Hearts Battle, Come Up Just Short of Playoff Berth in 21-16 Loss at Centralia 

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The story of Effingham High School’s football game Friday at Centralia mirrors the story of the Flaming Hearts’ 2025 season: an admirable effort against quality opposition, but an effort that ultimately came up *just* a little short.

EHS gave the Orphans all they wanted on their home field and put together a final, potentially game-winning drive, but an interception with 1:15 left in the game sealed a 21-16 Centralia victory and ended a second straight Effingham season one win shy of playoff eligibility.

After forcing the fifth Centralia punt of the night, Effingham began its last possession at its own 15 and marched all the way to the Orphan 33 needing a touchdown to win. Quarterback Jaxon Bridges tried to thread a tight window over the middle to Jenner Pals, but a good throw was thwarted by even better coverage as defensive back Jalen Jackson ripped the ball away from Pals and allowed his Orphans to kneel out the clock for their seventh win.

Effingham had already scored once in that fourth quarter, pulling within five points when Bridges found Brayden Tucker for a four-yard TD pass with 9:12 left. The Hearts’ defense proceeded to hold Centralia at bay a couple more times and at least give the team a chance to complete the comeback, but it was not to be.

The Hearts led 9-0 at one point, finding the end zone on their opening possession and adding a safety midway through the second quarter. Max Buzzard intercepted a pass on Centralia’s first possession, just the fifth time all year an Orphan pass has been picked off.

The Orphans finally found a little rhythm, however, and scored the game’s next three touchdowns: one a couple minutes before halftime, one just 50 seconds into the second half, and the last one with four minutes to go in the third quarter.

Bridges found Pals in the back of the end zone from 15 yards out for that first EHS touchdown, capping off a quick game-opening drive with a perfect throw and some nifty footwork to stay in bounds. The Hearts only had to move the ball 37 yards thanks to Kistler’s 33-yard return of a short opening kickoff.

The safety was courtesy of Mason Bushue, who blocked a punt through the back of the end zone after Effingham (and a couple penalties) backed the Orphans up to their own 9. That was a stretch in the game when the Effingham pass rush was giving Centralia quarterback Archie Goewey fits; Bushue and Max Flack were a regular presence in the Orphan backfield.

Goewey, an impressive sophomore in his second year as Centralia’s starting QB, was limited to 115 yards on 10-of-17 passing but did find his favorite target, Kenny Bratton, for a 43-yard TD to spoil a Hearts blitz and give Centralia the lead for good at 14-9 just under a minute into the second half. Centralia’s other two scores were rushing touchdowns from Mike Brown and Will Stanton, but overall the Orphans’ normally high-powered offense managed just 183 yards in one of Effingham’s best defensive efforts of the year.

Bridges finished the game 14-for-25 for 210 yards and a couple scores along with the unfortunate final interception. The senior signal-caller cemented one more line in the EHS single-season record book as he came into the game eight completions shy of Nate Shackelford’s 2019 record of 158. Bridges had already set the record for attempts (also formerly belonging to Shackelford) as he entered Week 9 with 247; Shackelford made 235 attempts in 2019’s 13-game season.

Pals caught four passes, all in the first half, for 120 yards. Among his catches was a 53-yarder in traffic that got EHS to Centralia’s 11 in the waning moments of the first half, although that ultimately didn’t lead to points as the Hearts – having already used all their time outs – missed an extremely hurried 35-yard field goal attempt just the clock expired.

Two Effingham touchdowns also meant two more Maicol Sefton extra points; the senior kicker ends his EHS football career 84-for-96 on PATs. That’s the most ever for a career, as well as his 11 field goals. His 43-yarder a couple years ago at Mt. Carmel is also a school record.

SCORING SUMMARY
1Q, 8:19, EHS (7-0) – 14-yard pass, Bridges to Pals – Sefton kick good (9 plays, 37 yds, 3:41)
2Q, 6:58, EHS (9-0) – Safety
2Q, 1:57, CHS (9-7) – 6-yard run, Stanton – Taylor kick good (7 plays, 49 yds, 2:57)
3Q, 11:10, CHS (9-14) – 43-yard pass, Goewey to Ke. Bratton – Taylor kick good (4 plays, 50 yds, 0:50)
3Q, 4:06, CHS (9-21) – 3-yard run, Brown – Taylor kick good (10 plays, 67 yds, 3:25)
4Q, 9:12, EHS (16-21) – 4-yard pass, Bridges to Tucker – Sefton kick good (8 plays, 75 yds, 4:00)

EFFINGHAM
Rushing: Roberts, 17 for 52 yds; Latham, 4 for 21 yds; Bridges 13 for 1 yd; Kade, 1 for -4 yds.
Passing: Bridges, 14-for-25, 210 yds, 2 TD, INT.
Receiving: Kistler, 6 for 73 yds; Pals, 4 for 120 yds, TD; Tucker, 2 for 8 yds, TD; Kalber, 1 for 7 yds.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 280 yds on 61 plays (36 rushes for 70 yds; 25 passes for 210 yds).

CENTRALIA
Rushing: Brown, 16 for 75 yds, TD; Stanton, 2 for 11 yds; Goewey, 7 for -26 yds; Jackson, 2 for 6 yds; Brammeier, 1 for 2 yds.
Passing: Goewey, 10-for-17, 115 yds, TD, INT.
Receiving: Ke. Bratton, 4 for 75 yds, TD; Jackson, 3 for 25 yds; McClain, 2 for 15 yds; Brammeier, 1 for 0 yds.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 183 yds on 45 plays (28 rushes for 68 yds; 17 passes for 115 yds).

TURNOVERS: Effingham 1, Centralia 1.

PENALTIES: Effingham – 11 for 111 yds. Centralia – 10 for 100 yds.

FIRST DOWNS: Effingham 17 (8 rushing, 6 passing, 3 by penalty), Centralia 9 (5 rushing, 4 passing).