Varsity YellowJackets fall, 72-50, in Columbia Regional to Belleville Althoff Catholic Crusaders in Quarterfinals
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – The Chester High School YellowJackets faced the Belleville Althoff Catholic Crusaders in the Round 1 of the 2024 IHSA Class 2A Regional. The Crusaders hosted the game Monday February 19 at 6 p.m.
The game was part of the Benton Sectional which was fed by the Breese Central, Metropolis, West Frankfort and Columbia Regionals.
The Columbia Regional included (9) Red Bud, (10) Sparta, (5) Belleville Althoff Catholic, (11) Chester, (2) Trenton, and (3) Columbia. Red Bud and Belleville Althoff hosted Quarter-Final games at their home locations.
The YellowJackets of the Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division came into the Columbia Regional with the lowest record of the six teams with 13 wins and 18 losses. Belleville Althoff Catholic came into the Regional as Champions of the Gateway Metro Conference with an overall record of 17-and-12.
Althoff entered the game with Chester with a 5-game winning streak. Chester came into the Quarter-Final game having lost 5-of-the-last-six regular-season games. CHS had an overall record of 13-17, and a Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division record of 3-7.
Head Coach of the Varsity YellowJackets is Chris Toledo. Toledo is assisted by Tony James, Junior Varsity Head Coach, and Nick Severs, Volunteer Assistant Coach.
Belleville Althoff started the Quarter-Final game with a 15-8 lead after one, 8-minute quarter of play. The Crusaders had offensive production from six players in that opening frame, led by Bryden Gryzmala who had five points. Other contributors included Luke Smith (3), Earl Liverpool (2), Alex Johnson (2), Dierre Hill (2), and Patton Leib (1).
The Jackets were paced by junior Kolton Jany who had four points. Other Chester scorers were junior Cayden Brunkhorst (2), and junior Brenden Malley (2).
The YellowJackets were stirred up in the second quarter and buzzed out of the hive outscoring the Crusaders, 15-14, behind the leadership and offensive performance of junior Devante Palacio. In the period Palacio hit two field goals and sank 3-of-5 free throws for a total of seven points.
Kolton Jany added a pair of field goals for four points, Cayden Brunkhorst hit one field goal for two points and Brenden Malley had a bucket for two points to round out Chester’s 15-point effort.
Five Crusaders contributed to Althoff’s 14-point second quarter. Six of those 14 points came at the free throw line as Bryden Gryzmala, Charleston Coldon and Kyle Johnson each hit both ends of their two-point free shot opportunities. Bryden Gryzmala and Luke Smith each drained 3-pointers and Alex Johnson hit a field goal.
At the half, Belleville Althoff Catholic led the Chester YellowJackets by just six points, 29-23. The game was still anyone’s to claim at halftime.
The Crusaders declared war after the halftime break and marched back with a 27-point third quarter. The Jackets answered with a 14-point effort to trail by 13 points, 56-37.
In the third period, Althoff’s Alex Johnson and Dierre Hill broke loose with a combined 23-point performance. Hill drained a pair of 3-pointers, a pair of 2-pointers, back-to-back free throws for his 12-point contribution. Johnson hit four field goals and a trey for his 11-point effort.
Rounding out the Crusader’s 27-point 3rd Quarter were Bryden Gryzmala who hit a field goal and Charleston Coldon who sank a pair of free throws.
Devante Palacio flew high for the YellowJackets with a 4-basket outing for eight points. Cayden Brunkhorst and Lucas Thompson each hit baskets and Kolton Jany sank 2-of-3 free throws to round out Chester’s 14-point 3rd period.
The final quarter was competitive with Althoff only edging the Jackets by four points. unfortunately, however, Chester came into the 4th Quarter down by 13 points and they were unable to overcome that deficit in the final 8:00.
Althoff was led for the third time by Bryden Gryzmala who scored eight points with two 3-pointers and a 2-pointer. DaMichael Jackson and Dierre Hill each blasted three-pointers, and Earl Liverpool hit a basket and sank 1-of-2 free throws.
Chester was paced by Cayden Brunkhorst and Kolton Jany who each hit two field goals apiece for eight points. Tray Peters came off the bench a drained a three pointer and Devante Palacio hit a bucket to round out the YellowJacket 13-point performance.
As the final buzzer sounded the Belleville Althoff Catholic Crusaders won the game over the Chester High School YellowJackets, by 23 points, 73-50.
In the loss, the YellowJackets were led in scoring by three players who scored in double figures including Devante Palacio (17), Kolton Jany (14) and Cayden Brunkhorst (10).
Other offensive contributors included Brenden Malley (4), Tray Peters (3), and Lucas Thompson (2). Brenden Malley led the Jackets in rebounding with five rebounds. Devante Palacio added three boards and Kolton Jany had two rebounds.
Cayden Brunkhorst and Kolton Jany led the team in assists with five apiece. Cayden Brunkhorst and Korbin Jany each recorded steals and Devante Palacio led in deflections with two. Tray Peters and Brenden Malley each had loose ball recoveries. Lucas Thompson was the only Chester player to block a shot.
As a team, the YellowJackets recorded 15 rebounds, 14 assists, 14 turnovers, 2 steals, 6 deflections, 2 loose ball recoveries, 1 blocked shot and 50 points. From the free throw line the Jackets made 3-of-7 (43%). CHS made just 1 three-pointer and 22 two-pointers.
Belleville Althoff Catholic was also led by three players who scored in double figures including Bryden Gryzmala (20), Dierre Hill (17), and Alex Johnson (15). Other contributors were Luke Smith (6), Earl Liverpool (5), Charleston Coldon (4), DaMichael Jackson (3), Kyle Johnson (2), and Patton Lieb (1).
The Crusaders went to the free throw line 16 times and made 14 of those free shots (88%). They made 11 three-pointers and 13 two-pointers.
With the win, (5) Althoff improved to 18-12, and advanced to the Regional Semi-Final game to face (3) Columbia.
The Chester YellowJackets were eliminated from the 2024 IHSA Class 2A Regional with the loss to Belleville Althoff. The 
Jacket’s 2023-2024 season also ended with the loss and CHS had a final overall record of 13-18. The Jackets finished the Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division in 5th Place and finished with a conference record of 3-7.
Chester’s Devante Palacio (5) led all YellowJacket players in the 2024 IHSA Class 2A Regional Quarter-Final game against Belleville Althoff. Palacio scored 17 points and grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists, and had two deflections. In spite of a 50-point YellowJacket performance, No. 11 Chester fell to No. 5 Belleville Althoff Catholic, 73-50. The loss eliminated the Jackets from the post-season tournament, and ended Chester’s 2023-2024 season with an overall record of 13-18 and a Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division record of 3-7, to finish fifth out of six teams in the division. Jim Beers Photo