Taylorville has proven capable of moving the ball both on the ground and through the air. The Tornadoes average 309 yards offensively – 131 rushing; 178 passing. They are led by senior quarterback, Baron Odam. He has thrown for 873 yards, completing 59-of-104 passes. He has nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Odam is also the team’s leading rusher, gaining 353 yards on 69 carries, with four TDs. Junior Owen Mateer has added 208 more yards to the ground game on 57 carries. Senior Clark Durbin and junior Malique Pearse are Odam’s favorite targets. They have caught 25 and 22 passes for 452 and 266 yards, respectively.

“They make you defend everything,” Hefner noted. “Their tailback and quarterback can both run it, plus they make you defend throwing the football. They will do a little bit of everything. It’s a lot to prepare for.”

Defensively, the Hearts are still “a work in progress.” They started the season in a 4-3 scheme, but after giving up over 600 yards through the air in two games, converted to a 3-4. The last two weeks, however, EHS has now allowed 509 on the ground. So, Taylorville may see a mix of defenses.

“I don’t like how many yards we’ve given up the last two weeks,” Hefner admitted. “We’re still giving up too much in the run game. We have got to find a way to slow down the running game. But the last two weeks, we haven’t been able to do that.”

Through five games, Effingham’s defensive unit is allowing 334 yards and 27.2 points per game. Teams have gained 674 yards through the air and 994 on the ground.

The Taylorville defense has been stingy, especially defending the pass. The Tornadoes have allowed just 369 yards – an average of only 74 per game – and two touchdowns, while also intercepting a pair of passes. On the ground, opponents are averaging 224 yards, including two games THS allowed 306 and 383 rushing yards.

“They’re very unconventional on defense,” Hefner said. “Coach (Jeb) Odom does a very good job preparing his team to playing schematically, regardless of who the opponent is. They change their looks by game and even by series. You have to figure it out, and until you get through the first few series, you won’t know.

“They don’t give up deep pass plays,” the EHS coach added. “That’s why they gave Mt. Zion fits. They’re very good tacklers and make you have 8 to 10-play drives. Their whole goal is to not give up big plays.”

The Hearts are averaging 36.4 points a game and have established themselves as a running team. They average 272 yards a game on the ground, led by workhorse Weldon Dunston IV. The senior tailback has amassed 1,157 yards – an average of 231 per game – and scored 19 touchdowns. He already has games of 242, 287 and 259.

The EHS passing attack has been effective at times, but has certainly not put up big numbers. The dual QBs – juniors Jaxon Bridges and Max Buzzard – have combined to throw for 427 yards. Bridges has the done the bulk of the passing, completing 27-of-43 attempts for 345 yards. Both Bridges and Buzzard have thrown a TD pass, but neither quarterback has thrown an interception.

“We need to be able to move the ball and control the clock on offense,” Hefner said. “And we need to find a way to slow down their running game. This is a big game for both teams. Playing at Taylorville is always tough.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.