That mindset has defined Herrin High School’s fast-rising Chess Team, a program barely two years old and already making a name for itself across the region. In a community known for its love of competition, these students are proving that strategy, patience, and intellect can command just as much excitement as a buzzer-beater.

The story began modestly when Mr. Evilsizer—then new to Herrin—started a small chess club. “Last year was our first tournament,” he recalls, “and we won it—first place in both the high-school and freshman divisions.” From that moment, Herrin’s quiet experiment turned into a determined movement. Within months, the club had evolved into a full-fledged competitive team, attracting students who saw in the game something both challenging and deeply personal.

Today, nearly twenty students participate between the club and team, meeting twice a week during advisory and after school. Nine will travel this season to face schools from Belleville to Mount Vernon, with the state series already in their sights. “We’re going to sectionals,” Evilsizer says without hesitation. “And we’re qualifying for state. No doubt.”

That kind of confidence doesn’t come from bravado—it comes from preparation. In competitive chess, every player gets fifty-five minutes per game with a five-second delay, meaning a single match can stretch nearly three hours. “It’s draining,” admits senior Skyler Croteau, who recently lost a match on time after more than an hour and a half of play. “I started taking it seriously about six months ago. Once you start learning the openings and the lines, it’s like a new world opens up.”

His teammate Austin Gilliam smiles knowingly; he’s earned a reputation for “thinking too long.” “I just try to see every possibility,” he says. “Sometimes I lose on time, but I’d rather lose thinking than rushing.” For Gilliam, chess is more than a pastime—it’s a model for life. “It’s about patience, planning, and learning from every mistake.”

Evilsizer nods at that sentiment. “That’s what I tell them—if you make a bad move, it’s over, you can’t change it. But you can learn from it, and you make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s chess, but it’s also life.”

Sophomore-minded or senior-seasoned, every player on the Herrin roster speaks of the same principles: adaptability, memory, composure, and the quiet joy of discovery. Senior Chris Banks, who plans to study aerospace engineering at Missouri S&T before serving in the Air Force, says the game’s real power is mental agility. “You have to adapt,” he says. “You can’t play the same opening every time because everyone’s different. When something goes wrong, you adjust—because that’s the only way to win.”

Evilsizer, a twenty-one-year veteran educator and Southern Illinois native from nearby Christopher, believes these lessons carry far beyond the chessboard. “It’s pattern recognition,” he explains. “When you’ve played enough, you start seeing what’s coming before it happens. That kind of awareness is useful in everything.”

He hopes to reinforce those lessons firsthand this spring with a team trip to the St. Louis Chess Club and Hall of Fame, the beating heart of America’s chess scene. “Last time I took a team there, we got a lesson with a grandmaster,” he says. “I’d love for our Herrin kids to experience that. They’ve earned it.”

Herrin’s chess players know they’re part of something larger than a board and sixty-four squares. They’re learning to think ahead, not just about the next move, but about life’s bigger game—the choices, the strategy, and the patience it takes to see things through.

“We’re not just playing chess,” says Croteau. “We’re representing Herrin—and showing that we can compete with anyone.”

If history is any guide, they’ll do more than compete. They’ll keep thinking moves ahead.