Chester to host Carmi in rematch from 2013

It's deja vu all over again for the Chester Yellow Jackets.

For the second straight year, Carmi-White County will make the two-hour trek west to W.O. Smith Field for a Saturday meeting with the Black Diamond Conference co-champions in the first round of the IHSA Class 2A football playoffs.

Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. Gates will open at 3 p.m. and all tickets are $5.

In 2013, Chester split the conference crown with Fairfield, this year it was Johnston City.

"I'm happy in the sense that we didn't get Belleville Althoff," said Chester coach Bryan Lee, referencing the 2012 first round contest with the Crusaders that may live forever in infamy in Yellow Jacket history. "Can you say you're happy to draw a team that's well-coached and can be dangerous?

"I think it's a good draw in the sense that there's some familiarity, but it's playoff football - everybody's good."

Familiarity could be the theme for the south half of the Class 2A bracket, which has four BDC teams - Chester, Johnston City, Eldorado and Carmi-White County - locked into a tournament-style quadrant.

The Chester-Carmi winner will play the Johnston City-Eldorado winner in the second round, guaranteeing that at least one BDC team will make an appearance in the quarterfinals.

"I would like to play teams I haven't seen," Lee said. "I think there's some fun in that and part of the playoff atmosphere.

"I don't fault the IHSA for doing that with travel and creating a BDC tournament in the south side of the bracket."

Chester defeated Fairfield, 33-28, on a 1-yard touchdown run by Blake Eggemeyer with nine seconds left to earn a share of the BDC crown.

The Yellow Jackets' offense, nicknamed the "Third Shift" earlier in the season for being a more second-half powerhouse, has continued to evolve as the season has progressed.

"I think we're a better team now than we were (against Carmi)," Lee said. "We've moved (Jacob) Golding to defensive end, which has helped us, and Eggemeyer is fully healthy."

On the other sideline, Carmi has rebounded from a 2-3 start to win four straight, but those wins have also come against non-playoff teams.

"I think Carmi is peaking at the right time and this will be the interesting test of philosophies," Lee said. "They tend to also draw working-class kids."

In his 18th season as coach of the Bulldogs, Kurt Simon is making his fifth straight appearance in the postseason and 10th in the past 12 years.

"I think we both are pretty similar," Lee said on his friendship with Simon. "I think we're honest with each other and I think our coaching styles are similar and I have a lot of respect for him."

Last year against the Bulldogs, Brodie Brown's 67-yard touchdown catch with 2:45 left on the clock gave Carmi a 30-25 comeback win over the Yellow Jackets.

It was the Bulldogs' first playoff win in seven years, while Chester is still looking for its first postseason victory since 2001.

Lee said he feels the experience of the close game with Fairfield could have a lasting impact heading into the playoffs.

"I think we've learned some valuable lessons mentally in the last two weeks," Lee said. "I felt our clock management was good in the second half. Our kids know what urgency looks like and can handle that urgency without panic.

"I think that will ultimately help us out."

Lee also has a bit of a personal interest in another team, as Murphysboro made the playoffs for the first time since 1996 and will travel to face Herrin in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.

"I think it's awesome," said Lee, who is a Murphysboro High School alumnus. "I know (Murphysboro coach) Gary Carter pretty well and that town is a football town and (that game) will generate a lot of excitement.

"It's good to see Coach Carter return some of that glory to Murphy."