Hearts a Record-Setting Team

It’s unsurprising that this year’s Effingham High School football squad, on the precipice of playing its second-ever IHSA state semifinal game and its first-ever fourth-round playoff game, has seen a few records fall on its way into largely uncharted territory.

Photo by Riviera Records and Video Production

At 11-1, the Flaming Hearts have already won two more games than any team in the program’s nearly century-long history and, when they square off with Murphysboro Saturday afternoon at Klosterman Field with a trip to the Class 4A title game in DeKalb on the line, will be playing a 13th game for the first time ever.

Only the 1980 Effingham team, wrapping up legendary coach Jack Klosterman’s quarter century at the helm, has ever played to within a game of a state championship appearance, reaching the Class 3A semifinal back when 16 teams qualified for each of six school size classifications. That playoff system was implemented in 1974, expanded from five classes to six in 1980, expanded to six 32-team classes in 1985, and finally expanded to its current field of 256 schools (eight 32-team classes) in 2001.

On its way to this 11-1 mark, EHS has scored 475 points — more than any other team in school history. Last year’s club, which lost in the Class 4A quarterfinals, tallied 463 in 12 games, while the 2017 team piled up 450 in 11 games and the 2014 team scored 356 in 10 games. With this information, by the way, it doesn’t take the most acute powers of perception to deduce that with 29 wins (and hopefully more to come) the last three Hearts teams have won more games than in any other three-year stretch of the program’s history. With the caveat that these teams were not afforded the opportunity to participate in a playoff system, the 1970-72 teams under Klosterman were a combined 26-1.

Before we delve into some individual marks that have fallen this year, also keep in mind that the team record for interceptions in a season is within reach; this year’s Hearts have picked off 22 passes, while the 1980 defense set the benchmark at 26.

NATHAN SHACKELFORD

So far, five lines on the Effingham record sheet will be edited to contain Shackelford’s name when the 2020 programs are printed. The senior quarterback has completed 146 of 219 passes for 2,459 yards and 32 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, all while also rushing for 778 more yards and 11 more scores.

That means he holds the single season record for passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass completions, and combined passing/rushing yardage (3,237). The first three were set just a year ago by Landon Wolfe, who compiled 2,172 yards and 26 touchdowns on 140 completions in 12 games. The last one, for combined yardage, was previously held by current coaching staff member Curran McNeely when he quarterbacked the 2007 squad.

In addition, Shackelford tossed six touchdown passes in Effingham’s 42-14 Week 9 win over Freeburg, equaling a record held by Josh Douthit (1999 vs. St. Jacob Triad) and Brandon Pankau (2005 vs. Robinson).

… and there could be more! Ryan Geltz attempted 229 passes for Effingham during a 6-4 run to the 5A playoffs in 2003, a record Shackelford will most likely surpass during the Murphysboro game considering he hasn’t attempted fewer than 11 during any game this year and averages 18 per game. Also, his career TD pass number currently stands at 34 thanks to a couple he threw during his sophomore season, which means Landon Wolfe’s career mark of 38 (set from 2016-18) is within reach.

TRISTIN DUNCAN

A junior wide receiver, Duncan already found his way into Effingham’s record book last year when he caught four TD passes in a single game against Macomb, entering a four-way tie with Gale Lister (1967 vs. Greenville), Mike Tegeler (1968 vs. Pana) and Jared Holtz (1999 vs. St. Jacob Triad).

With his senior season still ahead of him, Duncan has now run roughshod over the record book with a pair of additional single-season records, a pair of career records, and an extremely good chance to own a couple more before the dust clears … and many of them replacing numbers that have been in place for over 50 years!

Let’s recap: In 2019, Duncan has caught 63 passes this year for 1,273 yards and 12 scores, putting his career totals at 96 receptions for 2,088 yards and 22 TDs.

That means this year he has set a season mark for total receptions, eclipsing Steve Klosterman’s 1967 total of 51. In addition, Logan Ellington’s 1,032 receiving yards in 2007 are no longer the single-season standard. Additionally, Klosterman’s career receiving yards mark of 1,267 (set from 1965-67) and Mike Tegeler’s career receptions record of 80 (set from 1968-70) are no more.

Additionally, Duncan’s 22 career TD catches currently sits in a tie with Klosterman’s career record, while Klosterman’s 1967 season record of 13 TD catches would be equaled if Duncan should happen to grab one more this year.

PARKER WOLFE

While this junior defensive back/wide receiver has watched his quarterback erase several of his big brother’s records from a year ago, Parker Wolfe has also made sure the family name remains prominent in the program’s record book!

Wolfe, who somewhat amazingly stood at just two interceptions on the year after eight weeks of play, is now the owner of the Effingham season record with 11 picks. Before his single takeaway in Saturday’s quarterfinal victory over Prairie Central, Wolfe sat in a three-way tie with Mike Tegeler and Tim Stewart; Tegeler intercepted 10 passes in 1970 while Stewart equaled that number exactly a decade later as a junior for the aforementioned 1980 club.

Beginning Week 9 against Freeburg, Wolfe has intercepted a pass in four straight games, with three in the season finale against the Midgets followed by a record-tying four in the Hearts’ playoff opener over Breese Central. Bob Smothers, all the way back in 1972 against Vandalia, had previously spent the better part of five decades holding that mark all by his lonesome.

Wolfe also snared a couple interceptions last year, which means his career total of 13 — with still another year to play — gives him a good chance to challenge Stewart’s career mark of 15.

JACOB STONEBURNER

Effingham’s playoff opener in 2019 got off to an inauspicious start; Breese Central got the ball first and marched down the field into the Hearts’ red zone. But on a running play up the middle, the ball came loose and the square-shouldered frame of Jacob Stoneburner emerged from the pile with ball in hand and open field in front of him. No fewer than 88 yards (and as much oxygen as his body could process!) later, Stoneburner had crossed the goal line, putting the Hearts in the lead and his name in the record book!

It was 1992 when the previous benchmark of 86 yards was set by Jeff Waymoth against Newton, and Waymoth was likely in the stands to see it happen as his nephew, Kollin, is a senior tight end on the 2019 club and part of an effective stable of receivers who’ve made key catches this year.