Hearts Claim Apollo Conference Opener Over Mattoon

(EFFINGHAM'S D.J. LATHAM CELEBRATES AS LOGAN JONES SCORES A TOUCHDOWN FOLLOWING A BLOCKED PUNT BY NOLAN FEARDAY...courtesy of Gary Stanfield and Riviera Records)

The Effingham Hearts got back on the winning side of the football ledger Friday night, defeating the Mattoon Green Wave 52-29. It was the Apollo Conference opener for both teams. The contest was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Effingham led throughout the game. Senior running back Weldon Dunston had another huge game for Effingham, rushing for five touchdowns and 290 yards in 27 carries. Dunston had touchdown runs of 34, 3, 56, 63 and 5 yards. The rest of the rushing story...Max Buzzard four for 21 yards; Nolan Fearday one for no gain...Jaxon Bridges two for one yard...D. J. Latham four for -31.

As far as the passing game, Jaxon Bridges was six of seven for 110 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown pass to Maxx Kistler, while Max Buzzard threw one pass, a completion for 28 yards. Kistler had two receptions for 47 yards...Duston caught an 11-yard pass...Rylan Pals had two catches for 44 yards...Latham caught a 21-yard pass...and Brayden Tucker caught a 15-yard pass.

(MAXX KISTLER HAULS IN ONE OF HIS TWO CATCHES FRIDAY NIGHT IN EFFINGHAM'S WIN OVER MATTOON...courtesy of Gary Stanfield and Riviera Records)

As far as special teams stats, Maicol Sefton had nine kickoffs for 495 yards...Kistler had a two-yard punt return...Wade Bushur had an interception...Dunston had a nine-yard kickoff return and Hunter Holland had two returns for 35 yards...Logan Jones and Kaden Koeberlein had fumble recoveries, with Jones returning his 36 yards for a touchdown. Maicol Sefton kicked a 26-yard field goal for the Hearts.

Trystyn Sewell rushed for 218 yards and two touchdowns to lead Mattoon. Quarterback Shayden Neff was 10 for 20 passing for 69 yards.

Effingham had 419 total yards to 364 for Mattoon. Each team had 17 first downs; part of the closeness of the stats is that the Hearts' touchdowns were quick; most of them five plays or less. 

The game was interrupted for more than a half-hour early in the fourth quarter by lightning.

Effingham improved to 3-1 on the season, 1-0 in Apollo Conference play, while Mattoon is now 0-4 on the season, 0-1 in the conference.

The Hearts will host Charleston next Friday night in Effigham's Homecoming game.