By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

The Effingham Hearts are about to enter a tough three-game stretch that will determine if their 2024 season will include a trip to the playoffs.

The Hearts are 4-2 overall, but the most difficult part of their schedule lies ahead of them. That three-game gauntlet begins Friday night when Mahomet-Seymour, the overwhelming favorite to win the Apollo Conference, visits Washington Savings Bank Stadium.

The Bulldogs are also 4-2 overall, but their two losses are to a pair of Class 5A powerhouse programs – a 42-41 overtime setback to Highland; and a 21-13 defeat to Sycamore.

Their last three games – all against conference foes – have been won in dominant fashion. They include a 56-3 romp over Charleston; a 28-6 decision over Taylorville during the heavy rains and winds; and a lopsided 38-14 win last week over Mt. Zion.

“They haven’t lost a conference game since the 2021 spring season of COVID,” EHS coach Brett Hefner pointed out. “They are a very talented team. We will have our work cut out for us.”

The Hearts, on the other hand, are coming off a devastating 42-41 overtime loss at Taylorville. After playing from behind most of the game, Effingham tied the contest late in the fourth quarter, took a seven-point lead in overtime and had the Tornadoes sitting 4^th and 20.

One defensive stop and EHS would have had a good road win. But Taylorville was able to throw a desperation TD pass and then completed a two-point conversion pass to come away with the OT victory.

“We had three turnovers, a touchdown called back and plenty of opportunities to make plays that would have made the difference,” Hefner noted. “I don’t think I’ve ever coached in a game where we never punted and still lost. It was very frustrating. I don’t feel like we got beat. I feel like we lost it.”

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Don’t be fooled by the record.

Friday night’s game at Taylorville figures to be anything but easy.

Yes, the Tornadoes are just 1-4 so far.

But three of those losses were one-possession games. Plus, a couple dropped passes and untimely mistakes and/or penalties, have prevented Taylorville from possibly reversing that record.

“They will be the best team we’ve played so far,” EHS football coach Brett Hefner said. “This is a group that has been playing together since they were sophomores. They could easily be 4-1 right now.”

Despite the record, the Tornadoes have only been outscored 120-117. Their lone win is a 34-0 decision over Robinson. Their setbacks include two non-conference games -- 43-38 to Olney and 35-27 to Columbia.

Taylorville has also dropped its first two Apollo Conference contests to the league’s pre-season favorites. A dropped two-point conversion pass was key in a 14-12 loss to Mt. Zion. And the Tornadoes played Mahomet-Seymour tough in the wind and rain last week before absorbing a 28-6 defeat.

The Hearts, on the other hand, will enter with a 4-1 overall mark and are 2-0 in conference play, coming off a 30-20 victory on Homecoming Night last Friday.

Effingham is just one victory away from qualifying for the playoffs. With Mt. Zion, Mahomet-Seymour and a high-powered Centralia team remaining on the schedule, Friday night’s game in Taylorville becomes an important one.

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

One play away.

The Effingham Hearts were one play from a come-from-behind road victory at Taylorville.

One play from a playoff-clinching fifth overall win.

One play from a 3-0 start in the Apollo Conference with a contest against conference favorite Mahomet-Seymour looming next week.

And things looked good.

The Hearts held a seven-point lead in the overtime period. The Tornadoes, with their starting quarterback on the sideline dealing with a late injury, faced a 4^th down at the 20-yard line. It was do or die time.

Effingham needed just one defensive stop.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Weldon Dunston IV just might have a future as a mailman.

Consider their motto -- “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

There wasn’t any snow or heat at Washington Savings Bank Stadium Friday night. But rain pelted down off and on. And the winds – which could easily be considered the “gloom of night” – were constant throughout. Gusts of up to 40 mph affected every phase of the game, especially the play calling on offense.

Effingham and Charleston were relegated to running the ball on virtually every play. Winds made passing the football impossible. So, both defenses knew what was coming.

But neither the rain nor the wind kept Effingham’s senior running back from delivering for his team. For the third time this season, Dunston cracked the 200-yard plateau and scored four touchdowns, including a game-deciding 80-yard breakaway late in the fourth quarter.

As the final soggy and breezy seconds ticked off the clock, the Hearts had stayed unbeaten in the conference and moved to within one victory of postseason play with a 30-20 victory on Homecoming Night at Jack Klosterman Field.

“I’m proud of these kids,” a rain-soaked EHS coach Brett Hefner said following the contest. “It’s been a wild week. We’ve been banged up a bit, so we’ve got kids that have been moving around from position to position. Some were playing new positions. But they kept playing and they kept battling.

“The kids did a good job dealing with the elements,” Hefner added. “I kept hoping the weather would take a right or left turn, but it didn’t. So, both teams just had to deal with it. This was a good win for us.”

A win that felt fairly certain four minutes into the second half became more “iffy” in the final period. Effingham’s seemingly comfortable 17-point lead had dwindled to just four with 3:58 to play. With three timeouts remaining and the Hearts going into the wind on their ensuing possession, Charleston was one defensive stand away from getting the ball back – probably in great field position – and a chance to complete the comeback.

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