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Chester Survives Cheltenham’s Comeback in 22-20 Win

Tagged under: District 1, Gameday Hub, News

| September 1, 2023

Eleven Seconds remaining, fifty-five yards, no timeouts, down two, one play remaining. This was the situation that was put in the hands of Cheltenham at the end of the game. One of the most physical and aggressive games in recent times, hit after hit after hit. The tone of the game was set in the first quarter when Chesters’ Emohj Barrett laid a massive hit on a defenseless Shamar Barksdale stunning the crowd. Three plays later a fight broke out. Physicality and non-stop Trash talking led to one of the most interesting and nail-biting games.

Last week due to a gun scare Cheltenham’s first game of the year had to be cancelled, so Chester was their first matchup. Not too much excitement happened in the first half outside of the trash-talking. Cheltenham QB Johnathan Ingram had a slow start, but so did the entire offensive line. Non-stop pressure led to late hits, missed passes, sacks, and bad snaps. Their first score of the game happened in the fourth quarter. They were gifted great field position off of a low snap on the punt. Cheltenham found themselves at the opposite eight-yard line in scoring position. Three Star Running back Senior Tre McLeod finally put Cheltenham on the board after he leaped his way into the endzone going airborne over his defender bringing Cheltenham within two down eight to six. McLeod soon scored again off a twenty-eight-yard rushing touchdown as he tip-toed the line and broke tackles fighting into the endzone making the score sixteen to twelve.

Cheltenham wasn’t the only one having first-half issues, one could say Chester played a worse first half. Totaling three fumbles lost in the first half and two of them on the goal line is what kept this game closer than what it could’ve been. The first half ended zero-zero with missed chances from Chester all around. Once Chester got to the goal line in the third this time they made it count. A one-yard rushing touchdown to Dayshon Jackson with 8:49 in the third broke our stalemate and opened the game up for much more scoring. Jackson’s second touchdown came off a four-yard touchdown that set Chester up leading 16-6. The highlight of the drive happened on the play before where a flea flicker back to QB Jalen Harris for a forty-six-yard pass set Chester up at the four-yard line. While Jackson didn’t score again, he made plays other ways.

 

The remaining half of the fourth quarter was where this game became a pure thrill. With 3:21 in the game, Cheltenham forced Chester into a fourth and three at the six-yard line down four and with one timeout. Cheltenham needed a stop and originally had it, until Jackson pitched the ball back to Harris and Harris found three-star Dominic Toy in the endzone to extend the lead to ten. Cheltenham still had hope. Going down the field and finding Michael Dun with only thirteen seconds left they went for two. Now down 22-20 they had to go for the onside kick. The kick bounces, hits the chest of Toy and Cheltenham recovers at midfield with eleven seconds remaining. A false start pushed them back five more yards. With one play Cheltenham tries to pick up short yardage and put themselves closer, but Chesters’ Toy jumped the pass and picked the ball off. Chester survives the last-second push and wins their first game of the year.

 

Chester left the game with a bounce-back win after losing to Perk Valley 31-0. They take on Phoenixville on Saturday, September Ninth at 11:00 AM where they look to win their second straight game of the year. For Cheltenham, they fall to 0-1 and look to get to .500 next Friday at 7:00 PM against Abraham Lincoln.

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