And they needed them to offset the offensive explosion by Taylorville’s Jase Bergschneider. The Tornadoes all-time leading scorer erupted for 20 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter to keep Taylorville within striking distance.

“He’s a load,” Farmer admitted. “We put two guys on him and we face-guarded him. But there was no stopping him. He’s a very good player. Thankfully, he’s a senior.”

Effingham’s Dylan Ritz and Wyatt Jones, along with Niebrugge – the three seniors on the Effingham squad – were all in the starting lineup. Ritz and Jones both scored four points in the opening quarter and Niebrugge played throughout and turned in a strong performance.

“Tate did a great job,” Farmer said. “Taylorville took Parker and Drew out of it, but Tate stepped up, which was nice for him on Senior Night. We know he’s capable and since he’s built his confidence, he has become a more deadly shooter.

“All three of our seniors have played great roles for our team,” Farmer added. “Tate has been our extra scorer. He makes really smart decisions and is always there for us.

“Dylan does everything that doesn’t show up in the scorebook. He gives incredible effort, is a very good defender and he crashes the boards. Wyatt has played limited minutes, but he works really hard. He has been great in helping us prepare for games in practice.

“All three are really good kids,” Farmer noted. “They work hard and have become good leaders. They are going to be missed.”

The Hearts finished with a balanced scoring attack, placing four players in double figures. Nate Thompson led the way with 19 points, while Wolfe finished with 18, Niebrugge 17 and Drew Thompson added 10.

Effingham finished the Apollo Conference with a 7-5 record and improved to 18-12 overall.

The Hearts will now host the Effingham Class 3A Regional and be joined by Centralia, Carbondale and Olney. EHS, the No. 5 seed, will face Centralia, the No. 3 seed, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

According to Max Preps, the Orphans will enter the game with a 22-8 record, having lost to Carbondale Friday night.

“I think we’re right there with them,” Farmer said. “I expect a really, really fast game, especially with the way we play and how quick Centralia is. They will play a tough, tight defense, plus we have to be ready for their Princeton-type offense. They will make a lot of cuts to the basket – back-door cuts – and shoot a lot of 3-pointers.

“But the home court advantage could help us out a bunch,” Farmer added. “We won’t have to travel and can play right in our own home. You can’t take that for granted.”

Carbondale, the No. 2 seed in the regional complex, and Olney will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday and the regional championship is set for 7 p.m. Friday at EHS.