By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
For three quarters, the Effingham Hearts played the St. Teresa Bulldogs on pretty even terms.
In fact, in the second half, the Hearts power running game and ball control offense was starting to wear down the Bulldogs, who entered the season as the state’s top-ranked team in Class 2A.
Unfortunately, there was one other quarter – and on Friday night, that was the opening quarter – that made the difference.
The Hearts fumbled the ball away twice, had trouble generating any offense and experienced difficulty in containing St. Teresa’s overall talent and speed.
The Bulldogs scored four quick touchdowns to take a 28-0 lead in what seemed like the blink of an eye, en route to a 42-7 season-opening victory at home over Effingham.
“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” said EHS coach Brett Hefner. “You can’t turn the ball over, you can’t drop passes when you’re open and you can’t fumble snaps, especially against good teams like this. It’s tough to recover from things like that.”
With 16 new starters, including 10 on defense, Hefner knew his squad was facing a tough opponent; one that has a rich tradition in football – having made seven straight playoff appearances, and qualifying in 17 of the last 18 seasons and 26 of the last 29 years.
Fumbling the ball away twice in the first three minutes just made the task more difficult.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
What a season opener it figures to be.
Many media outlets are plugging it as the “Game of the Week.”
And why not?
When it comes to high school football, the Effingham Hearts and St. Teresa Bulldogs are among the best programs in the state in their respective classes.
Over the past four seasons – including last spring’s shortened six-game schedule -- St. Teresa has posted a 38-5 mark, while EHS has gone 34-7. The Hearts have made three straight playoff appearances, while the Bulldogs have earned playoff trips in seven consecutive seasons.
In fact, the Decatur school has reached the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 years, compiling a 159-44 record during that span. They have competed in the Class 3A playoffs nine years, 2A five times, 1A twice and even played in Class 4A once.
Yes, Friday night’s season opener is a clash between two programs that don’t rebuild -- just reload.
And it kicks off at 7 p.m. in Decatur.
“At some point, you just have to pull the trigger and go play,” EHS coach Brett Hefner said. “We’ve been beating on each other pretty good in practice. Now we need to play against somebody else and see how we do.”
It could be a game of contrasting styles.
Remember the Mt. Zion contest last spring? The Braves were loaded with speed and quick-strike ability. But the Hearts put together a ball control offense that dominated the line of scrimmage and the clock. Effingham had the ball for nearly 37 of the 48 minutes; ran 68 plays to 33; and finished with a 34-21 victory that clinched the Apollo Conference championship.
Hefner is hoping for a similar result Friday night.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Mission accomplished.
That was the message Brett Hefner had for his football team Friday night just moments after the Effingham Hearts completed an undefeated, Apollo Conference championship season with a 43-6 victory at Lincoln.
There was some celebration. After all, this team overcame all the obstacles they faced – primarily due to COVID – defeated all five opponents handily and earned another championship plaque for the school’s trophy case.
But there was also the finality of it all.
Yes, there were smiles and hugs. But there were also tears flowing as the realization began to sink in – especially for the seniors – that this was the final time they would suit up together as teammates.
“You guys are unbelievable,” Hefner told the team as they gathered together. “What you’ve done for this program. What you’ve done for me. It’s just unbelievable. All you do is win and I’m proud of you. I love you, love you, love you. I love you guys to death.
“It’s mission accomplished,” Hefner added. “Winning every game was the only mission in front of you this season and you accomplished it. Great job!”
For several of the players, it was their second conference championship in less than two months, having clinched the Apollo Conference basketball title in mid-March.
“This group wanted both of them and I’m happy for them,” Hefner said. “These kids got the raw end of the deal, both in the fall and the spring. But they just kept working and kept playing. They have just continued to set the standard for this program. They’re leaving an awfully good legacy.”
By Steve Raymond
News Report Staff
For most high school football programs, replacing 16 starters would be labeled a rebuilding season.
But the Effingham Hearts are not just any football program.
Over the past four seasons, they won 83 percent of their games, posting a 34-7 mark. During that time, they have captured two Apollo Conference championships and made three straight trips to the playoffs – and that would have been four had COVID not resulted in an abbreviated schedule and no postseason last spring.
Despite the number of new faces that will be in the starting lineup for the 2021 season, Brett Hefner and his coaching staff don’t look at it as a rebuilding year.
They are simply reloading.
“Everybody has a tendency to look at what you lost and not realize you still have some pretty good football players,” Hefner noted. “I think we do a pretty good job at player development. Many of these kids were in there battling last year and practicing every day against a bunch of all-conference players.
“If you’re having success every year like we have, you probably have a lot of upperclassmen, which means you’re going to lose a high number of players,” Hefner added. “But the kids we have this year are pretty good and now they get their turn to play.”
And “their turn” starts Friday, Aug. 27, when the Hearts open their 2021 season at Decatur St. Teresa.
It will be the first of what should prove to be a tough schedule. In fact, Hefner said it is “by far, the toughest schedule we’ve ever had here. In Class 4A, I’m sure it’s one of the toughest in the state.”
The other two non-conference games will be at Breese Mater Dei and at home against Highland. Hefner predicts all three of those teams will be in the playoffs and expects St. Teresa to win either the 2A or 3A state championship.
And then there’s the Apollo Conference schedule, which includes pre-season favorites Mt. Zion, who is always strong, and Mahomet-Seymour, who will welcome back nine starters on both offense and defense. In addition, EHS will face Charleston, Mattoon, Taylorville and Lincoln.
But those teams are probably viewing Effingham as one of their “tough games” as well.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
So who’s looking forward to that 2-plus hour drive to Lincoln Friday night?
Probably not many.
With one notable exception.
The Effingham Hearts football team.
They have the opportunity to put their stamp on another successful season wearing the red and white uniforms. They can finish with a perfect 5-0 record and add an undefeated Apollo Conference championship plaque to the school trophy case.
Most will label the Hearts as overwhelming favorites. After all, the Railsplitters are winless on the season. And the closest anybody has been to Effingham this year is 13 points, and that came last week in the 34-21 win over Mt. Zion in what essentially was the “for all the marbles” game.
That same Braves team beat Lincoln 65-6.
Need another example? EHS beat Charleston 34-14. The Trojans beat the Railsplitters 54-0. By doing some quick comparison of scores, it’s easy to see why the Hearts will be favored Friday night.
But there’s an old adage in sports. Never take any opponent for granted. As history has proven, nothing is for certain.
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