Sometimes statistics can be misleading. But not this time.
The Hearts ran 68 offensive plays; Mt. Zion 33. EHS had 25 first downs; Mt. Zion 9. Effingham had two running backs over 100 yards; Mt. Zion’s leading rusher had 25.
And time of possession? The Hearts were in control for 36 minutes and 43 seconds; Mt. Zion 11 minutes and 17 seconds.
That is the definition of ball control.
“We hadn’t played in two weeks, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Hefner noted. “I hoped we could control the line of scrimmage.”
He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Effingham’s first drive of the game set the tone.
Taking over at their own 31, the Hearts proceeded to put together the first of five long scoring drives. The one difference in this drive, however, was the passing game. Quarterback Nate Thompson connected twice with Tristin Duncan for gains of 22 and 13 yards and also found tight end Austin Herboth for a clutch 7-yard completion on third down to keep the drive alive.
Then on the 12th play of the possession, the Thompson-to-Duncan combination struck again -- although it required a bit of a juggling act. Duncan juggled the ball three times in the air before securing it and tumbling into the end zone for the score.
That drive took 6:18 off the clock and put the Hearts on top, 7-0.
It took the Braves just one play to tie it up. On the first snap following the kickoff, Mt. Zion quarterback Ashton Summers found speedy receiver Christian Keyeha behind the EHS secondary. It was a 64-yard, 10-second strike that knotted the game at 7-7.
“You saw on that one play just how potent they are,” Hefner said. “They are always one play away from scoring, whether they have the ball at the 50 or on the 2. They have a lot of skill guys that are dangerous.
“But we always tell out kids to just keep playing and to be the toughest team on the field,” Hefner added. “Tonight, you saw the definition of toughness.”
Just about the only mistake the Hearts made came on their next possession. Thompson threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Mt. Zion’s Frank Tyrolt and returned 49 yards for the score, giving the Braves their only lead of the contest, 14-7, with just four seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
And it also put Effingham in more possible trouble than anyone realized. Thompson injured his hand by hitting a helmet during his follow-through. He had difficulties at times just gripping the ball, much less throwing it. In fact, he only threw three more passes the rest of the game – but all three were completions.
It was at that point, the EHS running game took control.
Starting at their own 20, the Hearts ran the ball on nine straight plays. Chase Woomer carried the first two and gained 17 yards. Donsbach then came in and ran it five straight times. He had two runs of 14 yards and another of 10, advancing the ball near the goal line. Woomer then returned to cover the final two yards for the score. The extra point missed, but Effingham was within 14-13.
Possibly the most important possession of the game came after an onside kick attempt failed, giving Mt. Zion the ball at the Effingham 48.
But the EHS defense stepped up in a big way. A running play gained nothing, followed by an incomplete pass and then a quarterback sack by Shawn Cochran that forced the Braves to punt.
“Knowing how quickly they can strike is the reason I called the onside kick,” Hefner noted. “But our defense really came through. That was a huge possession.”
A short punt gave the Hearts the ball at midfield and that punishing ground attack was at it again. This time, eight of the nine plays were on the ground. A 12-yard run by Keegan Baker on third down was a key play that kept the drive alive. On the ninth play, Jacob Stoneburner covered the final yard for the score, putting EHS on top for good, 20-14.
Mt. Zion did reach the Hearts 25 near the end of the half, but a field goal attempt was blocked by Cochran, sending the home team to the locker room with the six-point lead at intermission.
“Talk about toughness and resiliency,” Hefner said. “Our quarterback probably played most of the game with a broken hand and our safety was out, too. Plus, everything these kids have been through. They had to wait 16 or 17 months just to play again. And now they were playing a meaningful game with some key injuries to deal with. This just speaks volumes about these kids.”
And that toughness was even more prevalent in the second half – beginning with their opening drive.
Starting at their own 20, it was a steady diet of Woomer and Donsbach. But sore hand and all, Thompson completed two key passes. One was a nine-yard to Holden Lewis and the other was a short toss to Woomer out of the backfield that resulted in a 15-yard gain on third down.
The 14-play drive – that took 8:04 off the clock, was capped when Donsbach raced in from four yards out to increase the lead to 27-14.
The Braves tried to strike quick again. Keyeha hauled in a 32-yard reception and tight end Reagan Mason had a catch for eight yards. The drive reached the EHS eight-yard line, but three straight incompletions ended that possession.
And led to Effingham’s most impressive possession of the contest.
The Hearts took over at their own 8 with 11:52 left in the game. They ran the ball on 17 straight plays and kept control for almost 10 full minutes. Woomer carried it four times, then Donsbach had seven straight carries, then Woomer five more. And on the 17th play, it was “Stonie” again that found the end zone from two yards out to put EHS in total control, 34-14, and just 1:56 left in the game.
“We just put that dive play in this week,” Hefner noted. “We were hopeful of being in a position to give him the ball. We really wanted Stonie to score a touchdown.”
Mt. Zion did put up one final score – a 29-yard pass play to Mason – but it came with only 20 seconds left in the contest.
Summers ended up completing 10-of-24 attempts for 204 yards. The Braves rushed for just 21 yards. Mason had 7 catches for 100 yards and Keyeha had just 2 catches, but they covered 96 yards. Mt. Zion finished with 225 total yards.
The Hearts amassed 349 yards, with 259 of those coming on the ground. Woomer carried the ball 33 times for 147 yards and Donsbach ran another 19 times for 105. Thompson finished 9-of-11 for 90 yards.
“Our depth really showed tonight,” Hefner said. “They (Mt. Zion) have several guys that play both ways. Our physicality just wore them down. I thought that drive to start the third quarter really showed our toughness and put us in control, although with the way that team can score, you never feel safe with a lead.”
The Hearts are now 4-0, while Mt. Zion drops to 3-1 in the Apollo Conference. Effingham will be the heavy favorite when it finishes its season at Lincoln next week. The Railsplitter are winless on the season.
“We want to finish our season the right way,” Hefner said. “We’ll be ready to play.”
Hefner also wanted to talk about his seniors, who celebrated Senior Night and their final time to play at Jack Klosterman Field in grand style.
“These seniors are such a tight-knit group and always have been,” Hefner said. “From a perseverance standpoint, they’ve been part of some big wins for this program. Some have played since sophomores, some as juniors and some are playing for the first time this year.
“I can’t say enough about them,” Hefner added. “As good as they are at playing football, they’re even better kids. They’re great kids.”
(On a side note: Possibly the best part of the entire night came during that huddle after the game. Standing just behind the team, resting on his crutches, was Jacob Briggerman. Instead of playing the season and then celebrating the conference championship, this strong young man has been taking chemo treatments and battling cancer. But he’s been there supporting his team the best he could all season. To show just how much he means to them, his teammates gave Jacob the “game ball.” That was a special moment!)
