By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
The Effingham-Breese Mater Dei season-opening football game Friday night was stopped in the third quarter due to heavy rains and lightning.
The start of the contest was delayed almost an hour and then with 4:02 to play in the third period, lightning forced another stoppage. With the forecast showing more rain and lightning to continue, it was decided to halt the contest at 10:30 p.m.
The game will resume today (Saturday) at 1 p.m. with the host Knights on top, 28-17.
Look for the full game story Sunday.
The Hearts took a 7-0 lead after their first offensive series, but big plays by Mater Dei’s running back Zach Napovanice, quarterback Reed Braundmeier, tight end Ben Kassen and wide receiver Mitchell Haake helped the Knights regain the lead and control of the game.
When play resumes, they will have the ball at their own 15, facing a 2nd down and 15 situation.
Effingham got a four-yard touchdown run by Logan Brown at the 6:42 mark of the opening period after the EHS defense stopped Breese on a fourth down play from midfield.
Behind the running of Napovanice, who had 99 yards rushing in the opening half, the Knights closed to within 7-6 on their ensuing possession. A 25-yard field goal by Effingham’s Ivan Angel and a one-yard plunge by Braundmeir, put the hosts on top, 14-10, at intermission
The Knights found themselves in scoring position again early in the third quarter after recovering a Nate Shackelford fumble on the third play of the second half. It took just four plays to cover the 33 yards. A 20-yard reception by Kassen was followed by a 13-yard TD strike from Braundmeier to Haake to make it 20-10.
Effingham struck back quickly, marching 80 yards in four plays. Most of those yards were covered in two plays. Shackelford hooked up with Chase Woomer for a 31-yard play and then found Tristin Duncan behind the Mater Dei secondary for a 45-yard TD pass that trimmed the lead to 20-17.
But the Hearts’ defense simply wasn’t able to contain the Knights. On their next possession, it again took only four plays to cover 59 yards and, again, most of the yards were through the air. A 36-yard pass to Kassen moved the ball to the Effingham 15 and that was followed by a catch and run from Napovanice covering the final 15 yards. The senior back then caught a two-point conversion pass to make it 28-17.
Napovanice amassed 116 rushing yards before the contest was stopped. Kassen has four catches for 105 yards and Haake has hauled in two passes for 44 yards.
Effingham has moved the ball, but not as consistently. Shackelford has passed for 166 yards and Duncan has five receptions for 89 yards.
There is still plenty of time for the Hearts to come back. They will have to find a way to contain Napovanice, Kassen and Haake, however, to do so.
