atwood made a basket and A. Atwood sank a pair of free throws to complete Cisne’s 13-point effort. It was too-little-too-late, though, as Chester won the game by five points, 57-51.
In the win, Chester was led by senior Lucas Thompson who scored 17 points. Cayden Brunkhorst also scored in double figures with 12 points as did Brenden Malley who had 10 points. Together the threesome scored 39-of-Chester’s 57 points.
Other contributors included Devante Palacio (7), Kolton Jany (4), and Gabe Steele (4). As a team the Jackets made 11-of-16 at the free throw line (69%). They made 14 two-pointers and 6 Three-pointers. The Jackets committed 11 fouls.
The Cisne Runnin’ Lions were led by two players who scored in double figures including A. Atwood who scored 20 points and A. Atwood who scored 17 points. They were assisted by five additional players including C. Bowen (5), H. Howard (3), and G. Harrell, K. Baker, and K. Dagg who each scored two points apiece. The Lions made 11-of-12 free throws (92%) and they hit 11 two-pointers and 5 three pointers. They committed 17 fouls.
With the win, Chester evened its season overall record to 12 wins and 12 losses. The conference record stayed at 2-4.
In the upcoming Week 11 schedule Chester will have a busy week with two road games and one home contest. Tuesday January 30 the Jackets will travel to Carlyle for a Cahokia Conference match-up. Friday February 2 Chester will host Red Bud in another Cahokia Conference game. Saturday February 3 the YellowJackets travel to DuQuoin.