Hearts Reach Third Round w/Win Over Paris; Saturday High School Football Scores 11-3-2018

The Effingham Hearts have reached the third round of the Illinois high school football playoffs for the first time since 1987. Effingham defeated the Paris Tigers 30-14 in action Saturday afternoon at a jam-packed Klosterman Field. The game was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Effingham won its ninth straight game and handed Paris its first loss of the season. The Hearts will next take on Kankakee McNamara, who defeated Murphysboro Saturday, 49-14, in Kankakee.

The Hearts opened the scoring as they have in most of their games this season, taking the ball at their own 34 yard line and marching to the end zone in 10 plays highlighted by a 30-yard touchdown pass from Landon Wolfe to Kendall Ballman. Beau Hefner's extra point kick gave the Hearts a 7-0 lead with 8:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Paris responded with a 10-play, 68-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Nathan Zorn and an extra point to tie the game 7-7 with 4:52 left in the opening quarter.

Effingham regained the lead with 9:34 remaining in the second period at the end of a massive 17-play, 79-yard drive that took 7:18 to complete in the form of a 23-yard touchdown pass from Wolfe to Ballman and an Ivan Angel extra point to put the Hearts back in front 14-7.

The Hearts extended the lead to 21-7 with 6:20 left in the third quarter on a 12-yard touchdown run by Logan Brown to cap a seven-play, 33-yard drive. Hefner's extra point was good and Effingham had a two-touchdown lead.

That lasted less than two minutes after a Caleb Mullinax kickoff return to the Hearts' 32-yard line set up the Tigers. Appropriately, Mullinax scored on a 27-yard pass play and an extra point to make it 21-14.

The Hearts regained the two-touchdown advantage with 11:40 left in the game. Effingham started a drive at Paris' 45-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Ballman ran 44 yards to the one and Wolfe drove in to the end zone to score the touchdown. Angel's extra point made it 28-14.

Effingham's last score came with 2:28 remaining in the form of a safety. With Paris at their own six-yard line, a bad snap through the legs of quarterback Caleb Gates led to a Hearts' tackle of Gates in the end zone to account for the final score.

Effingham dominated the standings against the previously-unbeaten Tigers.

The Hearts racked up 18 first downs to eight for Paris, rushed for 276 yards compared to 48 yards for the Tigers and had the ball for 28:10 of the game compared to 19:50 of the game for Paris.

Paris had a slight edge in the passing game, 85 yards to 68 yards for the Hearts. Effingham ran 65 plays to 47 plays for Paris.

Individually, Kendall Ballman and Logan Brown each broke the 100-yard mark rushing; Ballman with 138 yards on 18 carries, Brown with 123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Quarterback Landon Wolfe rushed six times for eight yards and a touchdown. Nathan Shackelford carried two times for seven yards.

Wolfe completed four passes in 12 tries for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Ballman had both touchdown catches for 53 yards, Cameron Kalber caught a pass for 11 yards, and Jett Gillum had a four-yard catch.

Dawson Whitten had another good game punting the football, three punts for 100 yards. He had a 40-yarder and then placed another kick inside Paris' 10-yard line.

Ballman and Mason Hasty each had an interception, Hasty's fourth in two games.

Ivan Angel had four kickoffs for 171 yards, Ballman had three kickoff returns for 51 yards, and Kollin Waymoth had a 12-yard kickoff return.

For Paris, Coy Landrum had 10 rushes for 23 yards, Hunter Newlin had nine carries for 17 yards while sharing time at quarterback, Nathan Zorn had one yard in two carries and a touchdown, Caleb Mullinax had two carries for four yards, Carter Hays rushed once for -2 yards, Caleb Gates the other Paris QB had three carries for -1 yard, and Josh Willmeth carried once for six yards.

At QB, Gates was four for nine for 41 yards, while Newlin was four for 10 for 44 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Mullinax had four receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, Willmeth three catches for eight yards, and Mason Hutchings one catch for -5 yards.

Sam Mays punted twice for 53 yards, Mullinax returned a punt nine yards, Garrett King had four kickoffs for 179 yards, and Mays had two kickoff returns for 19 yards and Mullinax had three returns for 87 yards.

Here are the Week 11 scores:

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Class 1A

Central A&M 27, Edwards County (Albion) 0

Argenta-Oreana 44, Fisher 23

Camp Point Central 31, Carrollton 6

Concord Triopia 42, Arcola 0

Aurora Christian 41, Princeville 0

Dakota 14, Ottawa Marquette 12

Lena Winslow 49, Chicago Orr 14

Forreston 22, Milledgeville 20 (OT)

Class 2A

Decatur St. Teresa 48, Athens 7

Maroa-Forsyth 49, Chester 12

Downs Tri-Valley 35, Pana 31

Sterling Newman 46, Carthage Illini West 14

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 31, Chicago Hope Academy 7

Lanark East-Pearl City 48, Palos Heights Chicago Christian 14

Orion 21, Taylor Ridge Rockridge 17

Tuscola 42, Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 21

Class 3A

Williamsville 42, Fairfield 16

Carlinville 40, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 7

Greenville 26, Pleasant Plains 14

Lisle 37, Poplar Grove North Boone 25 (FRI.)

Monticello 49, Anna Jonesboro 14

Byron 28, Princeton 0

Herscher 17, Spring Valley Hall 14

Class 4A

Effingham 30, Paris 14

Kankakee McNamara 49, Murphysboro 14

Coal City 33, Johnsburg 14

Elmhurst IC Catholic 31, Stillman Valley 0

Richmond-Burton 19, Genoa Kingston 0