Chester's 3-peat falls short

CHESTER —Every once in a while it just isn’t meant to be. And for the Chester Hambletonians that time is now, as the two-time defending Class D champs were kicked off their perch losing this year’s title game 27-14 to a destined Eldred team. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first sectional title in school history. However, the loss can’t be pinned on junior runningback Mike Schmidlein. He accounted for all of the Hambletonians points, including runs of 53 and three yards for scores. And a two-point run that tied the score at 14 in the third quarter. Eldred bounced back on the legs on Jonathan Counts, who was named the game’s most outstanding offensive player as he totaled 165 yards on 28 carries. His touchdown run with 2:38 remaining clinched the title for the Yellow Jackets. “I think we could have played stronger,” said Schmidlein. “They were playing 10 men around the line of scrimmage but I thought we could still run on them.” Schmidlein was named the game’s most outstanding defensive player. On the other side of the ball, he rushed for 120 yards on 20 carries. His two touchdowns give him 21 for the season, including 18 on the ground. However, his days in the tailback slot for Chester could be numbered, as with the graduation of quarterback Bryan VanDemark he will likely move to the open quarterback slot for his senior year. VanDemark was harassed the entire game, completing only his first pass, a 30-yarder, in nine attempts. He was intercepted twice, the second pick being made by Pat Kean on Chester’s final offensive play of the game.