The Cherryvale Chargers opened the 2026 campaign with a 36-16 road win over Fredonia, giving head coach Harry Hester a victory to start the season.

 

Hester faced one of his former assistants in Lucus Lanning, who took over as the Yellowjackets’ head coach this year. Lanning is also a Cherryvale alumnus who played under Hester back when he was an assistant with the Chargers. 

 

Cherryvale opened with a 13-play scoring drive that ended in a touchdown, using a balanced attack as both teams finally got the chance to compete against someone other than themselves. Leading up to the matchup, Hester says there was a buzz around his team as they were eager to get out on the gridiron. 

 

The win moves Hester to 1-0 on the season and ties him with the most coaching wins in Cherryvale history at 76. Hester will look to break that mark next week when the Chargers host Neodesha.