Jackets improve to 17-15 overall; Kolton Jany (16) and Devante Palacio (11) score in double figures
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – In a close, hard-fought game, the Chester High School YellowJackets Basketball Team stayed strong when it counted and edged the DuQuoin Indians by two points, 52-50, to advance from the Quarter-Final Round to the Semi-Final Round of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A Regional Basketball Tournament Monday night February 24.
Chester High School is hosting the event and held Game 1 at 6:30 p.m. Monday February 24. The matchup was No. 10 Chester YellowJackets vs No. 11 DuQuoin Indians. The other Quarter-Final game, Game 2, was held at Sparta and featured No. 9 Sparta Bulldogs vs No. 12 Red Bud Musketeers.
Both Quarter-Final games were very competitive and close and featured lots of ups-and-downs for both teams. At Sparta, the Bulldogs, who were seeded at No. 9 lost to Red Bud who was seeded No. 12. The Musketeers edged Sparta by three points, 52-49.
At Chester, the YellowJackets led the entire first half and appeared to be ready to run away with the game, but the Indians stayed active and managed to outscore the YellowJackets in the third and fourth quarters to make a good run on the Jackets to close out the game.
The score was tied, 50-50, with just 31.7 seconds left in the game. Chester hit a pair of free throws with 14.3 seconds left to take a two-point lead 52-50. DuQuoin had an opportunity to tie or win the game with seconds left on the clock, but missed their final desperation shot before the buzzer and the YellowJackets accepted the win.
Chester opened the first quarter with a huge 6-0 run on back-to-back baskets by Kolton Jany and a deuce by TaShawn Palacio. With 2:53 left in the period, DuQuoin had a 6-0 run on back-to-back three-pointers by Jeremiah Jones. At that point, Chester led, 12-8.
To close out the first quarter, Chester’s Trey McCartney popped a trey and DuQuoin’s Jeremiah Jones hit his third three-pointer of the first frame for a first quarter score of Chester 15 – DuQuoin 11. The first quarter was an indication of the explosive potential of both the Jackets and the Indians.
The second quarter was another close and see-saw scoring event for both teams, however the YellowJackets outscored the Indians, 13-5, to take a 12-point lead, 28-16, into the locker room at the half. This would be Chester’s biggest lead of the game, however, and the Indians would fight their way back into within a winning distance the remainder of the game.
CHS struck first in the second quarter on a basket by Kolton Jany. DuQuoin’s Amir Grant answered with a bucket a minute later and the Indians were at their closest point of the second period with just a 4-point deficit, 17-13.
Chester’s Palacio brothers, TaShawn, a sophomore and Devante, a senior, struck on back-to-back field goals to extend the CHS lead to 8 points, 21-13, at the 4:53 mark. DuQuoin answered with a 3-0 run to get back within five points, 21-16, on a free throw by Jayden Davis and a field goal by Jeremiah Jones.
The YellowJackets orchestrated a 6-0 run to end the half with 2-point field goals by Brenden Malley and Devante Palacio and a buzzer-beating three pointer by Kolton Jany. CHS led by 12 points, 28-16 at the half.
The Indians must have made several adjustments during their halftime break because they came out a revitalized team in the second half. DuQuoin outscored Chester 13-9 in the third quarter and 21-15 in the fourth quarter to tie the game late in the final period. Altogether, the Indians outscored the Jackets, 34-24 in the second half.
DuQuoin trailed by as much as 10 in the third quarter and as little as five at the 3:17 mark. DuQuoin’s Layton Hawkins came alive in the third period to score nine of the Indian’s 13 points. Jones and Luke Bauman each added a basket to round out the effort.
A late Kolton Jany free throw followed by another Jany field goal with 28 seconds left on the clock to end the third quarter gave Chester an eight point, 37-29, lead at the end of the third frame. During that frame Cayden Brunkhorst and Devante Palacio each scored to round out the YellowJacket offense.
The final quarter was fast and furious with both Chester and DuQuoin scoring in double figures. Chester scored first to extend the lead to 10 points, 39-29 (7:48). A minute later DuQuoin scored to cut into Chester’s lead to eight points, 39-31 (7:08).
Both teams traded baskets until the 4:27 mark when DuQuoin’s Jeremiah Jones hit a two-pointer, followed by an Amir Grant three-pointer, to cut the lead to just two points, 43-41. That’s when all of the suspense and nail-biting began.
Chester’s Kolton Jany and Trey McCartney hit back-to-back baskets to extend the CHS lead to six points, 47-41, at the 2:45 mark. DuQuoin’s Amir Grant answered the Jacket’s six-point attack with a trey with 2:10 left to play to cut that lead in half, 47-44.
Chester’s Cayden Brunkhorst knocked down a shot at 2:00 to extend the YellowJacket’s lead back to five points, 49-44, but DuQuoin’s Jeremiah Jones knocked down a three-pointer at 1:37 to get back within two points, 49-47, to let the YellowJackets know that the Indians were still sticking around!
The final stretch became extremely exciting and nerve racking for both teams. With only .39 left in the game. Chester’s Devante Palacio knocked down one free throw to extend Chester’s lead, to three points, 50-47. DuQuoin’s Jeremiah Jones followed just seconds later by draining a huge three-point shot to tie the game, 50-50 (31.7).
With only 14.3 seconds on the clock, Chester’s Tray Peters was sent to the free throw line and sank both shots to give the YellowJackets a slim, two-point lead, 52-50.
Chester’s defense held tight in the final seconds and bothered DuQuoin’s Jonathan Brown’s final shot enough to the point that his three-point attempt missed the basket and the ball went out of bounds with 1.8 seconds left in regulation. Chester inbounded the ball for the final 1.8 seconds to hold onto the victory.
In the win, both teams had two players that scored in double figures. Chester’s Kolton Jany led the Jackets with 16 points. Devante Palacio also had double figures with 11 points. Trey McCartney just missed double digits with nine points. Other offensive contributors included Cayden Brunkhorst (6), TaShawn Palacio (6), Tray Peters (2), and Brenden Malley (2). Chester made 4-of-9 free throws (44%). The Jackets also hit 21 two-pointers and two 3-pointers.
DuQuoin was paced by both Jeremiah Jones (20) and Layton Hawkins (11). Other players who added to the offense were Amir Grant (9), Luke Bauman (5), Jonathan Brown (2), and Noah Siefert (2). The Indians shot 50% from the free throw line (3-of-6). They added 10 two-pointers and nine 3-pointers.
The game was a good, clean game with good sportsmanship displayed by both teams. Chester only committed eight fouls, and DuQuoin committed 13 fouls.
At one point late in the game, Chester’s Kolton Jany was involved with a close, very physical play that resulted with a DuQuoin player landing on the floor. Jany stuck around and helped that player get up from the floor. A true act of sportsmanship!
With the loss, DuQuoin was eliminated from the tournament. With the win, Chester improved to an overall record of 17 wins and 15 loses. The No. 10 YellowJackets advanced to the Semi-Final Round of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A Basketball Tournament and will face No. 1 Belleville Althoff at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday February 26 in Game 3.
In Game 2 Monday February 24 No. 12 Red Bud defeated No. 9 Sparta 52-49. The Musketeers advanced to the Semi-Finals to face No. 4 Pinckneyville at 7:30 p.m. in Game 4 Wednesday February 26.
The remainder of the tournament will be hosted by Chester High School, in Colbert Memorial Gymnasium, on Rocky Bridges Court. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. (45-minutes prior to the start of the first game). Admission is $6.00 per person.
The Championship game 5 will he held Friday February 28 with the winners of Game 3 and Game 4 facing off for the title. That game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m.
Chester’s Devante Palacio (5) goes to the line for a free throw with .39 left in the Regional game vs DuQuoin Monday February 24. Teammate Kolton Jany (13) awaits the outcome along with DuQuoin players Johnathan Brown (5), Luke Bauman (3), and Layton Hawkins (20). Palacio made one free throw to give Chester a 50-47 lead. Jim Beers Photo
Tray Peters (4) a 6’0″, junior guard for the YellowJackets, sinks a free throw against DuQuoin Monday February 24 in Game 1 of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A Regional Basketball game hosted at CHS. The referee, Peters’ teammates Kolton Jany (13) and Devante Palacio (5), along with DuQuoin Indians Amir Grant, (2), Johnathan Brown (5) and Layton Hawkins (20), watch as Peter’s first shot swishes through the rim and net. Peters also made his second free throw to extend Chester’s lead to 52-50 with just 14.3 seconds left in the game. Jim Beers Photo
Chester’s Kolton Jany (13) and Tray Peters (4) attempt to get open with 1.8 seconds remaining in the game Monday February 24 when the No. 10 YellowJackets hosted the No. 11 DuQuoin Indians in Game 1 of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A Regional Tournament. DuQuoin’s Luke Bauman (3) and Layton Hawkins (20) try to defend the inbounds pass that is to come from Chester’s Devante Palacio. The Jackets were successful and won the game, 52-50, to advance to the Semi-Final Round 2 of the tournament. Jim Beers Photo