Prep Football Preview: Eagles look to slow down Chester's offense

Rarely is it a rebuilding process for Chester and rather a restocking process.

Entering Friday night's tilt with Eldorado, Eagles head coach Brandon Hampton described the Yellow Jackets as, "The same Chester team we're used to seeing in the Black Diamond Conference."

Chester is currently 6-1 and tied for the top spot in the Diamond and will host an Eldorado team still stinging from last week's 31-30 loss to Johnston City in overtime.

"They are a big-play, quick-strike offensive team," Hampton said of a Chester team who has scored the third most points in the BDC this season at 259.

On the flip side, Eldorado is second behind Fairfield (295) in points scored with 281.

"It's different people, but it's the same recipe," Hampton said of the Yellow Jackets offense.

Hampton was quick to point out that much of what makes Chester go is the ability not only go horizontal, but also beat you vertically.

"They really do some unique things where they stretch the field and make you defend them horizontally," he said. "You have to protect the edge of your defense and force the ball back inside, they really want to threaten you vertically with the pass and horizontally with the run."

That being said, Hampton noted that Chester is throwing the ball a little more than usual this season and doing so with Tight End Jordan Berner, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior that is also the Yellow Jackets top defender at linebacker.

"He's probably the best player in our conference. This year they have spread him out and put him and tight end and are throwing the ball to him a little bit more. They have some big play guys in the Frazier kid that is one of the faster kids in our conference and Charles Morefield (running back), who you saw him on the track circuit as a guy who can run and he's making a lot of plays for them."

That being said, Hampton is most impressed with the strides his defense has made since Week 1.

The threat of Chester's passing attack isn't one that worries the head coach entering Friday night's fight.

"I think we have really improved in our pass defense from Sesser to this point now. I think our kids have forced a lot of turnovers, primarily the interception, so with the ball being in the air a little bit we have the athletes in the secondary that should be able to help us out."

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