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.

By Steve Raymond

Sports Report

How good will Effingham be?

At least nine high school football coaches are wondering that right now.

And after the last two years, they had better be prepared.

The 2017 Hearts were expected to be good and they delivered. They were led by Terrence Hill, a record-setting tailback, several all-conference performers and a host of talented players that led Effingham to a 9-2 record. They were undefeated Apollo Conference champions and reached the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

But 19 seniors graduated, leaving multiple lineup holes to fill and doubts concerning the 2018 squad. They were given virtually no chance for success. And after dropping their first two games, a winning season seemed daunting at best, much less the thought of any postseason appearance.

Then things fell into the place. The Hearts ran off nine straight victories before falling 42-35 to Kankakee McNamara in a simply fabulous game in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

 By Steve Raymond

News Report Staff

Ask Matthew Hites II about his flight to and from Australia and he’ll tell you candidly.

“It hated every minute being on a plane,” the recent Effingham High School grad said about his very first flight that was 17½ hours both ways. “I was on six different planes and I was relieved when those wheels touched down. But once I got there, it was all worth it.”

Matthew went to the “land down under” to play football. He was invited to join players from across the United States, plus Australia and New Zealand, to participate in the 31st annual Down Under Bowl, a program sponsored by Down Under Sports.

Matthew was there from June 30 to July 9 and described it as “a great experience.”

“We didn’t have to worry about a thing,” he noted. “They took care of everything – our transportation, team meals and hotel expenses. All we had to pay for was extra food or souvenirs. They treated us very well.”