Hearts Close Regular Season w/Loss at Highland; Find Out First Round Playoff Opponent Saturday Night; Other High School Football Scores

The Effingham Hearts closed out the 2022 regular season with a 34-20 loss at Highland Friday night. The game was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

The Hearts closed out the regular season with a 5-4 record, but they have more than 40 playoff points and that should be more than enough to get them into the postseason.

Effingham and the other playoff-eligible teams will learn their first-round fate Saturday night after 8 pm. We will have the first-round pairings for you on the radio and on the website.

Photos by Gary Standfield of Riviera Records. Additional game photos are located here

Effingham looked sunk before the first quarter ended, as Highland scored on its first four possessions. The Bulldogs scored with 9:26 remaining in the first quarter at the end of an eight-play, 62-yard drive when quarterback Brent Wuebbels ran it in from 35 yards out. The extra point made it 7-0 Bulldogs. 

Highland then scored with 5:12 remaining in the period on a two-play, 90-yard drive highlighted by a 67-yard pass play from Wuebbels to Brody Lewis. The extra point was unsuccessful, but Highland was up 13-0. 

Effingham got on the board with 2:53 left in the opening quarter at the end of a five-play, 69-yard drive when quarterback Tanner Pontious hit Andrew Lotz on a 51-yard pass play. Armando Estrada's extra point got the Hearts within 13-7.

Highland came back, though, on an eight-play, 80-yard drive with five seconds left in the period on a six-yard run by Wuebbels and a two-point conversion pass to put Highland up 21-7.

Photos by Gary Standfield of Riviera Records. Additional game photos are located here

Highland scored with 6:25 remaining in the second period at the end of a 10-play, 90-yard drive when Brendan Gelly caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Wuebbels and the extra point made it 28-7.

The Hearts scored to pull within 28-14, though, with 2:10 left before halftime at the end of a 10-play, 69-yard drive when Pontious and Lotz connected again on a 42-yard pass play and Estrada's extra point made it a 14-point game at the break.

Effingham made it a game when they scored with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter at the end of a 16-play, 73-yard drive. Pontious and Lotz connected one more time for six yards. Estrada's extra point try was unsuccessful, but the Hearts were within 28-20.

The backbreaker was a 19-play, 89-yard drive by Highland with 10:21 remaining in the game that took 7:02 off the clock and ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Travis Porter to put Highland back up by 14, 34-20, and that's how the game ended.

Photos by Gary Standfield of Riviera Records. Additional game photos are located here

Highland racked up 23 first downs to 17 for Effingham. Highland rushed for 218 yards on 36 carries, while the Hearts picked up 136 rushing yards on 44 carries.

Wuebbels threw for 269 yards on 17 of 24 passing, while the Hearts' Tanner Pontious went 17 of 28 for 216 yards.

The Hearts rolled up 352 yards in total offense on 72 plays, while Highland amassed 487 total yards on 61 plays.

Effingham had the edge in time of possession,28:33 to 19:22. 

Lotz caught six passes, including the three touchdowns, for 135 yards. Caden Walls had five catches for 31 yards, Conner Thompson caught a 14-yard pass, Garrett Wolfe had four grabs for eight yards, and Weldon Dunston caught a 28-yard pass.

Brody Lewis caught eight passes for Highland for 129 yards, Cade Altadonna had two catches for 41 yards, Travis Porter had three catches for 75 yards, Brendan Gelly made three catches for 18 yards, and Dylan Beadle caught a six-yard pass.

Dunston had tough sledding but hammered out 60 yards rushing on 22 carries, while Pontious carried 21 times for 75 yards. Caden Walls had a one-yard carry.

Travis Porter led Highland with 117 yards rushing on 21 carries, Wuebbels carried 10 times for 46 yards, and Dylan Beadle had three carries for 46 yards.

Pontious punted twice for 68 yards, while Estrada had three kickoffs for 157 yards. Walls had five kickoff returns for 96 yards.

Jack Harper had an interception for the Hearts, while London Rinkel recovered a Highland fumble.

Here's the tackle sheet: Zach Donaldson 2, Evan Waymoth 5, Josh Kelley 1, Michael Love 3, Jack Harper 2, Connor Simmons 3, Spencer Fox 1, London Rinkel 2, Armando Estrada 7, Logan Heil 3 plus 2 sacks, Myles Maxedon 1.

Here are the Week 9 scores:

 Highland  34.  Effingham 20 

Cumberland 34  Cerro Gordo-Bement  15 

Marion 42  Mattoon 20  

Flora  30  Carmi-White County  24  

Charleston  14  Salem  13  

Olney 34 Casey-Westfield 6 

Troy Triad  28  Lincoln  0  

Mahomet-Seymour  47  Bloomington 20 

Newton  49  Paris  15

Shelbyville  41  Central  A & M  13 

Mt. Zion 38, Breese Mater Dei  35 

Lawrenceville  40  Marshall  20

Taylorville 34  Bethalto Civic Memorial  14

Vandalia  41 Greenville  14

Decatur St Teresa  47  Warrensburg-Latham  0