Strong defense, Hayes’ three TDs power Charleston to 35-14 win in Coles County Clash

Story by Joe Gisondi • Video/photos by Chet Piotrowski,
Dominic Baima, Pilar Barrio Sanchez

Jeremiah Hayes scored three times and compiled more than 250 yards rushing and receiving to help Charleston capture the Coles County Clash title for the second time in three years.

Hayes rushed for 177 yards, caught three passes for 81 more yards while the Trojans defense played tenaciously to defeat Mattoon 35-14 in a wild, exciting game before an estimated crowd of 5,000 at EIU’s O’Brien Stadium on Friday night.

“Our players made plays,” said Charleston junior quarterback Brett Spour. “It’s as simple as that.”

“We brought a lot of energy tonight,” said Charleston DB/WR Chet Shader.

Hayes broke open a close game about a minute into the second half when he took a short pass from Spour, cut through a few defenders and raced 66 yards down the right sideline to make it 28-14.

Hayes ran up the middle for two yards about three minutes into the fourth quarter to cap the scoring at 35-14.

Hayes credited his offensive line and advice given to him by assistant coach Keith Uperesa. “I was patient to the line,” he said, “and fast through.”

Hayes had run 66 yards to put CHS ahead 13-2 with two minutes left in the first quarter. On the play, the senior had paused after taking a step when he noticed several MHS defenders had clogged the middle rushing lanes, so he cut left, found a hole and exploded downfield for the score.

Charleston’s defense, meanwhile, made several key stops during the game, relying on both big plays, turnovers and clogging the lanes.

Ben Coffey had hit quarterback Cole Kimbro after an errant snap on fourth-and-7 on Charleston’s 32-yard line midway through the first half. Two other defenders subsequently raced in to wrap up the MHS sophomore.

Langdon King intercepted a pass at the goal line on fourth down to halt another drive in the second quarter.

Plus, CHS had stopped the Green Wave on a fourth-and-5 early in the third quarter at the Trojans’ 33-yard line, a group of defenders halting a run at the line of scrimmage.

After turning over the ball on its own 37, CHS held yet another time. Mattoon could manage only 12 yards before failing to convert a fourth-and-8 at the 23-yard line.

“We all worked as team,” said junior defensive back Chet Shrader. “Seemed like every time we stopped them on first down, we ended every drive.”

Still, Mattoon found its spots, relying on its own defensive pressure to score early.

The Green Wave moved 63 yards on eight plays during a drive in which they controlled the scrimmage. Kimbro ran 11 yards on a keeper, Arnold carried a few defenders on a 16-yard run to the 2-yard line and Kimbro ran in the final few yards behind a wall of linemen to make it 13-8. The two-point conversion failed.

The Green Wave recovered a fumble off a missed snap early in the second half, Kaden Junge jumping on the ball at CHS’s 30-yard line. Two plays later, Arnold bounced off a few defenders on a 26-yard run down the left side for the score to give MHS its only lead of the game, 14-13, with 9:10 left in the half.

The Green Wave had also blocked a 23-yard field goal attempt on CHS’s ensuing posession.

Grace rushed for 82 total yards on 13 carries while Arnold had 75 on nine carries.

	1	2	3	4	F
Mattoon	2	12	0	0	14
Charleston	13	8	7	7	35

SCORING PLAYS

QTR	TIME	SCHOOL	PLAY	MHS	CHS
1	9:31	CHARLESTON	Spour 11 run	0	7
1	7:49	MATTOON	Safety	2	7
1	2:01	CHARLESTON	Hayes 66 run	2	13
2	10:29	MATTOON	Kimbro 2 run	8	13
2	9:10	MATTOON	Arnold 26 pass from Kimbro	14	13
2	0:48	CHARLESTON	King 5 pass from Spour	14	21
3	10:19	CHARLESTON	Hayes 66 pass from Spour	14	28
4	9:09	CHARLESTON	Hayes 2 run	14	35

TEAM STATS

MATTOON	STAT	CHARLESTON
267	Total Yds	420
182	Rush Yds	185
85	Pass Yds	235
13	1st downs	16
22	Passes	17
8	Completions	11
36%	Completion %	65%
1	Turnovers	3
4.2	Yds Per Play	8.1
63	Off Plays	52
7-51	Penalties	7-53
3	3rd down conv	2

MATTOON INDIVIDUAL STATS

PASSING – Cale Kimbro 8-for-22, 85 yards, 1 INT.

RUSHING – Taerick Grace 13-82, Deaiden Arnold 9-75, Cale Kimbro 18-21, Trysten Sewell 1-4.

RECEIVING – Owen Hawkins 3-44, Slater Trier 3-38, Deaiden Arnold 1-3, Trysten Sewell 1-0.

CHARLESTON INDIVIDUAL STATS

PASSING – Brett Spour 11-for-16, 231 yards, 2 TDs, Luke Bonnstetter 1-for-2, 2 yards.

RUSHING – Jeremiah Hayes 17-177, Brett Spour 11-34, Cody Bell 1-6, Langdon KLing 1-3, Aiden Archibald 3-1, Luke Bonstetter 3-(-4).

RECEIVING – Luke Nelson 4-83, Jeremiah Hayes 3-81, Luke Bonstetter 1-25, Chet Shrader 1-24, Jacob Roe 1-13, Aiden Archibald 1-2.