It was an unusual game in Mattoon Friday night.

The Effingham Hearts led by 15 points, then trailed and ultimately came back to win the game.

A seldom-used junior came through with some big points.

And if EHS Coach Obie Farmer handed out a game ball, it just might have gone to a local doctor.

By the way, the Hearts posted a 69-58 Apollo Conference victory.

Effingham got off to a terrific start. Parker Wolfe knocked down a trio of 3-pointer and scored 11 points, while Drew Thompson hit a pair from long range and netted eight points. As a result, the Hearts led by as many as 15 points in the opening period.

Late in the quarter, Wolfe was injured after a drive to the basket and a hard fall on his tailbone. He didn’t return until the third period.

The Hearts led 24-13 after eight minutes, but the Green Wave started their comeback after that. They outscored EHS 13-7 in the second quarter and 22-18 in the third period to get within 49-48.

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The Effingham Lady Hearts saw their season come to a close Monday night after dropping a 53-49 decision to Mt. Vernon in an opening-round game of the Olney Class 3A Regional.

The Lady Hearts led 25-19 at halftime and were still on top 34-33 heading into the final eight minutes. But the Lady Rams outscored EHS 20-15 to pull out the win and advance to the regional championship, where they will face Olney Thursday night.

Annie Frost led EHS in scoring with 15 points, while Taylor Armstrong added 14. The Lady Hearts shot 35 percent overall, making 22-of-63 attempts. But they were just 2-for-20 from three-point range and 3-for-10 from the free throw line.

Effingham ends its season with a 12-19 record.

The Effingham Hearts made a strong comeback Tuesday night, but it fell short, as Mt. Vernon hung on to post a 69-63 victory at home.

“We started off slow,” EHS coach Obie Farmer said. “We took a lot of perimeter shots that didn’t fall and Mt. Vernon shot well. They capitalized on our quick possessions and missed attempts.”

As a result, the Hearts found themselves trailing 16-3 after the opening eight minutes. But they didn’t quit playing.

Drew Thompson knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the second period and EHS trimmed the margin to 10 points, 33-23, by intermission. Parker Wolfe then poured in 12 third-quarter points and the Hearts were within 52-43 heading to the fourth period.

With Wolfe and Drew Thompson both scoring nine more in the final quarter, the Hearts managed to tie the game in the final minute.

“But we made a few mistakes down the stretch that gave them the lead back,” Farmer noted.

Wolfe and Drew Thompson combined to score 51 of the team’s points, with Wolfe finishing with 28 and Thompson adding 23 more. Jackson Creel led the Rams with 19 points.

“We were down 17 on multiple occasions in the game and our guys never quit,” Farmer said. “Even when we have some adversity, we just keep playing, and many times, that tenacity works out in our favor.”

The Hearts, now 16-11, will return home Friday to face Mattoon in an Apollo Conference matchup.

Mt. Vernon also won the junior varsity game, 68-63 in overtime. The Hearts outscored the Rams 23-16 in the fourth quarter to force the extra period. Max Woelfer led EHS with 20 points, while Jeff Volpi scored 19 and Max Hardiek added 10.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

It was not the type of game Obie Farmer was expecting.

Considering Paxton-Buckley-Loda was 23-3 entering the contest and the Panthers liked to play a 1-2-2 zone, Farmer was expecting a challenging, close game throughout.

But the Hearts jumped out to an 8-0 lead and were never headed. They led by double digits at halftime and then rolled to a 63-38 victory in the fourth game Saturday at the Teutopolis Shootout.

“It was a surprising game to me,” Farmer admitted. “Looking at their record and some of their point totals, I thought it would be a tough game. I thought we could win, but I expected a close game to the end, especially with the way we’ve played against 1-2-2 this year. Playing Lincoln the night before did us a favor.”

Lincoln, one of the best Class 3A teams in the state and a squad that features a tenacious 1-2-2 zone defense, had held the Hearts to just 46 points the night before.

And even though EHS grabbed the early lead, it did struggle against PBL’s defense early, turning the ball over six times in the first eight minutes. After back-to-back turnovers late in the opening quarter, Farmer called a timeout and had plenty to say to his squad.

“I wasn’t happy. I was about to lose my mind,” the EHS coach said. “I told them to start playing the way they’re supposed to.”

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