After being more pass-oriented the past few years, Mattoon has featured a more balanced attack thus far. The Green Wave are averaging 332 yards per game – 178 through the air and 154 on the ground.

Senior quarterback Slater Trier has thrown for 483 yards. He has completed 36-of-70 attempts with four touchdowns and two interceptions. His leading receivers are Jake Butler, with 7 catches for 162 yards and three TDs, including an 80-yard scoring strike; and Cale Kimbro, who has 9 catches for 96 yards. On the ground, junior running back Trysten Sewell has been the workhorse, carrying the ball 29 times for 283 yards.

“Offensively, they are much improved from last year,” Hefner said. “They have good skill players. Their quarterback is a returning starter, plus they’ve got a good running back and they have size up front. They’ve also made a concerted effort to be more balanced this year.”

Defensively, Mattoon’s schemes are similar to the Hearts.

“They play with good technique and play hard,” Hefner noted. “And their middle linebacker (Kimbro) is a heckuva player.”

The Hearts hope to bounce back from their poor performance last week. Mater Dei scored on its first three possessions and was never seriously threatened. The Knights racked up 302 total yards, with 259 of those coming through the air. The Hearts managed just 223 yards and 48 of those came on one scoring play, a long scoring pass from Gaige Gillum to Andrew Lotz.

On the season, running back Weldon Dunston is averaging 118 yards a game on the ground, rushing for 355 yards on 67 carries. He has also scored four touchdowns. Gillum is completing 40.6 percent of his passes, connecting on 26-of-64 attempts for 363 yards. He has thrown four TDs and one interception. Lotz has been his favorite target, hooking up 11 times with his senior receiver for 229 yards and three scores.

The Hearts must cut down on their penalties. Through three games, they have been flagged 25 times for 194 yards.

“My biggest concern Friday night is seeing us return to playing football the way our program plays,” Hefner said. “I’m more concerned about that than anything Mattoon does. If we do, we’ll be okay.”

Kickoff in Mattoon is scheduled for 7 p.m.