CHS FROSH: Freshman Yellow Jackets looking to continue streak
<span>In a lot of ways, 2014 was a banner year for the Chester High School freshman football team.</span>
<span>Led by first-year coach Jake Cowan, the young Yellow Jackets recorded their sixth straight winning season (now the longest in the program's 45-year history), restored a rivalry with Sparta in the Heritage Bowl and saw several players set new modern records.</span>
<span>Enter 2015.</span>
<span>Nick Meyer takes over at quarterback for older brother and varsity quarterback Curt, and Chester adds seven components of a varsity Stingers team that went 5-4 in 2014.</span>
<span>"Just learning the playbook and adjusting to the environment with new coaches and new players," Meyer said on the challenges of adapting to the high school game.</span>
<span>Meyer, who did not play Stingers ball last year, will wear his brother's number (14) this season. He will also be the junior varsity quarterback.</span>
<span>"Work hard and you'll be big time like he is, starting varsity as a sophomore," Meyer said on what he learned from watching his brother's freshman season. "I'm just trying to do what he did last year and work hard at it."</span>
<span>Eathan Thompson and Chase Colvis are two of the former Stingers who are continuing their careers into high school, while several others who didn't play with the Stingers last year came out this year.</span>
<span>"It isn't territorial like it was when I was in school," said Chester freshman coach Charles Colvis on the team's mix of Chester Grade School, St. John Lutheran and St. Mary's players. "These guys play basketball together up at the courts, they play baseball together, it's a good blend.</span>
<span>"They're all together as a team."</span>
<span>As of this writing, the Yellow Jackets are scheduled for just six games this year as the Black Diamond Conference's recent streak of shedding freshman games continues. Chester will open the season as part of the Freeburg Freshman Jamboree Aug. 29 starting at 9:30 a.m.</span>
<span>Chester is scheduled to play the host Midgets, Breese Mater Dei and SIRR Mississippi's Nashville. The Yellow Jackets will play Mater Dei at 9:30 a.m., Nashville at 10 a.m. and Freeburg at 10:30 a.m.</span>
<span>The Jamboree will be the final "tune up" of sorts for the freshmen before their first official game Sept. 10 against SIRR Ohio foe West Frankfort.</span>
<span>They will participate in two junior varsity games before that, traveling to face Fairfield on Monday and hosting Hamilton County on Sept. 5 at 10 a.m.</span>
<span>"As a group, they're just after it," Colvis said. "We're very fortunate to have a group of freshmen that bring it 110 percent every play and I attribute the success of that to the Stinger program."</span>
<span>Colvis becomes the third head freshman coach in as many years for Chester, which hasn't had a losing season since 2008 at the freshman level.</span>
<span>"They are a special group," Colvis said of his players. "I think they will do really well in the future. They do blend well and they all complement each other.</span>
<span>"We've got speed, we've got strength, we've got all the key things you would want to see in a team."</span>