Chester is now 11-11 overall and 2-2 in Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – After playing five games to open the 2025 portion of the 2024-2025 season, the Chester YellowJackets had a slim schedule in Week 9 with just one game. The Jackets hosted New Athens Tuesday January 21 at CHS Colbert Memorial Gymnasium on Rocky Bridges Court.
Just four days earlier Chester hosted New Athens in Round 2 of the 61st Annual Chester Invitational Tournament. It was a knock-down-drag-out with 39 fouls and six players fouling out of the game in the last quarter. Chester held on to win, 50-37, however, to advance to the Championship game.
Most likely both teams were anxious to face off in a rematch when the Chester YellowJackets hosted New Athens. CHS led 5-0 early at the 6:15 mark. New Athens tied the game, 5-5, with 5:17 to play in the first quarter.
At the 3:21 mark, Chester led, 11-8 after which New Athens answered with a 9-0 run to take a 17-11 with 1:12 left in the first quarter. To end the quarter CHS outscored New Athens, 5-2 to trail by three points, 19-16 after one quarter of play. The first period was fast and furious, just like it was when these two teams met a week earlier in the CIT. TaShawn Palacio led Chester with sis points in the first quarter, Evan Dunning drained a three pointer and Kolton Jany hit a bucket and a free throw. Brenden Malley also sank two free throws, one of which got Chester within one point, 17-16 with 32.7 seconds remaining.
New Athens’ Isaiah Lintker connected for a two-pointer with 5.5 seconds to play to give his team the three point lead, 19-16.
The second quarter was equally competitive and physical. New Athens opened the period with a Landon Shemonia 2-pointer to extend the lead to 21-16. Chester answered with a 4-0 run with baskets by Jany and Malley to get within one point, 21-20 at the 4:28 mark.
After halftime, Kolton Jany hit a bucket to get Chester within one point, 29-28. Brenden Malley then hit the first end of a two-free throw opportunity to tie the game, 29-29 and then proceeded to make his second free throw to take a one point lead, 30-29 at the 5:49 mark.
A Carson Lauer trey gave New Athens another lead, 32-30. Chester’s Brenden Malley then tied the game, 32-32, with his basket. The see-saw continued when New Athens’ Isaiah Lintker hit a bucket to re-take the lead, 34-32, with 1:25 to play in the 3rd quarter
The two teams then traded baskets, and with 2:24 to play in the first half, Chester tied the game, 24-24. A 4-0 run by New Athens gave them a four point lead, 28-24 at the 1:09 mark.
To close out the half, Chester’s Trey McCartney made two free throws with 56.8 seconds to play to get the YellowJackets within two points, 28-26. With 11.3 seconds to play, New Athens’ Tommy Dutkanych sank a free throw to take his team
Both teams would turn the ball over in the final minute of the 3rd period, but New Athens would finish the period with a Cole Dachsteiner field goal, and Chester’s Trey McCartney would score two points on a bucket. New Athens led by two points, 36-34, to end the 3rd quarter.
The 4th quarter featured a Chester YellowJacket evolution with the Jackets tying the game, 36-36, just one minute into the final period (7:01). New Athens answered a minute after that (6:01) with a Sawyer Sullivan 3-pointer to retake the lead, 39-36.
A few seconds later (5:54) Chester tied the game again, 39-39, on a Trey McCartney 3-pointer. Fourteen seconds after that, McCartney hit another 3-pointer to give CHS a 42-39 lead (5:32). TaShawn Palacio kept the ball rolling with a basket (4:59) to extend the YellowJackets 10-3 run, 44-39.
The Jackets did not stop there, however, as Brenden Malley knocked down a bucket to further extend Chester’s lead to 46-39 and TaShawn Palacio knocked down another shot to give Chester an 8-point lead, 48-39 (4:00).
In the final four minutes, TaShawn Palacio would hit another field goal and Trey McCartney hit one free throw to give CHS 51 points. New Athens would score five points on two field goals and a free throw by Isaiah Lintker. At the buzzer, Chester won, 51-44.
The game was hard fought, exciting, physical, and very challenging for both teams. There were seven ties, six lead changes, 10 Chester fouls, and 16 New Athens fouls, for a total of 26 fouls.
The Chester YellowJackets were led by three players who scored in double figures including TaShawn Palacio (14), Brenden Malley (12) and Trey McCartney (11). Other contributors included Kolton Jany (7), Devante Palacio (4), and Evan Dunning (3). Chester was 8-of-16 from the free throw line (50%). The Jackets made 17 two-pointers and 3 three-pointers.
New Athens had one player score in double figures. Isaiah Lintker scored 16 points. The New Athens Yellowjackets had seven other players contribute to the 44-point total including Sawyer Sullivan (6), Landon Shemonia (5), Tommy Dutkanych (5), Brady Middendorf (4), Cam Taylor (3), Carson Lauer (3), and Cole Dachsteiner (2). The Jackets made 4-of-10 free throws (40%). They made 14 two-pointers and 4 three-pointers.
With the win, Chester improved to 11-11 overall and remained 2-2 in the Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division. The Jackets will travel to Carterville Tuesday January 28, and host Okawville Friday January 31.
Chester’s TaShawn Palacio, (21) a 6’o” sophomore, was Chester’s leading scorer in the 51-44 win over New Athens Tuesday January 21. Jim Beers Photo
Trey McCartney (32), a 6’1″ sophomore, had a good game against New Athens Tuesday January 21 when the YellowJackets beat New Athens, 51-44. McCartney was one of three players to score in double figures with 11 points. Jim Beers Photo
The Chester High School Dance Team performed its Pom Pon Routine at halftime of the Chester YellowJacket boys vs New Athens Tuesday January 21. The Dance Team placed 1st Saturday January 18 at Marion in the Jazz category. Jim Beers Photo