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Week of May 5, 2008

Wednesday, April 7, 2008

Chester High School drops to Class 1A classification for all sports

With an enrollment of 345 students, Chester High School was reclassified Tuesday by the Illinois High School Association as a Class 1A school. Chester will now be the largest Class 1A school in the state under a four class system.

Last month, the IHSA Board of Directors adopted classification cut-offs for the 2008-09 school term based on official figures received from the Illinois State Board of Education in the Fall Housing Report of September 30, 2007.

The change will be evident next school year when the post-season rolls around for volleyball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball and softball.

For most sports, instead of playing schools such as Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Sparta and Nashville in the post-season, the Yellow Jackets and Lady Jackets could face smaller schools such as Steeleville, New Athens, Marissa, Valmeyer, Evansville Lutheran and Trico just to name a few.

The changes will not affect the Cross Country post-season because the IHSA currently uses a three-class system, nor will it effect football because the IHSA uses an eight-class system for that post-season.

Chester High School was the only school in Southern Illinois to see their classification drop from Class 2A to Class 1A.

The move though to Class 1A is far from permanent. The IHSA recalculates enrollment and classification numbers each spring. As fast as Chester falls to Class 1A, the Jackets could return to Class 2A in 2009-2010.

The individual results from the SIRR Mississippi Division Conference Boys Frosh/Soph Track meet were released but the team scores have not.

Individual results for the Yellow Jackets…

John Baughman finished fourth in the 200 (:24.06) and finished second in the pole vault (12’ 0").

Denis Tikinov finished sixth in the 800 (2:20.48).

Blake Nanney finished fifth in the 1600 (5:34.46).

Brant McMillian finished second in the 3200 (11:15.5)

Chad Koenegstein finished second in the 110 hurdles (:16.07).

Patrick Strickler finished sixth in the 110 hurdles (:18.81) and finished sixth in the 300 hurdles (:47.71).

Wes Cowan won the shot put with a toss of 43’ 11 ½" and finished second in the discus (110’ 0").

In the relays, Chester finished fourth in the 400 (:46.31), fourth in the 800 (1:38.88), fifth in the 1600 (4:10.52) and third in the 3200 (9:29.71).

Again, team scores are not yet available from Nashville High School.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Lions explode for six in third inning, beat Yellow Jackets 10-6

A six-run, third inning proved to be the difference Monday in the Chester Yellow Jackets 10-6 loss to the Carterville Lions.

Chester falls to 3-17 on the season and will host Steeleville Wednesday afternoon at 4pm at the Bud Cohen Sports Complex.

The Jackets picked up a single run in the top of the second to take a quick 1-0 lead but the Lions exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third to take control 6-1.

The Jackets though didn’t quit as they plated four runs in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit down to 6-5.

But the Lions added two in the bottom of the fourth and plated singles runs in the fifth and sixth innings en route to the 10-6 win. Chester scored their other runs in the top of the fifth.

Clint Bert took the loss for the Jackets, allowing 10 runs on 10 hits.

Jeremy Wahl and Chris Kern were each 1-for-3 for Chester.

The Chester Lady Yellow Jackets fell to 4-17 on the season after a 4-0 road loss at Herrin Monday.

No other information on Monday’s game was available from the coaches.

It will be the end of an era when the Lady Jackets play their final game ever at Cole Memorial Park Wednesday. Chester will host the Steeleville Lady Warriors at 4pm.

After playing softball for several years at the diamond located behind Chester High School, the Lady Jackets moved to Cole Park in the Spring of 1992 when construction began on what is now the Chester Track & Field Facility which opened in 1993.

Next season, the Lady Jackets will move to the new softball diamond at the Bud Cohen Sports Complex.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Lady Jackets snap 11-game skid, win consolation championship at Benton Tourney

The Chester Lady Yellow Jacket softball team ended an 11-game losing skid Saturday at the Benton Invitational Tournament.

Chester is now 4-16 overall and will travel to Herrin this afternoon for a 4:30pm meeting with the state ranked Lady Tigers.

The losing streak reached 11 games after the Lady Jackets dropped their first game at the tournament to Goreville 6-3. But the streak would end in the consolation semi-finals when Chester beat South Central 6-1.

The Lady Jackets left the Benton Tournament with a two-game winning streak after beating Eldorado 7-1 to claim the consolation championship trophy.

No other information on the individual games was available.

Southern Illinois University (26-20, 7-11) allowed only one hit in a thrilling 5-4 win over Creighton (30-16, 13-8) Sunday at Abe Martin Field. The Salukis came within two outs of throwing a no-hitter against the Bluejays.

It wasn't pretty, but SIU did what it needed to get the win.

Three different Saluki pitchers, including starter Adam Curynski and relievers Jimmy Cornell and Daniel Wells, combined on a no-hitter through 8.1 innings before Daniel Etienne inherited a one-out bases loaded mess in the top of the ninth.

Wells, who broke SIU's all-time career record in appearances when he pitched in his 82nd game today, plunked Vicente Cafaro and walked Joe Servais. After T.J. Roemmich hit into a fielder's choice, Wells issued his second walk of the inning to Micheal Lam. Etienne then took the mound to face the top of the Bluejays' order.

Robbie Knight, after working a 1-1 count, wrecked the no-hitter with a two-RBI single to left, cutting SIU's lead to 5-4. Shortly after Elliot Soto lined out to left, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player-of-the-Year, Darin Ruf, came to the plate. Ruf hit a screaming fly ball to right field, but Aaron Roberts made the catch to end all hopes of CU's comeback.

SIU used a pair of RBI-hits by Roberts, a run-scoring single by Chris Murphy and two-RBI double by Tyler Bullock to build a 5-1 lead.

CU intentionally walked Saluki cleanup hitter Mark Kelly to get to Roberts in each of the first and seventh innings. Roberts made the Jays pay by driving in a run on two-out base hits in each of those frames. The second of Roberts' two hits ignited a three-run seventh for the Dawgs. Bullock's double, which fell just inside the right field line, scored Kelly and Roberts to give SIU a four-run cushion.

The Bluejays had several chances to score, despite getting only one hit on the day. In all, CU had a total of 13 baserunners, five of which were left in scoring position. CU had the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth innings, and 11 of its baserunners reached on either a walk or hit by pitch.

Curynski (3-1) picked up the win in his first career Missouri Valley Conference start. He allowed one earned run, walked three and struck out four in five innings of no-hit baseball.

Etienne earned the first save of his career after giving up a hit and recording the final two outs in the ninth.

Zak Moore (4-6) suffered the loss for CU. Moore worked six innings, giving up seven hits and two runs. He also struck out four and walked two.

SIU pitchers walked eight and hit three batters on the day.

Offensively, Murphy led the Salukis with three hits. He finished at 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. Roberts followed with two hits, a run scored and two RBI. Kelly added a hit to keep his hitting streak alive at 10 games.

SIU ended a six-game home losing streak in conference play. The Salukis won a league game in Carbondale for the first time since beating Indiana State on Apr. 22.

The Salukis break for final exams before heading to Illinois State for a three-game series, May 9-11.