Luke Bonnstetter is prepared to play in his final Coles County Clash.
The senior quarterback is currently in his second year of being the Trojan starting signal caller.
Now, Bonnstetter is hoping to lead Charleston (3-2, 0-2) to three wins in a row against Mattoon in the 12th annual Coles County Clash this Friday at O’Brien Field.
“There’s a lot of memories and everything to go along with it,” Bonnstetter said. “So being the last one, [we] just got to go out there and leave everything out on the field.”
Conversely, sophomore wide receiver and defensive back Braxton Hanner is playing in his first Coles County Clash.
“I’m really excited,” Hanner said. “I mean, I’ve been watching it for as long as I can remember. It’s just the rivalry that makes me excited. I really can’t wait to play in it.”
The Trojans won in 2022 by a score of 35-14. Last year, Charleston won 50-21, marking the third time in the history of the Mattoon-Charleston rivalry that either team was able to score 50 or more points against each other.
But there’s more on the line in this game than just pride, bragging rights and a traveling trophy: qualification to the Illinois High School Association playoffs.
For Mattoon (1-4, 1-1), they’re in the same boat as they were in last week in trying to keep its playoff hopes on life support.
The Greenwave avoided elimination from the IHSA Playoffs last week with a 35-20 upset win against Mt. Zion. Backed by its homecoming crowd, Mattoon scored its most points in any game this season, and most points against any other team in the Apollo Conference since 2018, when Mattoon beat Lincoln 47-13.
Now, the Green Wave are hoping they can stay alive for another week.
Mattoon was the only team out of the Apollo Conference to miss the playoffs last season, and with its backs against the wall for a second straight week, the Greenwave are looking to avoid elimination at the hands of their archrival.
Mattoon head coach Jarad Kimbro says the Greenwave players are excited for the challenges that Charleston will bring.
“The clash is a great opportunity for us to play our biggest rival,” Kimbro said. “The players look forward to this game more than any game we play all year.”
Like last week, Charleston is facing an opponent with a strong running game. Mattoon will rely heavily on senior running back Trysten Sewell, who had 285 yards on 39 carries in the Greenwave’s win over Mt. Zion. Sewell scored all five of Mattoon’s touchdowns on the ground.
On the season, Sewell is second in the Apollo Conference with 755 yards. He has scored 10 of the 13 offensive touchdowns scored by Mattoon this season.
“We just got to load the box and try to force them to throw to beat us,” Charleston head coach Brian Halsey said. “The young man runs the ball well, they’re much improved in the offensive line and their record is not indicative of how good they are.”
Charleston is two wins away from being playoff eligible and three more wins would clinch a playoff spot for the Trojans. Charleston only has one more game scheduled against a team that currently has a winning record, Mt. Zion in week seven.
Including the clash, the Trojans will play their next three games in Charleston, with back-to-back games at Trojan Hill against Mt. Zion and Taylorville to follow.
Halsey says playing a complete game from start to finish and settling into the unique environment is a huge key for Charleston.
“We match up nice with this opponent,” Halsey said. “We’re not going to have weather conditions. We can’t let the festivities sidetrack us.”
The game will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at O’Brien Field. Tickets will be available for purchase at the stadium gate for $6.
Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at ghnewman@eiu.edu.
