By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Friday night’s regular-season finale will match two teams with identical records and similar schedules.

Both Effingham and Highland sport 4-4 records and are completing what has been a brutal schedule.

The Hearts have played three schools – Decatur St. Teresa, Mahomet-Seymour and Breese Mater Dei – that are still undefeated and at least five opponents that will make the playoffs.

The Bulldogs have also faced talented football squads throughout the 2021 fall campaign. They, too, have already played at least five opponents that will earn spots in the post-season.

Highland started the season 0-3 after losses to Washington (30-20), Edwardsville (41-33) and Marion (48-28). The Bulldogs other loss was a 31-26 setback to Troy Triad. They had a great chance to win that game. But after driving to the one-yard line, they failed to score on the game’s final play.

The Class 5A school has defeated Jerseyville (54-12), Bethalto Civic Memorial (34-14) and Waterloo (48-14). Last week, the Bulldogs knocked off previously undefeated Mascoutah (29-27).

“Like us, they have played a very difficult schedule, although they play bigger schools,” EHS coach Brett Hefner said. “And like us, because we’ve both won a lot in the past, other schools won’t play you.”

Highland has had a strong program for years. The Bulldogs have earned playoff berths 21 times, including the last seven years in a row.

They will enter Friday night’s game averaging 34 points per game on offense, while allowing 27 points. They are a junior-dominated team with just one senior starter on offense and four or five on defense.

“Offensively, they will be similar to Breese Mater Dei, although Highland is a little more run-oriented,” Hefner noted. “Their quarterback is a junior, but has started since he was a freshman. They also have a good running back and a good receiver, plus they’re big up front.”

The quarterback is Brent Wuebbels, while Travis Porter is the top running back and Cade Altadonna is the main receiver. Each of those are juniors.

“Defensively, they are always sound fundamentally,” Hefner added. “They will load the box, play man-to-man in the secondary and make you beat them that way. They’re just a really good team.”

Win or lose, both teams have a good chance to reach the playoffs this year. The winner will finish with a 5-4 mark and is certainly a lock for the postseason.

And for the first time, teams with 4-5 records might qualify due to the number of schools that have either not played at all or had to forfeit games due to COVID.

Teams qualify for the playoffs based on a point system. Those points are accumulated from the number of wins their opponents have. Since both Effingham and Highland have played teams that have won a large number of games, their playoff point totals are high.

“Right now, there are only four teams in the state in the four-win category that have more playoff points than we do,” Hefner said. “With Highland’s schedule, they also have a lot of points. We’ll just have to see how everything plays out.”

Friday night will be Senior Night at Jack Klosterman Field. The Hearts will recognize their nine seniors – Noah Jones, Keegan Baker, Max Nelson, Damon Kalber, Edgar Castillo, Dalton Fox, Cohen Woods, Chase Kiefer and Emma Kessler.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.