No. 18 Class 2A YellowJackets led, 29-25, until the final seconds of the 4th quarter when No. 26 3A Redbirds scored 8 points to win, 33-29
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – The Chester YellowJacket Football Team traveled to West Frankfort Friday September 12 for Game No. 2 of a three-game road swing. Chester opened the season Friday August 29 at home vs East Alton-Wood River, winning 55-0.
Chester’s TaShawn Palacio, a 5’11, 148 lb. junior wide receiver, scored two touchdowns in the 33-29 loss to Class 3A West Frankfort Friday September 12. Palacio first returned a kickoff 83 yards for Chester’s second touchdown of the night at the 10:52 mark of the second quarter. The TD gave CHS a slim, one point lead, 14-13, with Trey McCartney’s 2-point conversion pass reception. Palacio scored again at the 9:08 mark of the 4th quarter on a 36-yard pass from Tray Peters. Karim Landeros kicked the extra point to give Chester a 10-point, 29-19 lead. For the night Palacio caught four passes for a total of 75 yards, and one receiving touchdown. Jim Beers Photo
The Jackets then faced a 3-game road swing which began Friday September 5 at Pinckneyville, winning 53-7, to extend their record to 2-0. This Friday September 12 CHS continued its road schedule at West Frankfort.
West Frankfort is an IHSA Class 3A Team. The school has an enrollment of 414 students. The Redbirds came into the game with Chester with an undefeated, 2-0 record and ranked 26th in Class 3A. The YellowJackets are a Class 2A Team. Chester High School has 331 students. The Jackets came into the game with an undefeated 2-0 record and ranked 18th in Class 2A.
Billy Belton, CHS Head Coach, knew that the game with West Frankfort was going to be tough, but had his YellowJacket squad prepared to face the Redbirds and confident to win against a bigger and very talented team. Furthermore, Belton knew Redbird coach Brian Beery and that he was a good coach that would also have his team ready to face his YellowJackets.
Chester kicked off to West Frankfort to start the game at 7:00 p.m. Five plays later the Redbirds scored the first points of the game on a 1-yard run by quarterback Lucas Parker. Parker Allen kicked the extra point and West Frankfort led, 7-0.
Three plays into Chester’s first possession, Ethan Colvis broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run. Karim Landeros came onto the field to kick the extra-point. His attempt was partially blocked and failed, but Chester got within one point, 7-6, on their first possession.
The Jacket defense went to work on the Redbird’s next possession. West Frankfort did achieve two first downs, and the Birds managed to run a total of 15 plays to end the first quarter. During that stretch the Orange Crush defense played tough and West Frankfort was called for a false start, holding, and a face mask penalty. The score at the end of the first quarter was West Frankfort 7- Chester 6.
The Redbirds had the ball to start the second quarter and ran just three plays before scoring their second touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run by Christopher Samples. The extra-point attempt by Parker Allen missed, but West Frankfort extended its lead to, 13-6 at the 10:52 mark.
On the ensuing kickoff to Chester, YellowJacket junior, TaShawn Palacio, a 5’11, 148 lb. wide receiver, took the Redbird kickoff and ran it all the way back for a 83-yard touchdown that took only 14 seconds. CHS quarterback, Tray Peters, ran for the 2-point conversion and Chester took a 1-point, 14-13, lead. At that point both teams had scored on each of their possessions, exchanging touchdowns twice each.
On West Frankfort’s 4th possession of the game, the Jacket defense played very well and forced a fumble which the Birds recovered. Both teams then exchanged penalties, CHS with an off-sides, followed by a West Frankfort holding call. On the next play from scrimmage, the Redbirds fumbled again, this time with Chester recovering the ball.
On Chester’s first play of their next possession, quarterback Tray Peters ran 16 yards for a first down. On the next play Peters threw a pass which was intercepted by West Frankfort. After the play, the Redbirds were called for a personal foul penalty. The Birds still had the ball however.
West Frankford then proceeded to have the ball for approximately three minutes during which they ran 10 plays. On play No. 11, the Redbird’s Lucas Parker ran seven yards for the Bird’s third touchdown of the game. West Frankfort attempted a 2-point conversion which the YellowJacket defense stopped! The TD gave the Redbirds their second lead of the game, 19-13, with 3:05 left to play in the first half.
The YellowJackets then had the ball for the final 3:05 of the first half. They orchestrated a 9-play drive which featured an Ethan Colvis first down and a Zane Eggemeyer first down. West Frankfort was called for a 5-yard penalty for having too many men on the field.
The Jackets then ran back-to-back unsuccessful plays for no yardage. On the next play, facing 3-and-9, Ethan Colvis ran for a first down with 1:03 left in the half. With under a minute remaining, a series of events occurred which brought the Jacket fans to their feet, both to cheer, then to express their disappointment and or frustration.
On the first matter of concern was the fact that Chester had what was thought to be a touchdown when Trey McCartney caught a pass and ran the distance for an apparent touchdown. Jacket nation exploded with excitement. Officials then called the TD back due to a YellowJacket infraction involving the circumstances surrounding the touchdown pass to McCartney.
Chester then regrouped with just .13 on the clock. On the next play, the Jacket’s Ethan Colvis broke loose for what seemed to be an apparent touchdown. During the Chester celebration, officials called that second touchdown back for what was said to be a “block-in-the-back” on Chester.
The flag was not thrown immediately, so it was quite a shock when Colvis was told his touchdown efforts were erased. That was back-to-back situations when Chester touchdowns were called back in less than a minute. As the buzzer sounded to end the first half of an exciting game, West Frankfort led by five points, 19-14.
The YellowJackets took the opening kickoff to start the second half. TaShawn Palacio had a kickoff return to the 41 yard line to get things started. Tray Peters then orchestrated three first downs to get the Jackets to the six yard line with under seven minutes to play in the 3rd quarter. The 13 play possession ended with Peters connecting with Zane Eggemeyer, a 5’9”, 145 lb. wide receiver for a 6-yard Chester touchdown. Junior Alex Blechle then caught a Tray Peters pass for the 2-point conversion. Chester re-gained the lead, 22-19.
The Redbirds then ran a nine-play possession of their own which included a pair of first downs, but the Orange Crush YellowJacket defense stood firm after a quarterback sack by Chester defensive end Trey McCartney to force a Redbird punt.
On Chester’s next possession, Tray Peters ran three plays before the end of the 3rd quarter. The final play gave the Jackets a first and ten when Trey McCartney caught a Tray Peters pass to end the period. CHS led, 22-19, going into the 4th quarter.
The final quarter was full of action and excitement as the ball would change possession five times and Chester and West Frankfort would each score in the opening four minutes of the period to keep fans on the edge of their seats. The final eight minutes were thrilling and it wasn’t until the final 20-seconds until the winner would be decided.
Chester continued with their possession that ended the third quarter to open play in the 4th quarter. The Jackets stated with a first and ten from the Redbird 42 yard line. Palacio and Colvis kept the ball moving and Peters reached the first and ten mark to extend the possession.
TaShawn Palacio capped off the possession with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Tray Peters with 9:08 remaining in the game. Karim Landeros kicked the extra point and Chester led, by 10 points, 29-19. The TD was Palacio’s second of the night. It was Karim’s first successful extra-point kick of the game.
At this point Jacket fans were feeling pretty good with a 10-point lead and just 9:08 to play. West Frankfort had other ideas, however. Following the Chester TD, West Frankfort scored a touchdown on a Lucas Parker 5-yard run. It took just three plays to achieve this feat. The Birds attempted a two-point conversion, but the Chester defense stopped that attempt. After the quick score, West Frankfort pulled within four points, 29-25, with 7:54 to play.
Chester had the ball for the next four minutes. During that time the Jackets had a first and ten on a Trey McCartney pass to extend the CHS possession. Colvis ran twice for a total of seven yards, and Peters scrambled twice. After a YellowJacket delay of game penalty at the 3:30 mark, Chester faced 4-and-11. Peters attempted a pass to Palacio which was unsuccessful and the Jackets turned the ball over on downs with just 3:10 left to play in the game.
Up by just four points, 29-25, the YellowJackets had the job of holding the Redbirds scoreless in the final 3:10 to win the game. West Frankfort, on the other hand, had the task of scoring a touchdown against a very tough YellowJacket defense.
During the final 3:10 the Redbirds ran 12 plays and reached four first and tens, burning up all but 24-seconds on the clock. On the 13th play, Lucas Parker ran for his fourth touchdown of the game on a 5-yard quarterback scramble. To throw salt in the wound, Christopher Samples ran for the 2-point conversion and West Frankfort regained the lead, 33-29.
Chester had the ball with just 24-seconds remaining on the clock and made a valiant effort with the time and field position afforded them. On the first play from scrimmage, Peters completed a great pass to Trey McCartney for a first down. Chester fans still had faith and hope for a final YellowJacket winning play, but West Frankfort intercepted a final Tray Peters pass with just 12-seconds left on the clock. The Birds kneeled to run the time off the clock and the game was theirs to keep their record undefeated at 3-0. Chester got their first loss of the season and dropped to 2-1.
In the loss, CHS ran 56 plays vs West Frankfort’s 69 plays. Chester accumulated a total of 324 yards (151 passing and 173 rushing) and WF recorded 377 yards (269 passing and 108 rushing).CHS had 17 first downs vs 19 for WF. Each team had one turnover apiece (CHS interception; WF fumble). Chester was called for 11 penalties for 48 yards while West Frankfort had just seven penalties for 58 yards.
Chester’s Tray Peters completed 8-of-14 passes (57%) for 117 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. West Frankfort’s Lucas Parker connected on 13-of-20 passes (65%), and 172 yards.
CHS ran 31 times for 173 yards led by Ethan Colvis (11 for 109 yards and 1 TD), Tray Peters (10 for 36 yards), and Zane Eggemeyer (7 for 24 yards). The Jackets caught nine passes for 151 yards led by TaShawn Palacio (4 for 75 yards and 1 TD), Trey McCartney (3 for 69 yards), and Zane Eggemeyer (1 for 6 yards).
On defense Chester recorded 31 solo tackles, 39 tackle assists, 1 sack, and 9 tackles for a loss. The defense was led by Derrius Shoemate (7 solos, 4 assists), Ethan Colvis (5 solos, 3 assists, 2 TFL), Karim Landeros (5 solos, 2 assists, 2 TFL), Trey McCartney (3 solos, 4 assists, 1 sack, 1 TFL), Morgan Miers (2 solos, 5 assists, 1 TFL), Alex Blechle (2 solos, 1 TFL), and Brayden Juenger (2 solos, 3 assists, 2 TFL).
TaShawn Palacio returned kickoffs three times for 41 yards and one touchdown. Karim Landeros kicked 1 extra point. Tray Peters passed for both of Chester’s 2-point conversions, one to Trey McCartney and the other to Alex Blechle.
Head Coach Billy Belton said, “I’m so proud of how hard the boys played. We battled all four quarters and played extremely hard! That was a tough loss. West Frankfort is a really good team. They did a great job of keeping the ball away from our offense. It’s hard to get a rhythm when you don’t have the ball very much.”
“Trey McCartney had a great night on defense. He had another sack and just played amazing all night. Defense played really good vs the run. We just came up short in some critical 3rd downs. The offense played really good. The Offensive line did a great job all night blocking. I am so proud of the boys and how hard they played for all four quarters.”
“The nice thing is that it is early in the season and we have room and time to improve. We did a bunch of things right tonight, and a few things we can learn from. This team is very tough and I know they will bounce back. It is Sparta week coming up and they have been playing really well. We will have to have a great week of practice!”
Chester completes its final road game of the three-game trip this Friday September 19 at Sparta. It will be Chester’s first Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division game of the season