CHS FROSH: Yellow Jackets add Anna-Jonesboro, West Frankfort
<span>The Chester High School freshman football team is broadening its horizons outside of the Black Diamond Conference.</span>
<span>CHS Athletic Director Mike Coffey has announced that the Yellow Jackets have added Southern Illinois River-to-River Mississippi Division foe Anna-Jonesboro as a Week 8 (Oct. 15) opponent to go along with Week 3 (Sept. 10) SIRR Ohio opponent West Frankfort.</span>
<span>Both are road contests.</span>
<span>"First of all, I am so glad to have the opportunity to play Chester again, they are one of the best small-school football programs in the state," said Anna-Jonesboro freshman coach Dave Sullivan. "I was thrilled that Chester was willing to travel and play us for our Week 8 game. Without their willingness to travel, we would have only had three home games."</span>
<span>Now in its 45th year of existence, the Chester freshman football program is on a program-record stretch of six straight winning seasons led by three different coaches. The Yellow Jackets finished 5-2 in 2014, ending with a 40-34 victory over Sparta in the Heritage Bowl.</span>
<span>In total, the freshmen Yellow Jackets are 35-8 since 2009.</span>
<span>A-J won't be the only SIRR Mississippi foe Chester will see this season, as the Yellow Jackets are scheduled to face Nashville as part of the Freeburg Frosh Jamboree on Saturday.</span>
<span>The Jamboree is a "preseason" of sorts for the team, which will take on Breese Mater Dei at 9:30 a.m., Nashville at 10 a.m. and the host Midgets at 11:30 a.m.</span>
<span>Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students.</span>
<span>"I'm looking to that to see where we stand," said Chester freshman coach Charles Colvis. "That's going to be a great test. I can't speak as far as Nashville or Mater Dei, but I can tell you right now that Freeburg will be tough.</span>
<span>"Just speaking from the Stinger program, because they went to two teams at the varsity level last year."</span>
<span>With the schedule changes, that leaves Chester with openings in Week 2 and Week 6. Week 2 was to be a home game against Hamilton County, while Week 6 was to be a road trip to face Carmi-White County.</span>
<span>Vienna-Goreville, Chester's intended Week 3 opponent, recently announced it did not have enough players to field a freshman team, prompting the scheduling of West Frankfort.</span>
<span>"With so many small school football programs struggling for numbers, it is important for all of us area coaches to have flexibility in our scheduling," Sullivan said. "All of our kids give such a commitment to their summer and daily practices, it is hard to sit out a week and not play a game."</span>