VIDEO: Mater Dei Wins Over Hearts to Open Football Season

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The Breese Mater Dei Knights defeated the Effingham Hearts 34-15 in the football season opener for both ballclubs.

The contest at Klosterman Field was heard on 979XFM, and online via the Listen Live button at the top-right of the page.

Mater Dei got on the scoreboard, taking advantage of good field position.  The Knights got the ball on the Hearts' 30-yard line and scored on their first play from scrimmage, a 30-yard pass play from Sam Toennies to Nick Hitpas.  Hitpas' kick was good and the Knights had a 7-0 lead out of the gate.

The Hearts bounced back with a 16-yard field goal by Michael Carie with 2:55 to go in the opening quarter to cap a 10-play, 59-yard drive that took five minutes off the clock and made the score 7-3.

Mater Dei again took advantage of great field position, taking the ball on the Hearts' 26-yard line and scoring six plays later on a one-yard touchdown run by Toennies.  The kick made it 14-3. 

The crushing score was when Mater Dei pushed it in from two yards out with 12 seconds left before halftime.  The kick failed, but the Knights led 20-3 at the break.

Mater Dei staged a six-play, 66-yard drive and scored on an 11-yard run by Jordan Ratermann with 7:37 left in the third quarter.  Ratterman then ran in the two-point conversion and Mater Dei led 28-3.

Effingham came back to score on a six-play, 60-yard drive highlighted by some nice pass catches including a 31-yard fingertip grab by Dylan Wolff and a 15-yard touchdown grab by Zach Miller to make the score 28-9.  Mater Dei bounced right back, though, staging a 16-play, 82-yard drive that took 5:59 off the block and was capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Ratermann to put the Knights in front 34-9 with 11:55 left in the game.

(EFFINGHAM'S DYLAN WOLFF)

Effingham scored one more time with 4:39 left in the game at the end of a nine-play, 73-yard drive capped by a 44-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Daugherty to Matt Wohltman to account for the final score.

The Hearts ran 60 plays for 236 total net yards, 188 of those through the air, just 48 yards on the ground.  Effingham picked up 12 first downs, six in each half, but only three by rushing.

Mater Dei amassed 325 yards rushing and receiving, 204 through the air, and picked up 18 first downs.

Junior Kevin Daugherty, in his first varsity start at quarterback, completed 13 of 23 pass attempts for 188 yards, including the 16-yard touchdown pass to Zach Miller.  Daugherty was only picked off once.

Matt Wohltman caught six passes for 86 yards, Marcus Robinson had three catches for 49 yards, Carter Hayes had two receptions for six yards, Miller caught the touchdown pass, and Dylan Wolff had the 31-yard grab.

Miller led the Hearts in rushing, but gained just 27 yards on 12 carries.  Billy Arndt gained 10 yards on three carries, Travis Durbin had a two-yard carry, Daugherty rushed eight times for zero yards, Matt Wohltman carried once for one yard, and Trent Barnhart gained eight yards on one carry.

Jordan Ratermann led Mater Dei in rushing, gaining 97 yards on 25 carries.

On the tackle sheet...Brandon Loy led the way with eight stops including four solo tackles while Zach Miller had seven stops including two solos.  Travis Durbin and Noah Hagen each had six tackles including four solos for each.  Drew Vasquez, Billy Arndt and Trevor Murphy each recorded five tackles, two solos each for Arndt and Murphy and one for Vasquez.  Khye Heuerman had four tackles, two solos.   Marcus Robinson, Griffin Paige and Khole Moran each had three tackles, two solos each for Paige and Moran.  Payton Bushue and Carter Hayes each had two stops, one solo for Bushue.  Matt Wohltman, Wyatt Kahley, Tim Ahillen, Dylan Wolff, Evan Boggs and Alec Stevenson each had a tackle.

(THE HEARTS' NOAH HAGEN)

Effingham is again home next Friday night as part of a three-game season-opening homestand.  The Hearts will take on Paxton-Buckley-Loda.  Kickoff at Klosterman Field will be 7pm.  Hear the action on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Here are other scores from Friday night:

Charleston 36, Rantoul 22

Mattoon 22, Troy Triad 21

Flora 27, Red Hill 8

Paris 12, Cumberland 6

Bethalto Civic Memorial 40, Newton 7

Mahomet-Seymour 41, Mt. Zion 14

Centralia 34, Salem 14

Chatham Glenwood 34, Taylorville 0

Casey-Westfield 44, Olney East Richland 36

Maroa-Forsyth 40, Shelbyville 0

Paxton-Buckley-Loda 21, El Paso-Gridley 6

Gillespie 46, Vandalia 12

Bismarck-Henning 48, Martinsville 6

St. Joseph-Ogden 47, Marshall 0

Staunton 28, Pana 13