Hearts Blanked by Mahomet-Seymour

Two games ago, the Effingham Hearts were 4-1 and sitting in good shape in the Apollo Conference. 

Now, the Hearts are 4-3 after a 42-41 overtime loss at Taylorville and a 49-0 loss to Mahomet-Seymour Friday night, and still need another win to become playoff-eligible.

Mahomet-Seymour scored on their first seven possessions, and the Bulldogs won by a continuous clock margin.

Mahomet-Seymour quarterback Lucas Dyer was the big gun, going 14-of-23 for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Those included a 54-yard strike to Gavin Hammerschmidt, a 15-yard grab by Ray Long, and 57 yard and seven yard catches by Bryson Tiefenthaler. The Bulldogs' ground game worked well, too, as Cade Ashby had touchdown runs of 19 yards and one yard, and a three-yard touchdown run by Wade Manuel.

Mahomet-Seymour had 432 yards in total yardage to 97 yards for Effingham.

The Bulldogs held Hearts running back Weldon Dunston to 19 yards rushing on 13 carries.

A lone bright spot for the Hearts was Jaxon Bridges completing 7 of 12 pass attempts for 81 yards. Maxx Kistler caught five passes for 63 yards.

In special teams play, Maicol Sefton punted four times for 131 yards and Brady Patnaude punteed three times for 101 yards. Sefton had 56-yard kickoff. Dunston had three kickoff returns for 57 yards, Hunter Holland had two kickoff returns for 30 yards, and Mason Bushue had a 17-yard kickoff return.

The Hearts head to Mt. Zion next Friday night to wrap up Apollo Conference play.