Mt. Zion at Effingham for Homecoming Friday Night

One of the biggest football games of the year will be played Friday night at Klosterman Field at Washington Savings Bank Stadium as the Effingham Flaming Hearts do battle with the Mt. Zion Braves.

Kickoff is at 7pm with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:45pm. You can hear the action on 979XFM. 

It's Homecoming at EHS, but that's just part of the luster of this game. Both Effingham and Mt. Zion are 3-1 in the Apollo Conference, one game behind undefeated Mahomet-Seymour, who has defeated both the Hearts and the Braves. Mt. Zion is 4-1 on the season, while Effingham is 3-2, but the Hearts are riding a three-game winning streak.

Effingham opened with losses to two Top 5 teams in Decatur St. Teresa and Mahomet-Seymour, but have since won over Charleston, at Mattoon, and over Taylorville.

Mt. Zion defeated Bartonville Limestone and Mattoon, then lost to Mahomet-Seymour 49-14, but bounced back to defeat Taylorville and Lincoln. 

The Braves are a young ballclub with a junior quarterback in Makobi Adams, and a junior, a sophomore and two freshmen among their receivers. That hasn't phased the Braves, who have outscored their opponents 166 to 97. Senior Chiren Petty is the lead running back. 

Effingham continues to get better week-to-week. The rushing game has taken center stage, with sophomore Weldon Dunston exploding for 149 yards and three touchdowns against Taylorville last week, while senior Evan Waymoth gained 88 yards and also scored three times. Senior Muhammad Freeman got playing time and carried for 49 yards and a touchdown. Tanner Pontious quarterbacks the Hearts' squad with receivers Andrew Lotz and Caden Walls his chief targets. 

The Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned at halftime.

Here are the Week 6 matchups:

Mt. Zion _____ at Effingham _____

Charleston _____ at Taylorville _____

Lincoln _____ at Mattoon _____

Quincy Notre Dame _____ at Mahomet-Seymour _____

Newton _____ at Mt. Carmel _____

Villa Grove _____ at Cumberland _____

Decatur St. Teresa _____ at Sullivan-Okaw Valley _____

Breese Mater Dei _____ at DuQuoin _____

Bethalto Civic Memorial _____ at Highland _____

Staunton _____ at Vandalia _____

Shelbyville _____ at Macon Meridian _____

McLeansboro Hamilton County _____ at Flora _____

Olney Richland County _____ at Paris _____