YellowJackets open Week 1 with a split

The Chester High School boys basketball team opened the 2021-22 season with a two-game week No. 1. The Jackets split the week with a 46-39 win over Anna-Jonesboro and a loss to Pinckneyville, 60-24.

<b>Chester wins 46-39 over Anna-Jonesboro</b>

The Jackets opened the season at home in Colbert Gymnasium on Rocky Bridges Court. A large rowdy crowd was on hand to help get the YellowJackets off to a good start, and everyone agreed that it was great to be back at Colbert to witness "live" basketball.

CHS hosted former River-to-River Mississippi Division foe Anna-Jonesboro. The Wildcats came to play, as was always the case when the two teams met in the River-to-River.

Chester led 16-11 after one quarter of play. Jared Landeros paced the Jackets with 11 points in the first period. Chance Mott also popped a 3-pointer and Trace Fricke added a field goal in that opening run.

The Wildcats also had a go-to-guy as D. Trammel led Anna-Jonesboro with 7 points. Harvel added a trey and Carver made one-of-two free throws for AJ's 11 points. CHS enjoyed a 5-point lead going into the second quarter.

The second frame was a deadlock with Chester and Anna-Jonesboro each scoring 7 points. Mott led the second quarter for CHS with 3 points, followed by Gavin Schroeder and Landeros with a basket apiece.

AJ's second quarter was paced by L. Trammel, who knocked down a 3-pointer and two-of-two free throws for 5 points. Harvel added a field goal and the Cats had seven points. The YellowJackets enjoyed a 5 point, 23-18 lead going into the locker room at the popcorn break.

After halftime, Chester roared out onto the floor with another big quarter. During that 8 minutes the Jackets scored 17 points to extend their lead to 10 points, 40-30.

During that stretch Landeros once again led the team with 7 points. Mott connected for four points on a pair of field goals and Schroeder, Aiden Jany and Fricke each hit baskets.

The Wildcats kept pace with 12 points, led by Harvel who added 6 points, L. Trammel who drained a trey, Henry who made a field goal and D. Trammel, who made one-of-two free throws. Chester led, 40-30 after three periods of competition.

Down the stretch, Anna-Jonesboro outscored Chester, 9-6, but it was too little too late as the Jackets enjoyed a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

In that final period Harvel added 5 points on a 3-pointer and a traditional 2-pointer. Henry contributed a 2-point basket and L. Trammel made both of his two free throw attempts.

Mott paced Chester with 4 points on a 2-point field goal and two-of-three free-throw shooting. Schroeder was 2-for-2 shooting free throws for two points, and the YellowJackets ended the night with a total of 46 points.

In the win, Chester was led offensively by Landeros who scored 20 points. Other contributors included Mott (14), Schroeder (6), Fricke (4), and Jany (2).

Anna-Jonesboro was led by two players in double figures including Harvel (16) and L. Trammel (10). Other scorers were D. Trammel (8), Henry (4), and Carver (1).

<b>Pinckneyville 60, Chester 24</b>

The YellowJackets traveled to Pinckneyville on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 24, to challenge the Panthers. It was certainly an off night for the Jackets as they fell hard, 60-24, to a perennially good Panther squad.

The Panthers led 14-5 after one quarter of play, 35-9 at halftime, 35-17 after three quarters and 60-24 at the end of regulation.

Pinckneyville raced out to a 14-5 lead in the first period behind the scoring of D. Riggiss (5) and V. Szczepanski (4). Chester was only able to score one field goal by Fricke and free throws by Schroeder (2) and Mott (1).

The second quarter was even more frightening as the Panthers mauled the Jackets 24 behind the play of P. Launius, who scored 6 points and I. Queen who added 5 points.

This quarter the Jackets' Schroeder was the only Chester player to score. He made one field goal and two free throws for Chester's 4 points. Pinckneyville led by 26 points, 35-9, at the halfway mark.

Things got a bit better in the third quarter as Chester held Pinckneyville to 18 points and doubled their scoring to eight points. Seven Panthers contributed to the 18-point outing in the third period as N. Adcock (4), T. Moll (3), Szczepanski (3), P. Launius (2), H. Smith (2), I. Queen (2), and J. Iaccino (2), chipped in for the Panthers.

Chester was paced by Gabriel Steele, who knocked down a 3-pointer for his first points of 2021-22. Cooper Eggemeyer scored his first points of the season with a field goal, as did Jacob Handel, who hit one-of-two free throws. Fricke rounded out the Jackets' 8-point endeavor, hitting both of his free throws. Pinckneyville led 53-17 after three quarters.

The final period featured a deadlock with both teams adding 7 points to their totals. Chester was paced by Handel, who drained a trey and a traditional field goal, and Eggemeyer, who knocked down both of his free throws.

Pinckneyville added 7 points on a 3-pointer by R. Mohr, a field goal by Smith and back-to-back free throws by A. Jausel. In the end, the Panthers outscored the Jackets 60-24 for the win.

In the loss the YellowJackets made just four 2-pointers, two treys, and shot 10-of-12 from the free-throw line (83%). Schroeder and Handel each scored 6 points for CHS, and Eggemeyer and Fricke scored 4 points apiece. Steele added 3 points and Mott added a free throw.

Pinckneyville had just one player in double figures. P. Launius had 11 points. Nine other Panthers chipped in to complete the 60-point effort including Riggiss and Szczepanski with 9 points apiece, Adcock (8), Queen (7), Moll (5), Smith (4), Mohr (3), and Jausel and Iaccino with 2 points apiece.

The Panthers made 19 2-pointers, four 3-pointers, and 10-of-16 free throws (63%).

With the loss, the YellowJackets evened their record to 1-1 for the season. In Week 2 Chester will compete in the Murphysboro Tournament.