Effingham gained just 154 total yards in the game and didn’t really mount a serious threat to score. Senior back John Westendorf ran for 59 of those yards – all in the first half – before going to down with a knee injury. The extent of his injury is still not known. He will not be available for Friday night’s game.

“We did a few good things on offense last week and I believe we’ll get better,” Hefner explained. “But at the end of the day, if a team puts seven men in the box and we can’t run the ball, we won’t beat anybody. I challenged our guys up front to play as tough and physical as our defensive line played last week.

“We just weren’t very good offensively, but they are fixable things,” Hefner added. “We can’t have sacks or dropped passes or penalties. If we do, we’re going to have trouble overcoming those things.”

Sophomore running back Weldon Dunston will replace Westendorf. He carried the ball 10 times and ran for 31 yards against St. Teresa. Hefner said junior Spencer Fox will serve as Dunston’s backup this week.

The Bulldogs also present a challenge on defense. They will line up in various sets along the front and then play a pressing man-to-man in the secondary.

“You never know with them,” Hefner said. “They line up differently every snap. They bring a ton of pressure from different spots.”

Mahomet-Seymour limited Morton to 223 yards, with 187 of those coming on the ground. They had two quarterback sacks and recovered two fumbles.

The Hearts defense also turned in a strong effort in the opener. The Bulldogs gained 300 yards, but nothing came easy. One of the touchdowns came on an interception return, one on a fourth down pass in the corner of the endzone and the other on two long back-to-back pass plays, covering a total of 85 yards in the opening 34 seconds of the third quarter.

“I thought we had good effort, were physical and we tackled well,” Hefner said. “It looked like some of our defenses of the past. As a unit, they played very well and I was pleased.”

For EHS to have success this week, the offense is going to have to move the football – both on the ground and through the air. Senior quarterback Tanner Pontious competed 10-of-19 passes, but for just 55 yards. And the rushing attack netted 99.

“The keys to our game this week are pretty simple,” Hefner noted. “Defensively, we have to keep them in front of us, get after their quarterback, make them drive the ball and not allow big plays.

“Offensively, we have to put drives together and keep the ball out of their hands,” Hefner added. “There won’t be a lot of margin for error. We’ve got to hang onto the football, protect the quarterback and not commit penalties. And I think we’re capable of doing that.”

So, the stage is set for the Apollo Conference opener for both teams. Kickoff in Mahomet is slated for 7:30 p.m.