Hearts Football Schedule Includes Plenty of Challenges

The Effingham Hearts football schedule for 2013 at first glance seems much more favorable than last season.  A second look reveals plenty of challenges.

On the plus side, the Hearts will have five home games this season, including their first three games and four of their first five contests. 

As usual, the Hearts will open the season with Breese Mater Dei on Friday, August 30.  The Knights are a perennial thorn in the Hearts' side and have a decided edge in the series between the two teams.  The Mater Dei game will be followed by a home game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda.  The September 6 game will be an opportunity for the Hearts to avenge one of their toughest losses in a tough season last year.  Effingham was in the game throughout and many Hearts' fans feel it was a game EHS could have, if not should have, put in the win column.  Last season marked the first time the two teams have clashed at the varsity level.

The third contest will be a matchup with the Centralia Orphans on September 13.  The game with the Orphans last season had to be moved to a Saturday afternoon due to severe weather the night before.  It ended up a wild and wooly affair with Centralia winning despite the Hearts putting almost 40 points on the board.

Week Four will feature a game the Hearts always want to win, going on the road for the first time in the season to Charleston on September 20.  The contest with the Trojans will be the first Apollo Conference game of the season for the Hearts.  Effingham has its share of wins over the Trojans, but Charleston has had some excellent seasons recently, including deep runs into the playoffs.

The Hearts will return home for a September 27 battle against Salem.  The contest last season marked the first win of the season for Effingham, claiming an overtime victory at Salem.

The schedule ratchets up from there, with three of the Hearts' final four games on the road. 

Effingham heads to Paris October 4.  The Hearts claimed their other victory last season over the Tigers, who seem to get tougher each year.

The last three contests will prove stern tests.  Effingham plays their final home game on October 11 against the Mattoon Green Wave.  The Hearts stayed with Mattoon for much of the game on a rainy and windy night last season before the Wave posted a win.

Then, it's on the road for games October 18 at Mt. Zion and October 25 at Mahomet-Seymour.  Mt. Zion will be the conference season ender for the Hearts and always provides the Hearts with plenty of problems.  Effingham lost to Mahomet-Seymour on Senior Night at EHS last season and the Bulldogs have dominated the series with the Hearts.

Effingham finished 2-7 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

You'll be able to hear each game of Hearts' football again this season on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com.