3 Lemont Football Players Commit to College Ball

Three Lemont High School football players will continue their careers next fall by playing for institutions in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), one of the top NCAA Division III football conferences in the country. Tight end Ethan Chester will play at Carthage College; linebacker Drew Hayes will play at North Central College; and offensive tackle Connor Melvin will play at Illinois Wesleyan University. Teammate Joe Bailey committed to Saint Xavier University earlier this winter.

Playing in head coach Eric Michaelsen’s program, Melvin earned three varsity letters, while Chester and Hayes each lettered twice. Over their final two seasons, Lemont posted a 14-8 record, won one South Suburban Conference-Blue Division title, and advanced as far as the IHSA Class 6A State Semifinals.

A reserve lineman as a sophomore, Melvin (6-foot-3, 260 pounds) served as a starter at offensive tackle for two seasons. Over that time, Lemont averaged 30.5 points and 334 yards per game. A two-year starter himself, Hayes (6-feet, 210 pounds) totaled 177 tackles (118 solo) in his career—including 11 tackles-for-loss - while adding two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Chester (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) averaged 19.2 yards per catch on 10 receptions over two seasons.

Hayes and Melvin each earned All-SSC Blue honors as seniors in 2013. Hayes paced the squad in three defensive categories, including solo tackles (68), total tackles (97) and tackles-for-loss (9). He also added one sack and one fumble recovery. With Melvin anchoring the offensive line, the Indians averaged 24.2 points and 308.7 yards per game. Chester finished fourth on the team in both receptions (7) and yards receiving (84) while averaging 12.0 yards per catch. Fielding a young squad, Lemont finished 3-6 in 2013.

Chester, Hayes and Melvin all played important roles as juniors in 2012, as Lemont ended just short of advancing the IHSA Class 6A State Championship game. Melvin helped lay the foundation for an explosive offense that racked up more than 4,500 yards and averaged 34.8 points per game. The Indians scored 40 or more points seven times, and averaged more than 230 yards per game on the ground. In his first full varsity season, Hayes was second on the team in both total tackles (79) and solo tackles (49). He forced two fumbles and added a sack and an interception, as the Indians yielded just 9.8 points per game and shut out six foes. In his varsity debut, Chester made three catches for 108 yards, which included a 59-yard touchdown catch in a victory at Eisenhower. Lemont went 11-2 in 2012 and shared the SSC Blue title with a 5-1 league record. The Indians advanced to the IHSA Class 6A State Semifinals for the second time in as many years.

Melvin lettered as a sophomore in 2011 when the Indians went 12-1 and were an IHSA Class 6A State Semifinalist.

Chester also was a two-year letterman for head coach Rick Runaas on the basketball court, and averaged 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a senior. He will play for head coach Mike Yeager at Carthage, which is located in Kenosha, Wis. Yeager completed his first full season as head coach last fall, when the Red Men went 1-9 and placed three players on the All-CCIW team.

A high honor roll student, Hayes will play for head coach John Thorne at North Central, a perennial NCAA Division III power located in Naperville, Ill. Thorne has guided the Cardinals to 110 wins over 12 seasons, and his squads have won eight straight CCIW crowns. Last season, North Central went 13-1, setting a school season record for wins while reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in school history. Former Lemont standout Mike Luciano ‘13 was a freshman last fall for the Cardinals.

Also a high honor roll student, Melvin will suit up for longtime head coach Norm Eash at Illinois Wesleyan, which is located in Bloomington, Ill. Eash has earned five CCIW ‘Coach of the Year’ accolades over his 27-year tenure, and with 173 wins, ranks among NCAA Division III’s all-time winningest coaches. Last year, Illinois Wesleyan finished with a 9-2 record, was the runner-up to North Central in the league standings, and appeared in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

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