By Steve Raymond
ET Sport Report
Talk about similarities.
Both teams are coming off dominating victories last week.
Both teams have a run-dominated offense and have proven stingy at times on defense.
Both teams will enter the game at 4-3, needing one more win to be considered for the playoffs.
And with the opponents waiting for them in the season finale, both teams know their best opportunity to make the playoffs probably hinges on the outcome of Friday night’s contest at Washington Savings Bank Stadium.
That’s when Breese Mater Dei and Effingham will square off in what is easily the biggest game of the season for both squads.
“This is an important one alright,” EHS coach Brett Hefner admitted. “It’s why you play football in our program. Since 2017, we’ve been fortunate that from Week 5 on, they are generally meaningful games.
“When you get to this point in the season, the kids know the projections. They know exactly what’s on the line,” Hefner added. “That’s what keeps the juices flowing.”
The winner will have that coveted fifth win, while the losing team will face a daunting challenge the following week. The Hearts will travel to Highland to face one of the best Class 5A programs in the state, while the Knights will return home to face Mt. Zion, another very talented 5A school that will probably be boasting a 6-2 record.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sport Report
So much for fears of a letdown.
Following last week’s heartbreaking 39-36 overtime loss to Mt. Zion, there were concerns as to how the Effingham Hearts would respond.
It’s clear they bounced back just fine.
The Hearts scored early and often. They cracked the 400-yard plateau on offense, while that defense barely allowed 100 yards. They had a 200-yard rusher, a defensive lineman that recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown and a punter that never got to kick the ball one time.
It was another dominating performance Friday night. In fact, the outcome was never in doubt, as Effingham posted a 47-0 shutout at Lincoln.
“I’m really pleased,” EHS coach Brett Hefner said following the contest. “We were coming off a tough loss last week and we were a little banged up. I wasn’t real sure exactly who was going to be able to go tonight until we got up here. I was a little nervous, but these kids responded.”
By Steve Raymond
ET Sport Report
It was one heckuva football game.
There were instant scores and long drives.
There were outstanding plays and some costly mistakes.
And there was all-out effort by both teams.
There was a huge contrast in style.
The game pitted Mt. Zion’s air raid attack against Effingham’s ground and pound.
Even though the Hearts totally dominated in number of plays and time of possession, the Braves quick-strike aerial attack proved to be virtually unstoppable.
And on pass No. 33, Mt. Zion quarterback Makobi Adams threw a 10-yard dart to Grant McAtee for the touchdown that clinched a 39-36 overtime victory Friday night at Washington Savings Bank Stadium.
Sometimes stats tell the story, but sometimes they don’t.
Such was the case Friday night.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sport Report
Can the Effingham Hearts bounce back?
That is the question heading into Friday night’s Apollo Conference contest in Lincoln against an improved Railsplitters team.
The Hearts are coming off an outstanding offensive performance. They dominated Mt. Zion in number of plays (84 to 43) and time of possession (36 minutes to just 12).
But the Braves passing attack proved lethal. Quarterback Makobi Adams threw for 374 yards and five touchdowns – the fifth coming in overtime to give Mt. Zion a 39-36 victory and spoiling Homecoming Night.
“That was two coaches and two teams that knew what they had to do to win the game and didn’t waiver from it,” said EHS coach Brett Hefner. “There were a lot of impressive things to take away from that game. It was a helluva game.
“I know it gets redundant, but I always appreciate how hard these kids compete and play and how much they just keep playing no matter what,” Hefner added.
He used the Hearts final drive in regulation as an example. Mt. Zion had just scored to go ahead 33-30 with 1:28 to play. But EHS responded with an impressive drive of its own, culminating with a 35-yard field goal by Armando Estrada as time expired to send the game in OT.
“After that touchdown, our kids could have just given up. But they didn’t,” Hefner noted. “To me, that’s the best thing about our team. They just keep competing and playing the game.”
By Steve Raymond
ET Sport Report
In what seems like an annual event, the Effingham Hearts and Mt. Zion Braves will square off in a pivotal high school football game.
The winner is still alive in the Apollo Conference race. There are also playoff implications, as both teams are striving to reach that coveted five-win plateau that normally guarantees a playoff berth.
Plus, when these two teams meet the games are usually very close and always physical.
So how does EHS Coach Brett Hefner describe Friday night’s match-up.
“These are the fun games,” he quickly answered.
Huh?
“When you’re at the level our two programs are, playing this kind of opponent with so much on the line? Yeah, these games are fun,” Hefner added. “These kinds of games are special.”
This “special” Apollo Conference contest will kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday at Washington Savings Bank Stadium.
The Hearts are riding a three-game winning streak. They are 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the league.
The Braves will enter at 4-1 overall and have won their last two. They are also 3-1 in conference play.
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