Seven Chester players score a total of nine touchdowns including Jany (2), Malley (2), Al-Jassim (1), Brunkhorst (1), Palacio (1), Bicket (1), and Blechle (1); Landeros kicks two extra points
BY JIM BEERS
CHESTER – After defeating the DuQuoin Indians last week by a score of 35-27, at DuQuoin, the Chester YellowJacket’s Football Team beat the Pinckneyville Panthers, 56-6, at W.O. Smith Field at CHS Friday September 6.It was Chester’s home opener to start the 2024 season 2-0.
The Panthers won the coin toss and elected to kick off to Chester to open the contest. The Jackets promptly went to work behind the efforts of work-horse Kolton Jany, Chester’s senior running back.
Jany ran the ball 5-of-the first 7 plays and got three first downs which took the ball all the way to the Panther’s 8-yard line. Junior running back Ethan Colvis took the ball to the 1-yard line. On the next play, junior Tray Peters scored the Jacket’s first of nine touchdowns at the 8:06 mark. Karim Landeros’ kick missed his mark and Chester led, 6-0.
Behind the efforts of the Jacket’s defensive unit, and a pair of Panther false start penalties, Chester forced Pinckneyville to a 4-and-12 situation with the ball on their own 16-yard line. For some reason, the Panthers decided to go for it and failed on a pass play, turning the ball over on downs to Chester at the 4:27 mark.
Two plays later, Zain Al-Jassim, Chester’s senior quarterback, took it upon himself to score the Jacket’s second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. Karim Landeros’ extra-point attempt missed the mark again and Chester led, 12-0 with just 2:26 left in the first quarter.
On Pinckneyville’s next possession, Chester’s Cayden Brunkhorst, a senior defensive back, intercepted a Panther pass and returned it 31-yards for a pick-6 TD. This took place just 12-seconds after Al-Jassim’s TD. CHS attempted a 2-point conversion which failed. Chester led, 18-0 with 2:21 to play in the first period.
The Panthers were stopped by Chester’s Alex Williamson on their second play from scrimmage, but managed to get back-to-back first downs before the clock ran out to end the first quarter. CHS led, 18-0.
To start the second quarter, Pinckneyville had a 1stand 10 at their own 31-yard line. On the opening play from scrimmage, Chester’s senior defensive back, Devante Palacio intercepted a Pinckneyville pass just 13-seconds into the period (11:47). Chester took over on the Panther 48-yard line.
An Ethan Colvis run and passes to senior wide receiver Jack Heffernan (plus 1) and running back Kolton Jany (plus 44 yards) put the ball at the Panther 2-yard line. Two plays later Kolton Jany ran it in for Chester’s fourth touchdown at the 8:43 mark. Another YellowJacket 2-point conversion failed, but Chester led, 24-0.
On Pinckneyville’s next possession, they managed to work the ball to the Chester’s 36 yard line on three first downs. The Jacket defense then went into action and held the Panthers to 4-and-7. For the second time in the first half they decided to go for it on 4th down. Chester held firm and forced a PHS turnover on downs.
With 4:58 to play in the first half, Chester went to work and behind first downs by Kolton Jany and Ethan Colvis, Chester was one again in the Pinckneyville red zone with a 1st and 10 at the one yard line.
On the next play, senior tight end Brenden Malley caught a 9-yard Zain Al-Jassim pass for Chester’s 5th touchdown. A third YellowJacket 2-point conversion attempt failed, but Chester led, 30-0 at the 3:21 mark.
The Jacket defense held Pinckneyville to four downs and forced a Panther punt with just 1:03 to play in the first half. With just 50-seconds on the clock, the YellowJackets had the ball on the Pinckneyville 45-yard line.
Four plays later, after a Kolton Jany 21-yard run and first down, Brenden Malley scored Chester’s 6th touchdown and his second touchdown in three minutes, on a 28-yard touchdown pass from CHS quarterback, Zain Al-Jassim. Karin Landeros came in to kick the extra point. This time his kick was good and Chester extended its lead to 37-0 to end the first half.
Pinckneyville had the ball to start the second half. Facing 4-and-3 on the 37 yard line, the Panthers got a 1st down on a Chester off-sides penalty which moved the ball to the CHS 48-yard line.
On the next play, Panther Tyler McConnell caught a pass for a first down, moving the ball to Chester’s 15 yard line for a first down. Pinckneyville’s star running back, Marshawn Fisher, ran the ball for another first down taking the ball to the 9-yard line. YellowJacket, Ethan Colvis made the stop to prevent a touchdown.
A Pinckneyville penalty at the 7:40 mark-moved the ball back 5 yards making it 2-and-14 with 6:57 left in the 3rd quarter. On the next play from scrimmage, Panther, Tyler McConnell caught his second major pass of the series, this time for a 14-yard touchdown.
The extra-point kick was no good. PHS was on the score board and trailed Chester by 31 points, 37-6, with 6:46 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Pinckneyville’s opening possession burned up 4 minutes and four seconds.
On the ensuing kickoff, Chester’s Kolton Jany returned the ball to the Pinckneyville 49 yard line. Five plays later, Chester’s Devante Palacio, a senior wide receiver, caught a Zain Al-Jassim pass for a 26-yard TD for Chester’s 7th touchdown of the game. A 2-point conversion failed, but the Jackets extended their lead to 37 points, 43-6, at the 4:18 mark in the 3rd quarter.
The YellowJacket defense stood tall and firm on Pinckneyville’s next possession. Chester held the Panthers to just one yard on the first play of the series, tackled for a 2-yard loss on the next play, held them with no yardage on the third play and forced a punt on the next play.
On the play, the partially-blocked ball took one bounce and sophomore Alex Blechle, a defensive back, was in the right place at the right time. The ball bounced right into Blechle’s arms and he returned the ball 51-yards for yet another Chester touchdown. It was Chester’s 8th.
Sophomore Karim Landeros brought his mojo back into his kicking game to kick his second extra-point of the game. The YellowJackets extended their lead to 44 points, 50-6, with just 2:25 left in the 3rd quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage Alex Blechle intercepted a Pinckneyville pass with 27-seconds left in the period end the 3rd quarter. CHS led, 50-6.
Chester had the ball on the 13 yard line to start the 4th quarter. On the fifth play from scrimmage senior running back, Gene Bicket, took the ball three yards for Chester’s 9th and final touchdown of the game. Bicket’s TD extended the YellowJacket’s lead to 50 points, 56-6. The 2-point conversion failed.
On the kickoff, CHS recovered a loose ball, and had possession for six minutes until they turned the ball over to Pinckneyville on downs. The Panthers had the ball to close the game, but the Jackets defense held them scoreless as time ran out.
Chester won, 56-6, to improve to 2-0 on the early 2024 season. The YellowJackets used nine touchdowns to win the game with two touchdowns apiece form Kolton Jany and Brenden Malley and single TD’s from Zain Al-Jassim, Cayden Brunkhorst, Devante Palacio, Gene Bicket and Alex Blechle.
In the win, Chester ran 48 plays and Pinckneyville ran 42. The Jackets accumulated a total of 372 yards (265 passing & 107 rushing), while Pinckneyville recorded 127 yards (63 passing & 64 rushing). CHS achieved 13 first downs vs the Panther’s nine.
Chester forced 6 Pinckneyville turnovers, 3 fumbles and 3 interceptions. Chester had NO turnovers. The Jackets had 10 penalties and Pinckneyville committed seven penalties. CHS was 2-of 4 on 4th downs (50%) and 3-of-7 on 3rd downs (43%). The Panthers were 0-0 on 4th downs (0%) and 3-of-8 on 3rd downs (38%).
Chester’s Zain Al-Jassim completed 12-of-19 passes for 265 yards and 4 touchdowns. Chester ran for a total of 107 yards behind the efforts of Kolton Jany (6-for-50 yards and 1 TD); Tray Peters (2-for-16 yards); Ethan Colvis (5-for-15 yards); Gene Bicket (2-for-13 yards and 1 TD); D. Palacio (9); T. Palacio (7); Schroeder (2); Armenta (2); Blechle (1); and Al-Jassim (-6 and 1 TD).
Kolton Jany caught 4 passes for 121 yards and 1 TD; Devante Palacio caught 4 passes for 93 yards and 93 yards; Brenden Malley caught 2 passes for 37 yards and 2 TD’s; Lannin Caron caught 1 pass for 13 yards; and Jack Heffernan caught 1 pass for 1 yard.
On defense the Jackets had 17 solo tackles with Ethan Colvis (4), Alex Blechle (2), Brenden Malley (2), and Alex Williamson (2) leading the way. CHDS also recorded 30 tackle assists with Nate Maes (4), Alex Williamson (4), Denis Vasquez (3), and Brenden Malley (3) leading the way.
Coach Billy Belton said, “It was a great team win! We played well on all three phases of the game, offense, defense and special teams. Cayden Brunkhorst had a great defensive tackle and a pick-6. Special teams had a punt return for an Alex Blechle TD.”
“On offense our skill guys really stepped up. Brenden Malley had two touchdowns and Devante Palacio and Kolton Jany both had receiving TD’s. Zain Al-Jassim played extremely well! He accounted for five of our touchdowns. Gene Bicket had a rushing TD.”
“Our defense played really well! I felt like we were flying around and causing problems for Pinckneyville. We forced six turnovers, 3 fumbles and 3 interceptions! I am very proud of the boys. The played extremely hard for all 4 quarters!”
Chester will travel to Freeburg this Friday September 13 to take on the Midgets of the Cahokia Conference, Mississippi Division. Kickoff is at 7:00 P.M.
CHS quarterback Zain Al-Jassim (1) had an excellent game in the 56-6 win over Pinckneyville Friday September 6. Al-Jassim completed 1q2-of-19 passes for a total of 265 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran on a quarterback-keeper for as 1-yard touchdown. Finally he orchestrated a 107 yard rushing game for a total of 372 yards. Jim Beers Photo
Chester’s Gene Bicket (44), a senior, 5’9″, 170 lb. YellowJacket running back and linebacker, scored Chester’s final of nine touchdowns of the game Friday September 6 on a 3-yard run to give the YellowJackets a 56-6 final score. He added a solo tackle to his resume in the win which gave Chester a 2-0 start to the 2024 season. Jim Beers Photo