Heritage Bowl confirmed to return

<p class="p1">Chester and Sparta are now set for another battle on the gridiron, as Sparta High School Athletic Director Rich Williams confirmed to the Herald Tribune on Monday that the Heritage Bowl will return this season.

<p class="p1">The game has been set for Thursday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. at Pierce Field in Sparta. Chester was scheduled to host Vienna-Goreville on that date, but the Eagles reportedly do not have enough freshmen to play.

<p class="p1">Sparta already had an open date, making the game possible.

<p class="p1">"We're basically playing a frosh-soph schedule because of our numbers and Chester didn't have to play Vienna-Goreville because of their numbers," Williams said.

<p class="p1">Two years ago, the two schools' freshman squads met at W.O. Smith Field in Chester for a game that became known as the Heritage Bowl.

<p class="p1">Chester won the contest, 40-34, on a 60-yard touchdown reception by Nick Heffernan with 10 seconds left. It was Heffernan's third touchdown of the game.

<p class="p1">"The kid made a great catch in triple coverage and did what he had to do," said Sparta head freshman coach Joe Dobyns. "It was a great game to be a part of."

<p class="p1">This will be Dobyns' second Heritage Bowl, but on the other sideline, second-year Chester head freshman coach Charles Colvis is getting his first turn at it.

<p class="p1">"It has more at stake," Colvis said. "I remember playing against Sparta. When we're playing in the Black Diamond, except for perhaps Johnston City, we haven't established those rivalries yet."

<p class="p1">Sparta's Jon Williams ran for 132 yards and a touchdown in Heritage Bowl I, while also returning a kickoff 77 yards for a score.

<p class="p1">Justyce Bulliner, who has since become known as "The Bus" in Sparta, ran for 41 yards on eight carries.

<p class="p1">Chester was led by quarterback Curt Meyer, who went 4-for-8 for 205 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Clayton Richelman was the recipient of both TD passes, finishing with 126 yards receiving.

<p class="p1">Meyer, now a junior, went on to become the Yellow Jackets' varsity quarterback last year as a sophomore, throwing for 988 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 56.7 completion percentage and a quarterback rating of 111.5.

<p class="p1">"We went from winning two games that year to winning five games before they lost last year," Dobyns said. "They went 5-3 as a JV squad. I think they've tasted a little bit of success from their hard work."

<p class="p1">The Chester-Sparta football rivalry is the second oldest in Southern Illinois, behind Carbondale and Murphysboro, and the schools played each other every year in football for 92 years until Chester left the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference for the Black Diamond Conference in 2010.

<p class="p1">"The rivalry's never going to stop," Williams said. "It's not dead, it's just simmering.

<p class="p1">"If we could ever get together conference-wise, we'll do it."

<p class="p1">On the field, Chester has five Stingers veterans in a group of 17 freshmen as part of the school's largest freshman class in several years.

<p class="p1">It could be a fast game, as both the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs aren't short of speed.

<p class="p1">"We've got some guys in the backfield who are really, really quick," Colvis said of his running backs. "The linemen are pretty speedy on the foot, we don't have anybody who's too too slow.

<p class="p1">"(Ethan) Rayburn is extremely quick and Ethen Eggemeyer reminds me of Drake Bollman."

<p class="p1">Bollman is anticipated to see some varsity action this year after racking up 1,103 all-purpose yards for Chester as a freshman in 2015. He finished with 837 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns.

<p class="p1">Dobyns is also high on his players.

<p class="p1">"We have a lot of speed, a lot of good skill kids," he said. "They're working hard. We have a good quarterback for a young kid, Carlos Keen.

<p class="p1">"A good kid, smart, does a great job with the football."

<p class="p1">Organizers are once again selling Heritage Bowl T-shirts, with sizes up to XL available for $10. Size 2X is $12, while 3X is $14.

<p class="p1">Those interested in ordering a shirt can call Dobyns at 618-317-6655.

<p class="p1">"I've been lucky enough to be a part of this," Dobyns said. "It brings back great memories of me playing back in the 80s and coach (Rich) Williams in the 1970s.

<p class="p1">"Just a great thing for the community to be a part of."