Chester downs Pinckneyville 40-7
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Pinckneyville was unable to replicate last week's strong effort, falling 40-7 to Chester on homecoming night at Quillman Field on Friday.
For the second week in a row, the Panthers' kickoff team allowed the opponent to take the game's opening kick the distance for a touchdown, this time 82 yards.
"From the opening kickoff you could see the energy they had, and I think we were just shell shocked from there on," said Panthers' head coach Tod Rushing.
A quick three-and-out on offense by the Panthers, who started with Thomas McConnell but also used Nathan Morton and Cody Smith at quarterback, helped set up Chester's second score. The 51-yard passing touchdown from David Winters to Alex Lankford put the Yellowjackets on top 14-0 with 7:05 still remaining in the first quarter.
The Yellowjackets continued to pour it on early in the second, taking advantage of good field position after a disappointing punt from the Panthers that set Chester up at Pinckneyville's 38-yard line.
On fourth-and-two from the Panthers' five, Stephen Wallace took the handoff in for the touchdown, his first of three in the game.
The Panthers' only trip to the end zone came when Morton connected with Dustin Winter for a 55-yard touchdown with 8:55 left in the half, and Christian Shopinski added Pinckneyville's first extra point kick of the season.
Pinckneyville wasn't done, recovering an onside kick to take over on Chester's 34-yard line just moments laters.
On a similar play to the touchdown, Morton would again find Winter, who was brought down at the one after a 38-yard gain, but a penalty flag for holding brought the play back to the Panthers' 47-yard line.
An infuriated Pinckneyville sideline was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during a timeout that immediately followed the call, and fifteen more yards were tacked on, setting up third and 44 from the Panthers' own 32-yard line, instead of first-and-goal at the Chester one with just over seven minutes left in the half.
"I think that really took the wind out of our sails," said Rushing, adding, "I don't think we ever really recovered from that."
The Panthers elected to punt on third-and-forever, and would allow two more Chester scores before the break as they led 34-7.
Pinckneyville achieved only two first downs in the first half, while Chester managed eight.
The only scoring in the second half would also be done by the Yellowjackets, as Wallace ran it in for the third time.
Pinckneyville (1-6, 1-3) will travel to Anna next Friday to face the Wildcats (6-1, 3-1), who will be coming off a rare defeat.