Hearts Face Tall Task Against Week 8 Opponent Mater Dei

The Effingham Hearts will face a stern test in their effort to push their winning to streak to four Friday night.

The Hearts travel to Breese to take on the undefeated Mater Dei Knights. Game time is 7pm. Hear the action on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Mater Dei for years has been the Hearts Opening Night opponent, but the game this season was moved to Week 8. 

There is no doubt that as the Hearts have gained experience, they have played better, and that has translated into a three-game win streak over Taylorville, Mt. Zion and Lincoln. The streak enabled the Hearts to finish Apollo Conference play with a 4-2 mark. Overall, Effingham is 4-3.

However, Mater Dei is another story. The Knights won by forfeit last week. Prior to that, Mater Dei posted wins by margins of 31-13 over Waterloo, 21-7 over Breese Central, 31-13 over Belleville Althoff Catholic, 65-12 over Alton Marquette, 28-7 over Quincy Notre Dame, and 50-14 over DuQuoin. The win by forfeit was over True Divine Word Academy of St. Louis. 

Mater Dei is led by senior quarterback Bryce Revermann, who checks in at 6'3" and 208 pounds. The Knights' running corps is made up of senior Jayce Napovanice, junior Drake Rensing, and sophomore Gabe Schlimme. Receivers include senior Cameron Haag, senior Trey Gerdes, and junior Dalton Markus.

Mater Dei Coach Jim Stiebel is in his 14th season as coach of the Knights and went by the 100-win mark for his career at Mater Dei this season.

The Hearts started the season with losses to Decatur St. Teresa 42-7 and Mahomet-Seymour 37-7 before blanking Charleston 42-0 and then losing 20-14 to Mattoon. Then came the winning streak that has put the Hearts over .500. 

Junior quarterback Tanner Pontious has been joined by junior John Westendorf and senior Keegan Baker at running back and junior Armando Estrada, junior Caden Walls, junior Evan Waymoth and senior Dalton Fox as receivers. 

With only nine seniors on the roster, it has been a season of growth for the Hearts. Friday night's clash with the undefeated Knights could help show just how much growth.

Here are the Week 8 matchups:

EFFINGHAM _______ at Breese Mater Dei _________

CHARLESTON _______ at MT. ZION _________

LINCOLN _______ at TAYLORVILLE _________

MATTOON _______ at MAHOMET-SEYMOUR _______

Olney Richland County _______ at Newton ________

Cerro Gordo-Bement _______ at Cumberland ________

Vandalia _______ at Litchfield _______

Decatur St. Teresa _______ at Shelbyville ________

Flora ________ at Sesser-Valier _______