Hearts Begin Football Postseason Saturday

The Effingham Flaming Hearts football team begins the 2022 postseason with a stern test, heading to Rochester to take on the Rockets.

Kickoff for the Class 4A clash is at 1pm Saturday. Coverage will begin at 12:45pm on Classic Hits 979XFM.

The Hearts didn't know for certain that they made the playoffs until last Saturday night when the pairings were announced. For Rochester, it was a case of finding out who they would be hosting. That's because the Hearts finished the regular season at 5-4, while the Rockets closed out their campaign at 8-1.

The Rockets' only loss was in their season opener, 62-27, to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, the team coached by Rockets Coach Derek Leonard's father, Ken, who is retiring at the end of this season. Griffin finished the regular season at 9-0. If the two teams continue to win, they would play a rematch later in the postseason.

The Hearts want none of that rematch talk, though. Effingham has earned their way into the playoffs. Their four losses were to teams with combined records of 32-4, with Mt. Zion carrying three of those losses. St. Teresa and Mahomet-Seymour went undefeated during the regular season, with Highland picking up the other loss. The Hearts pitched shutouts over Mattoon, Lincoln and Breese Mater Dei. 

Effingham began the season 0-2, with losses to St. Teresa 18-0 and at Mahomet 35-14. The Hearts then defeated Charleston 35-13, Mattoon 34-0 and Taylorville 48-13. Mt. Zion and Effingham went toe-to-toe with the game going to overtime. The Hearts kicked a field goal, then Mt. Zion scored a touchdown to win 39-36. Effingham bounced back, though, to beat Lincoln 47-0 and Breese Mater Dei 17-0. The Hearts played well last week after a slow start, but fell at Highland 34-20. 

Senior quarterback Tanner Pontious leads the Hears offense. He will be throwing to Andrew Lotz, who caught three touchdown passes last week, as well as Caden Walls, Conner Thompson and Garrett Wolfe. Sophomore Weldon Dunston has led the running game since returning mid-season from injury, and Pontious has been utilized more in the running game, which allowed Evan Waymoth to shift to defense more or less full-time. The Hearts' offense is also bolstered by the kicking of Armando Estrada, who has tied the record for most field goals and usually puts his kickoffs in the end zone.

Senior Keeton Reiss quarterbacks the Rockets. Rochester has a stable of running backs including Ian Lichtenberger, Ayden Huet, and Nolan Mrozowski. 

Here are the playoff matchups involving teams from the region:

1A--

Rushville at Cumberland, Saturday at 2pm

2A--

Chester at St. Teresa, Saturday at 3pm

Flora at Johnston City, Saturday at 1pm

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond at Vandalia, Saturday at 2pm

Belleville Althoff at Shelbyville, Saturday at 3pm

3A--

Robinson at St. Joseph-Ogden, Saturday at 3pm

4A--

Effingham at Rochester, Saturday at 1pm

Mt. Zion at Breese Central, Saturday at 1pm

Waterloo at Olney Richland County, Saturday at 2pm

5A--

Ottawa at Mahomet-Seymour, Friday at 7pm

Dunlap at Highland, Friday at 7pm