Chester head football coach Bryan Lee has led the Yellow Jackets to the state playoffs in each of his first three seasons. He looks to a younger less experienced squad in 2011 to extend that streak.
Chester was 8-2 last year but have just four returning starters on offense and five back on defense.
“Our team speed is way up this year,” said Lee. “We have a very fast team, and hopefully that can compensate for our lack of size. We will be young, but we should be an exciting team to watch. Our juniors and seniors were a combined 12-1 last year. The team chemistry is outstanding.”
Lee and the Chester coaching staff will look to junior Jake Cowan (6’, 160) to start at quarterback.
“Jake was the backup to Zach Lochhead last season,” said Lee. “He has been waiting for his shot to start at the varsity level. He is going to be a good player. He knows the game of football and is a very quick player. We are very excited to have him as quarterback for the next two years.”
Junior Stephen Roth (5’9, 180) returns as a starter in the backfield to lead the Jackets. Sophomore fullback Joel Clendenin (5’9, 205) will start this season after seeing some time last year as a freshman. Senior Tyler Brockhouse (5’9, 160) and sophomore Lane Gibbs (5’8, 170) will split time at the tailback position.
“Joel is a very special back with a good mix of size and power,” said Lee. “Roth understands the offense and has the most experience of any of our runners. All of our backs are hard runners  and very disciplined. They really push the envelope physically. Our running attack should have more power this year compared to last season.”
 Junior Boyd Miles (6’1, 190) is expected to start at tight end, while sophomore Brad Asselmeier and senior Zach Murdach will see time as split ends.
“We are not the type of offense that throws the football 20 to 30 times a game, so our receivers have to be able to block well,” said Lee. “These guys don’t mind physical contact, and we are confident that they can catch the ball when the time comes.”
The Chester offensive line will feature two returning starters in senior Tyler Chandler (6’1, 180) at guard and senior Brad Bindel (6’1, 280) at tackle. Senior Jordan Wetzel  ( 5’9, 155) moves from the center position, where he started at last season, to the other guard spot. Junior Casey Venable (6’, 180) will start at center, while junior Zane Wallace (5’9, 175) moves from the fullback spot the offensive line. Senior Donovan Richardson (5’9, 265) and junior Jacob Fogle (6’2, 315) are also expected to see time on the offensive line.
“We have a good mix of young and experienced players on the offensive line,” said Lee. “We also have a good mix of size and speed. We will rotate a lot of players in and out to keep our team fresh.”
On the defensive line, the three-man rotation of Miles, Chandler and Venable will man the defensive end positions. At defensive tackle, junior Tyler Reid and Wallace will start, while Richardson will also see a lot of time.
“Our defensive line isn’t real big, but they are quick and strong,” said Lee.
Clendenin will start at middle linebacker with Gibbs at the weak side and Roth returning to man the strong side. Wetzel will also see time at linebacker.
“Our linebackers have good speed and good strength,” added Lee. “They are hard-nosed kids that aren’t afraid to tackle.”
 In the defensive secondary, junior Austen Barnhardt (5’9, 150) and Brockhouse will start as cornerbacks, with senior Michael Meyer (5’7, 150) seeing some time as well. Junior Caleb Arbeiter (5’11, 145) will be the team’s starting safety.
“This is probably the best cover group I have had since coming to Chester,” said Lee. “They are all good athletes with decent speed.”
Sophomore Austin Redeker (6’, 190) will handle the team’s kicking duties, while Arbeiter will be the punter.
Chester finished second in the Black Diamond Conference last year with just one loss. This year, the Yellow Jackets hope for another successful trip through the 10-team superconference.
“I think there will be a lot of parity this year in the Black Diamond,” said Lee. “Any team can win on a given night. Each team has some firepower back this year. There are no cupcakes on the schedule.”
Chester hosts Vienna Friday night to open up the season.
“Vienna has a great coach in Mike Rude, but it is still a very young program,” said Lee. “They will be well coached, and they have good size. They will run the same offense as we will this year, the wing T. They will look to load up to stop our run. We have to keep them honest and be able to pass the ball when it is needed.”