Hearts Drop Gridiron Opener at Breese Central, 41-20 

Print

Effingham High School battled hard at Breese Central in Friday night’s varsity football opener, but the Cougars tallied the game’s final 21 points on the way to a 41-20 non-conference victory over the Flaming Hearts.

Central took the opening kickoff at Robert J. Astroth Field and with great field position at its own 44 needed just three plays and 79 seconds to find Effingham’s end zone and a 7-0 lead. It was an inauspicious beginning to the Hearts’ campaign, but they regrouped to get within 7-6 on a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Baudier on their second possession of the night and settled into a back-and-forth first-half battle with their defending IHSA Class 4A semifinalist host.

The Cougars tallied the next two scores, which included a 48-yard scoring strike on a 3rd & 18 conversion in the first quarter’s final minute followed by an interception on Effingham’s ensuing possession that set up a short 31-yard field. It was the Hearts’ only turnover of the evening, but it was costly as it took the Cougars just one play to get back in the end zone.

But EHS answered, tying the contest at 20 apiece with two straight scores in the early to middle stages of the second quarter. The first came on a 70-yard touchdown pass from new starting quarterback Jack Hartman to Maxx Kistler with 10:13 to go before halftime; the senior-to-senior connection was a quick toss over the middle and Kistler’s legs did the rest.

The equalizer was without a doubt Hartman’s prettiest throw of the night, going deep to hit junior wideout Jenner Pals in stride for a 75-yard strike at the 5:41 mark of the second period. Brady Patnaude successfully kicked the extra point for both scores and also did the punting for the Hearts.

Unfortunately, that’s when the scoring dried up for Effingham. Central put together a 10-play, 67-yard drive to answer with a touchdown under 16 seconds before the halftime horn. Junior quarterback Owen Kehrer, a returning starter for a Cougar team that otherwise graduated most of its skill position players from last year, punched one in from a yard out. He closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter on a nearly identical play, both times using his own size plus some impressively built blockers to glide across the goal line.

Central also found the end zone once in the third quarter when a Kehrer pass was tipped by one Cougar receiver into the hands of Keylan Jackson from four yards out. That possession was set up by the only other major gaffe of the night for Effingham; a bad punt snap from near midfield gave the home team the football at the Hearts’ 24.

Hartman’s first varsity start was mostly positive, especially from a numbers perspective. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 264 yards and three scores against just the one interception. Sophomore Jenner Keyes, a newcomer to the QB position, also took a number of fourth quarter snaps and completed 2 of 5 for 31 yards and also showed some talent for running the football as he amassed 55 rushing yards on eight attempts.

That accounted for the vast majority of Effingham’s rushing production, though, as the tandem of Lexton Roberts and Bryden Kade weren’t finding a ton of running room. They totaled 36 yards on 16 attempts collectively; Patnaude had to eat a 23-yard loss on the aforementioned errant punt snap that also significantly dinged the Hearts’ already modest ground totals.

Pals led the receiving numbers with 118 yards and a score on four catches (one of those for a loss of 7) while Kistler, who seemed to battle cramping in the second half as he played on both sides of the ball, caught four as well for 86 yards and TD. Baudier, Kellen Richmond, and Ian Kinkelaar each tallied two receptions for 40, 30 and 22 yards respectively.

Effingham’s lone takeaway belonged to Luke Harper, who intercepted a tipped Kehrer pass in the fourth quarter.

The Hearts’ home opener is next up as they welcome Mt. Carmel to Klosterman Field. The Golden Aces are coming off a 50-22 home win over Du Quoin.

SCORING SUMMARY
1Q, 10:41, BC (0-7) – 7-yard run, Login Smith – Alex Athmer kick good (3 plays, 56 yds, 1:19)
1Q, 3:53, EHS (6-7) – 30-yard pass, Jack Hartman to Brayden Baudier – Brady Patnaude kick no good (4 plays, 78 yds, 1:47)
1Q, 0:51.3, BC (6-13) – 48-yard pass, Owen Kehrer to Carson Weber – 2pt conversion no good (8 plays, 95 yds, 3:02)
2Q, 11:39, BC (6-20) – 31-yard pass, Kehrer to Athmer – Athmer kick good (1 play, 31 yds, 0:07)
2Q, 10:13, EHS (13-20) – 70-yard pass, Hartman to Maxx Kistler, Patnaude kick good (4 plays, 83 yds, 1:33)
2Q, 5:41, EHS (20-20) – 75-yard pass, Hartman to Jenner Pals, Patnaude kick good (4 plays, 80 yds, 0:28)
2Q, 0:15.6, BC (20-27) – 1-yard run, Kehrer – Athmer kick good (10 plays, 67 yds, 5:25)
3Q, 5:22, BC (20-34) – 4-yard pass, Kehrer to Keylan Jackson – Athmer kick good (5 plays, 24 yds, 2:30)
4Q, 9:52, BC (20-41) – 1-yard run, Kehrer – Jackson Langhauser kick good (13 plays, 59 yds, 5:08)

EFFINGHAM
Rushing: Lexton Roberts, 10 for 26 yds; Bryden Kade, 6 for 10 yds; Jack Hartman, 1 for -1 yd; Jenner Keyes, 8 for 55 yds; Brady Patnaude, 1 for -23 yds.
Passing: Jack Hartman, 11-for-17, 264 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT; Jenner Keyes, 2-for-5, 31 yds.
Receiving: Jenner Pals, 4 for 118 yds, TD; Maxx Kistler, 4 for 86 yds, TD; Brayden Baudier, 2 for 40 yds, TD; Ian Kinkelaar, 2 for 22 yds; Kellen Richmond, 2 for 30 yds.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 362 yds on 48 plays (26 rushes for 67 yds, 22 passes for 295 yds).

BREESE CENTRAL
Rushing: Owen Kehrer, 13 for 98 yds, 2 TD; Login Smith, 16 for 57 yds, TD; Manny Velazquez, 5 for 18 yds; Cooper Martin, 2 for 2 yds; Lane Haas, 1 for -5 yds.
Passing: Owen Kehrer, 12-for-22, 210 yds, 3 TD, INT; Lane Haas, 1-for-1, 1 yd.
Receiving: Carson Weber, 6 for 139 yds, TD; Cooper Martin, 1 for 3 yds; Logan Sutton, 1 for -3 yds; Alex Athmer, 2 for 36 yds, TD; Koltin Schroeder, 1 for 10 yds; Keylan Jackson, 1 for 4 yds, TD; Carson Markwell, 1 for 12 yds; Bryce Henss, 1 for 1 yd.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 381 yds on 60 plays (37 rushes for 170 yds; 23 passes for 211 yds).

TURNOVERS: Effingham 1, Breese Central 1.

PENALTIES: Effingham – 8 for 56 yds. Breese Central – 5 for 35 yds.

FIRST DOWNS: Effingham 12 (4 rushing, 8 passing), Breese Central 22 (13 rushing, 8 passing, 1 by penalty).