By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Friday night’s game at Mt. Carmel should prove interesting.
First of all, the Effingham Hearts will be trying to notch their second win of the season, adding on to a 54-30 opening-night victory at home over Robinson a few days ago.
And they will be attempting to do that at one of the most historic venues in the state and against an opponent that plays – as EHS Coach Brett Hefner describes – “old school football.”
The site for Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff in Mt. Carmel is Riverview Stadium, affectionately nicknamed the “Snake Pit.” It was actually built into a hill. And the field is located at the base of that hill, which overlooks the Wabash River.
The Golden Aces have enjoyed a strong football tradition through the years. And part of that tradition calls for the team to walk down the concrete steps onto the field.
Since this will be the home-opener for Mt. Carmel – and since the team is coming off a 42-6 setback to Gibson Southern last Friday – it’s a safe bet the Golden Aces will be motivated Friday night.
It was a similar situation a year ago. Mt. Carmel was coming off a 21-14 loss to Gibson Southern, a perennial Class 3A powerhouse in Indiana and state champions in 2022. But behind quarterback sensation Blayne Sisson, the Golden Aces beat the Hearts, 36-30, when Sisson threw his second touchdown pass in the second overtime.
But Sisson, who accounted for 4,007 yards – 2,230 on the ground and another 1,777 in the air – and led the Golden Aces to the runner-up spot in Class 3A, is now a member of the University of Illinois football team. He, along with 20 other seniors, are gone from that team. This year’s roster features only five seniors.
“They appear to be very young and inexperienced,” Hefner noted. “But they a play of style of football on offense you don’t see very often. And it’s very difficult to replicate the timing and speed of it in practice.”
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
The Effingham Hearts opened their 2024 football season with a home win Friday night.
There were definitely some highlights.
Weldon Dunston IV ran for more than 200 yards and scored five touchdowns and Wade Bushur intercepted three passes – very nearly four – and returned one of those for a Pick-6.
When the game that started 30 minutes late due to heat concerns – and then took more than 3½ hours to play – was over, the Hearts were on the good side of a 54-30 final score over Robinson.
But it wasn’t pretty – even for a season-opener.
Especially on the defensive side.
Yes, Effingham forced four turnovers – Will Hecht added the team’s fourth interception late in the game – but also gave up 405 total yards, including five big plays that accounted for 315 of those yards.
The Maroons scored on pass plays of 70, 32, 72 and 58 yards, and added an 83-yard run for another score that kept the guests within striking distance for most of the game.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
What a difference 15 days can make.
On October 13, the Effingham Hearts controlled the football, ran for 262 yards and came away with a huge 21-14 victory over the Mt. Zion Braves. That was the start of two back-against-the-wall wins to make EHS playoff eligible.
Now fast forward to Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately, there’s not much to report – especially on the offensive side of the football.
Effingham’s defense played extremely well.
But the offense simply couldn’t move the ball. Mt. Zion’s defense dominated. The Hearts barely averaged 2 yards a snap. There were 10 plays that resulted in negative yardage. The longest gain on any one play was 13 yards.
You get the picture.
When the final horn sounded, the host Braves had a 21-2 win in an opening-round game of the Class 4A playoffs.
The Hearts season ends with a 5-5 record.
Mt. Zion, now 8-2, will next travel to Breese Central. The Cougars, also 8-2, defeated Cahokia, 19-2, to advance.
“Our defense had to face way too many plays,” EHS coach Brett Hefner said. “Overall, I thought our defense played very well. You just can’t play defense that much and not expect to give up some points. Especially against an offense like they have.”
Effingham’s inability to move the ball was evident from its very first possession. A Mt. Zion penalty helped the Hearts get a first down, but consecutive runs by quarterback Gaige Gillum and running back Weldon Dunston resulted in losses and set the tone for the rest of the game.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
When putting together a jigsaw puzzle, you have to find the right pieces in order to move forward and complete the total picture.
Putting together a starting lineup in football is a similar process.
And a process head coaches experience virtually every year and at every level.
In the pros, they deal with trades and free agency. In college, especially now, it’s more about NIL and the portal.
At the high school level, it’s all about graduating seniors, and to a lesser degree, kids that simply decide not to go out for the team.
But regardless of the reason why, there are generally holes to fill every new season.
Just ask Effingham High School football coach Brett Hefner.
He has some excellent pieces returning. But there are also question marks surrounding this year’s team. Finding the right players to fill some important roles could go a long way in determining the overall success of the 2024 Hearts squad.
“We’ve got some good people back in some key spots,” Coach Hefner noted. “So, we won’t be breaking in an entirely new group, which always helps. But we’ve got inexperience at quarterback and receiver, plus we’re not as deep as we’ve been in past years.
“We’re going to have some moving parts, that’s for sure,” the veteran coach added. “We’ve got some holes to fill and it’s up to our staff to put people in the best position for us to be successful.”
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
The Effingham Hearts are playoff bound.
After a rollercoaster season – with plenty of ups and downs – the Hearts strung together two “win or go home” victories to close out the regular season to become playoff-eligible for the fifth time in the last seven years.
That berth became possible after posting a 61-34 win Friday night at Centralia.
Pairings for the playoffs will be announced at 8 p.m. Saturday.
“A couple weeks ago, we were 3-4 and left for dead by a number of people,” EHS coach Brett Hefner said. “Our backs were against the wall. After our big win against Mt. Zion, there was a bounce in our step this week. It was one of the best weeks of practice all year. I am really proud of these kids.”
If you like offense, you got your money’s worth Friday night.
Effingham and Centralia combined to score 95 points and rack up more than 1,000 total offensive yards – the Hearts had 594, while the Orphans finished with 427.
But their offensive attacks were not the same.
Effingham used its ground attack to control the game, but was also effective through the air. The Hearts ran for 374 yards and passed for 220 more. The running game was spearheaded by Weldon Dunston. The junior running back ran over, through and around Centralia defenders the entire game. He had 38 carries for an eye-popping 307 yards.
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