By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Last Friday night was quite different.

There was no nip in the fall air. But there was the threat of rain in the spring sky.

The bleachers weren’t near full and the fans weren’t standing two-to-three deep around the fence that circled the field. Instead, there were limited people – mostly parents -- scattered in the stands.

And virtually all of the normal sights and sounds of a high school football game were absent. No bands, no cheerleaders, no horns blaring, no cowbells ringing and nobody wrapped in blankets to keep warm. There wasn’t even the smell of hot dogs from a grill in the parking lot or popcorn from the concession stands.

“It was eerily quiet at Mahomet last week,” Effingham football coach Brett Hefner admitted. “It was just weird.”

Yet, there was something very familiar as well.

Another Hearts victory – something EHS football fans have become accustomed to.

It took a while, but the Hearts put together a dominant second half to post a season-opening 21-7 victory at Mahomet-Seymour.

“There was a lot of rust,” Hefner noted. “But since it’s been 16 months since we last played and since the basketball guys only had one week to practice with the whole team, it was about what I thought it would be.

“But this group, regardless of what sport it is, wants to compete and wants to win,” Hefner added. “They played hard. Their effort and the way these kids compete didn’t change. I liked seeing that.”

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By Steve Raymond

The News Report

Are you ready for some football?

Some high school football?

Many coaches, players, parents and fans are – especially in this state.

And many of those same people are not happy Illinois is one of the few states that is not in the middle of its fall season on the gridiron.

In fact, they are prepared to let their voices be heard – and are hopeful Gov. J.B. Pritzker is listening.

A “Let Us Play” rally has been scheduled in two locations Saturday. One is set for 10 a.m. at the James A. Thompson Center in Chicago. Another will be at 1 p.m. in Springfield. It will be held near the Lincoln Statue at the State Capitol Building.

“We’re hoping to get all the sports playing again, plus things like band and dance,” Effingham football coach Brett Hefner said. “We’re the only state around not playing. And our positivity rate is lower than most all of them.”

When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer flipped and allowed high school football to be played in her state, that really ignited some in the Land of Lincoln to begin speaking out in an attempt to get the Illinois governor and state health department officials to reconsider their decision about delaying football until the spring.

“I was on some Zoom meetings with coaches from Southern Illinois to the suburbs in Chicago,” Heffner noted. “The next thing I knew, there had already been a couple rallies in the Chicago area and the two scheduled this Saturday.”

Coach Hefner said special speakers have been lined up. That includes high school players and coaches, plus medical personnel and even some ex-NFL players.

“We believe we can keep these kids safe,” Hefner said. “We will follow all the rules. These kids are probably safer in practice than they are anywhere.”

Virtually every other Midwest state is playing football and other fall sports. A total of 33 states – more than 60 percent – are playing high school football, with the other 17 scheduled to play in the spring.

“It’s hard to understand some of the decisions that are being made,” Hefner admitted. “Look down the road at Marshall. They can’t play there, but just 10 miles away in Terre Haute, it’s safe to play. It’s the same thing just across the state line in Missouri. They can’t play in St. Louis County, but if you’re outside the county, it’s safe to play. It’s just hard to comprehend.”

Hefner believes there’s still time for fall sports to be played and include a post-season.

“It might mean starting winter and spring sports a little later, but this is what a lot of people are hopeful of,” the coach added. “We’re asking people to call, text or email their state representatives. It’s time these men and women know how we all feel.”

By Steve Raymond

News Report Staff

Hard to believe it’s been almost a year exactly when the COVID pandemic hit, forcing businesses, restaurants, churches and schools to close down.

Since that time, there’s been no such thing as normal.

So imagining high school football kicking off in March is just another example of how crazy things have become.

We’ll just refer to this as yet another normal abnormal event.

“This is the weirdest thing in the world,” said EHS football coach Brett Hefner. “It doesn’t feel right and it’s certainly not what we’re used to. But we just have to be flexible. It is what it is.”

Looking at the positive, this spring season does allow a talented Effingham Hearts team to play at least a partial schedule, with six games slated. And it gives them an opportunity to continue the program’s success and challenge for another Apollo Conference championship for the school.

Hefner is entering his sixth season at the helm of the Effingham football program. He has a 36-18 overall record, but in the last three seasons, his teams have compiled an impressive 29-7 mark. That includes one conference title and three straight playoff appearances. They won at least one playoff game each of those years and reached the Class 4A semifinals in 2019.

“A big key to our success is we’ve had great kids that work hard and families that reinforce that,” Hefner noted. “We’ve been blessed.”

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Effingham High School senior Justin Baker recently signed a national letter of intent to play football at Augustana College in Rock Island. Seated (left to right) are Mike Baker (father), Justin Baker and Beth Brookshier (mother). Standing is EHS head coach Brett Hefner and Mike Brookshier (step-father).