Football

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Hey Effingham football fans!

Are you ready for some more football?

Some more playoff football?

I sure hope so. This Hearts team is fun to watch.

They will be back in action at 3 p.m. Saturday against Benton.

And you won’t have to drive far to see them play. For the second week in a row, Effingham will be at home. So I’m hoping the stands will be filled at Jack Klosterman Field.

What can we expect from Benton? Honestly, I’m not sure. Like the Hearts, the Rangers will bring a 9-1 record, plus a stingy defense into the second round of the Class 4A Playoffs.

They have four shutouts to their credit and allowed just one score in four other games. The Rangers have allowed only 83 points the entire season and 41 of those came in a 41-0 blowout loss to Murphysboro, a fellow member of the Southern Illinois River-To-River Conference who will also be playing in the second round of the 4A playoffs.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

When a football team has a 200-yard rusher, it normally wins.

When a football team forces eight turnovers, including four interceptions by one player, it normally wins.

When a football team scores six touchdowns in the first half, it normally wins.

When a football team does all of those things in the same game?

Wow!

It doesn’t just win. It normally wins big.

Such was the case Saturday afternoon when the Effingham Flaming Hearts opened their postseason in dominating fashion, putting a 55-13 thrashing on Breese Central in an opening-round game of the Class 4A Playoffs at Jack Klosterman Field.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

What makes a football team successful?

A good coach? Absolutely.

Talented players? A must.

Speed, strength, determination, effort? Definitely.

Oh, and we can’t forget YOGA class.

What?

YOGA?

That’s right. YOGA!

It’s something most NFL teams and many college programs are already using.

And now you can add Effingham High School to that list.

“Every coach is looking for that next thing that will help their program,” EHS football coach Brett Hefner explained. “I have a couple good friends that coach at the college level and they say it’s becoming a big thing and that they’re seeing benefits. It’s just another way to try to keep kids healthy.”

The junior and senior members of the Hearts football team attend YOGA class every Monday morning from 6:30 to 7:30 and have been since the first game of the season. The class is led by Kaycie Metzelaars, with Barefoot Freedom YOGA. She has practiced YOGA for 10 years and has been teaching it professionally the past six.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

And now the postseason begins.

It’s every team’s goal before the season actually kicks off.

It’s what makes all the training, weight-lifting, film sessions and two-a-day practices worthwhile.

For Effingham, the postseason is becoming an annual event. This marks the third consecutive year the Hearts have parlayed their regular season success into playoff appearances.

And they will be looking for a third straight opening-round victory Saturday when they play host to Breese Central at Jack Klosterman Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

“Making the playoffs is always one of our season goals,” said EHS coach Brett Hefner. “And being able to play at home is a big advantage. We can stay in our normal routine. We don’t have to pack everything up and take a long bus ride. There’s a real comfort factor.

“And don’t forget that a number of these kids played a huge part in last year’s run,” Hefner added. “This won’t be new to them. That’s an additional benefit.”

Effingham, who finished the regular season with an 8-1 record and is seeded No. 3 in the Class 4A South Bracket, will welcome a Breese Central squad that had to win its final two games to get to 5-4 and qualify for a playoff berth. They accomplished that by beating Trenton Wesclin 43-6 and ending the regular season with a 25-21 win over Herrin. They are the No. 14 seed.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Have you heard that old saying – “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched?”

I think we might want to remember that as we approach the opening of the Class 4A football playoffs.

After the IHSA announced the pairings for the playoffs Saturday night, it was crystal clear that the quest for the 4A title is wide open. Virtually every coach in the 32-team field had to be smiling and thinking “we’ve got a shot.”

Especially since teams like Mt. Zion and Rochester, two of the top-ranked teams in the Class 4A poll throughout the season, got bumped up into Class 5A.

But there’s another old adage – “Take it one game at a time.”

And I think we need to concentrate on exactly that.

One game at a time.