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Prep Football: Eldorado punishes Chester wtih ground-and-pound game

By MICHAEL DANN

mdann@dailyregister.com

CHESTER - Eldorado firmly secured their spot in the playoffs way before Friday night's matchup at Chester.

Chester, however, was sitting on the proverbial bubble and watched their postseason hopes popped in a 50-36 loss at W.O. Smith Field.

Eldorado head coach Brandon Hampton knows that game did more for his ballclub than not only eliminate the Yellowjackets, but prepare his team for the first round next week.

It was a game where Eldorado, who finished 8-1 in the Black Diamond Conference, was tested mentally, physically and emotionally against a Chester club that came up short at 4-5.

"This was a playoff-type atmosphere and that was a playoff-type football team," Hampton said. "They have some playmakers and we had to fight hard in a tough environment to do so and it will do nothing but prepare us as we go forward in the second season."

The win was also big for Eldorado as they shared the Black Diamond Conference championship with Fairfield as both finished 8-1. Eldorado, however, will be the BDC representative on the tie-breaker (points allowed).

It's the second straight year Eldorado has won the conference crown, marking the first time in school history that has been done. The Eagle senior group finishes out their career at 17-1 over two seasons and 23-4 in their career.

The Eagles hammered Chester with a ground-and-pound game in the first half that resulted in five touchdowns, three by Payton Price as he scored from 64, 26 and nine yards out.

Tre Vessel had a five-yard run and Jacob Traxler broke free for a 54-yard score to give Eldorado a comfortable 36-8 lead at halftime.

The comfort level dropped for the Eagles in the second half as Chester rattled off 20 unanswered points to make it a 36-28 game with 5:04 to play in the fourth quarter.

Eldorado was able to put the game out of reach thanks in large part to a clock eating drive that resulted in a four-yard run by Vessel with 1:49 to play and was bookended by a Traxler interception that went for a score with 1:07 to play, giving the Eagles a 50-28 advantage.

Knowing the playmakers Chester had, a comeback was something Hampton wasn't surprised about, more so, waiting to happen.

"What you have to against them defensively is not give up the big play because they can score so fast," he said. "We made them earn it on the long drive there in the third quarter and had the opportunity to intercept the ball down there in the end zone and it went through our hands. Playmakers make plays and Chester has some playmakers, there is no doubt about that. A real credit to our offense for putting the game away and taking the air out of the football when we needed them and our defense stepped up there at the end and Jacob got a pick.

"We played real well defensively in the first half with the exception of one or two big plays, but hey, they are going to hit some big plays, that's as talented of a roster as there is in the Black Diamond. The year did not go their way, but that's a dang good football team."

Eldorado punished Chester to the tune of two 100-yard rushing performances by Price and Vessel and came just yards away from having three runners for over the century mark as Traxler just missed out.

"They just wear down the opponent, you know what I mean," Hampton said of his triple threat rushing attack. "Our big physical offensive line … you may get us a time or two, but the way those guys run the football and the way our offensive line is so physical, there aren't too many teams that can stand with you in the fourth quarter and that's a testament to the way our guys prepare and work the process. I'm just really excited about the way the team was able to finish the season. We got off to a good start and then we were able to play three really good football teams, two of them on the road, but that's going to do nothing but prepare us for the second season."

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register and Eldorado Daily Journal. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.