Both Effingham and Breese Mater Dei kept their playoff hopes alive last week with lopsided victories. The Hearts blasted Lincoln 47-0 and the Knights easily rolled over Granite City 59-0.

Mater Dei also has wins over Breese Central (27-14), Alton Marquette (51-0) and DuQuoin (27-19). Their three defeats have been to Waterloo (13-2), Belleville Althoff (13-7) and Quincy Notre Dame (35-14).

“They’re in the same position we are; the same position a lot of teams are,” Hefner said. “There are a lot of teams playing for the same thing this week – that fifth win. That’s what makes our sport different. You have to earn that trip to the postseason.”

The Hearts will face a team with similar looks on both sides of the ball.

“Offensively, they want to be physical and they want to run the ball,” the EHS coach noted. “They lost most of their ultra-talented skill kids last year to graduation, but they are still big and physical up front. They are very well coached. They’re just inexperienced in the skill positions.”

The Knights average 266 yards on offense. They rush for 178 and pass for 88 more. Senior running back Drake Rensing averages 108 yards per game. He’s carried the ball 106 times for 759 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Mater Dei has been alternating two QBs – sophomore Chase Jansen and junior Trenton Zeeb. Jansen has thrown for 298 yards with four TDs and five interceptions. Zeeb has thrown for 280 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Both are completing just a little over 50 percent of their attempts. Zeeb is more of a runner, having gained 303 yards on the ground.

The Hearts come in averaging 307 yards per game on offense. They average 208 on the ground and 99 through the air. Sophomore Weldon Dunston has run for 488 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s coming off a 200-yard, four-TD performance at Lincoln. Senior Evan Waymoth has run for 333 yards and six touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Tanner Pontious is proving to be a true dual threat. He has completed 59 percent of his passes, going 60-for-102 for 697 yards. He has eight TDs and only two interceptions. He has also run for 330 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground.

“We’re going to have to defend the fun first, try to force them into third and long situations and then get off the field,” Hefner explained.

Defensively, the Knights run an even front.

“Their scheme hasn’t changed,” Hefner said. “They’ll have seven people hunkered in the box and make you make plays by throwing the football. They’ve got big, strong kids up front that are hard to move.

“These two teams are more similar than they are different,” Hefner added. “The two defenses could make it tough sledding for both offenses. I’m expecting a physical, hard-hitting game; as most of the games we’ve had with them have been.”

Even though the two teams are not in the same conference, they have played each other often and have developed a good rivalry.

“The first couple of years, they owned us pretty good,” Hefner said. “Since then, we’ve become more competitive and have had some excellent games. We both play the same way and we both play the game the right way. These are the kind of games you want to play at this stage of the season.”

It will also be Senior Night at Jack Klosterman Field. A special ceremony at 6:35 p.m. will recognize the 23 seniors on this year’s roster.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.