Hearts Post First Win of Season at Charleston

In a football game, it's not always what team runs the most plays, it's what a team does with the plays it runs.

That was the case at Charleston Friday night, as the Effingham Hearts posted their first win of the season 26-13 over the Trojans.  The game was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Charleston ran a whopping 84 plays to 30 plays for Effingham, and picked up 19 first downs to nine for the Hearts.  Still, Effingham rolled up 267 rushing and receiving yards to 258 yards for the Trojans.

Effingham got the scoring started with 3:49 left in the first half when quarterback Dylan Wolff completed the third of three consecutive pass completions for 38 yards and a touchdown to Matt Wohltman.  It was a three-play, 81-yard drive that took 48 seconds to run.

Photo by Gary Stanfield of Riviera Records in Effingham. Check out Gary's work by clicking here.

Charleston tied the game with 4:55 remaining in the third quarter on a nine-yard run by Myles Decker to complete a 16-play, 77-yard drive that 7:05 to complete.

Effingham, though, scored on the very next play on a pass in the flat to Tyler Myers that he ran 60 yards down the Charleston sidelines for a touchdown to put the Hearts back in front 12-6 with 4:35 left in the third quarter.  Exactly three minutes later, with 1:35 left in the period, the Hearts completed a two-play, 54-yard drive as Zach Miller ran 53 yards for a score to make it 19-6 after Michael Carie added on the extra point.  The drive took 34 seconds, 14 seconds longer than Myers' touchdown in the previous possession.

Once again, Charleston came clawing back, staging a 20-play, 79-yard drive that took 8:39 off the clock highlighted by a two-yard touchdown run by Decker to make it 19-13 with 4:56 left in the game.

Photo by Gary Stanfield of Riviera Records in Effingham. Check out Gary's work by clicking here.

Effingham kept doing what got them their lead, though, going 46 yards in three plays in a drive that took 47 seconds, highlighted by Miller's 33-yard touchdown run.  Carie's kick was good and the Hearts had their first victory of the season.

Miller led the Hearts with 104 yards rushing including the two touchdowns.  Billy Arndt gained three yards, Travis Durbin four yards, Wolff lost 12 yards on three carries, and Trent Barnhart carried twice for zero yards.

Wolff was seven for 14 passing for 170 yards and two touchdowns with no picks.

Photo by Gary Stanfield of Riviera Records in Effingham. Check out Gary's work by clicking here.

Carie had three punts for 95 yards, Marcus Robinson returned four punts for 37 yards and Zach Miller returned one punt for 13 yards, Carie had five kickoffs for 266 yards, Miller had a 36-yard kickoff return and Barnhart a 15-yard return, and Noah Hagen recovered a fumble.

With as many plays as Charleston ran, the tackle sheet is impressive, as the Hearts' defense was stellar Friday night.  Brandon Loy and Travis Durbin led in tackles with 18 each, while Payton Bushue had 15 stops, Griffin Paige had 12 stops, and Drew Vasquez had 10 tackles.  Also for Effingham: Noah Hagen seven, Billy Arndt six, Matt Wohltman five, Blaine Koester and Khole Moran four each, Marcus Robinson, Trent Barnhart and Evan Boggs three each, and Trevor Murphy one.

Decker was a workhorse for Charleston, carrying the ball 39 times for 160 yards and a touchdown.  The Charleston quarterbacks, Ridge Boyer and Dallas Wilson, combined for 64 yards passing.

Effingham and Charleston are each 1-3 on the season, but Effingham is 1-0 in the Apollo Conference.  The Hearts celebrate Homecoming next week, playing host to Salem.  We'll have the game on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com.