Published on September 12, 2026 10:46 pm
Last Updated on September 12, 2026 10:58 pm
Effingham High School racked up 30 second-half points and put together its most balanced offensive effort of the season Friday, knocking off Charleston 44-27 and finding its way into the win column for the first time this season on Military Appreciation Night at Klosterman Field.
In an Apollo Conference opener heard on 979 XFM and 979xfm.com, EHS (1-3, 1-0 Apollo) broke a 21-21 tie midway through the third quarter on a beautiful 57-yard touchdown throw from Jack Hartman to Jenner Pals and never trailed again.
Hartman hit Pals in stride as the junior wideout got behind the Trojan defense, the second time Effingham’s senior quarterback connected with Pals for a TD of longer than 50 yards. The first one was a 59-yarder late in the first quarter, tying the game at 7.
Charleston (0-4, 0-1) took the lead almost immediately when senior tailback Treylin Couch ran the first play from scrimmage 65 yards into the Effingham end zone, but once Hartman found Pals for the equalizer the Trojans never held another lead.
Couch was held in check for most of the remainder of the first half, but the immensely talented senior and defending first-team All-Apollo selection was too good to be shut down for good and kept his club in the game the rest of the night.
He broke loose for a 38-yard TD run in the final minute of the second quarter to get Charleston within 14-13 and scored twice more after halftime to finish the evening with 224 yards on 24 carries and possession of his school’s career rushing yardage record.
Effingham might not have been able to bottle up Couch forever, but it did limit the rest of the Trojan offense to a paltry 28 yards on 26 plays.
Meanwhile, the Hearts’ junior running back Lexton Roberts – fresh off his first 100-plus yard rushing night a week ago at Mater Dei – put together his best output of the year with 136 yards and two scores in his 21 touches.
Roberts punched one in late in the third quarter to get the Hearts ahead 34-21 and sealed the win for Effingham with 97 seconds left when he found paydirt once more from 18 yards out. Bryden Kade also ran one into the end zone as part of his 10-carry, 51-yard night as EHS rushed for 219 on 40 rushing plays.
Hartman was 11-for-17 for 204 passing yards and three scores; in addition to the two long TD strikes to Pals, he connected with Brayden Baudier for a 10-yard score on Effingham’s opening possession in the second half to make it 21-13 after the Brady Patnaude extra point.
Patnaude connected on five of six extra points and also converted his first varsity field goal attempt, a 25-yarder with 7:38 to go in the game that gave Effingham an important two-score lead at 37-27.
Pals nearly doubled his receiving yards total for the season with 179 yards on seven catches and also doubled his touchdown total, helping pick up the slack with leading receiver Maxx Kistler unavailable. Baudier’s TD catch was his second of the year, while Ian Kinkelaar had a couple grabs and Carter Kalber caught one pass in addition to his punt block late in the third quarter to set up a short field and an EHS score just two plays later.
Sam Waymoth recovered a fumble in the second quarter, the lone turnover of the game for either team and eventually leading to Kade’s touchdown.
With that first win under its belt, Effingham will next hit the road for more Apollo competition as it takes on Taylorville; the Tornadoes (2-2, 0-1) will be stinging a bit on the heels of a 42-7 home loss to state-ranked and undefeated Mahomet-Seymour. As always, kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with a 6:45 pregame show on your home for Hearts football, 979 XFM.
At Klosterman Field, Washington Savings Bank Stadium, Effingham High School
Charleston 7 6 14 0 – 27
Effingham 7 7 20 10 – 44
SCORING SUMMARY
1Q, 11:48, CHS (0-7) – 65-yard run, Treylin Couch – Kenny Laingen kick good (1 play, 65 yds, 0:12)
1Q, 2:28, EHS (7-7) – 59-yard pass, Jack Hartman to Jenner Pals – Brady Patnaude kick good (1 play, 59 yards, 0:09)
2Q, 7:04, EHS (14-7) – 6-yard run, Bryden Kade – Brady Patnaude kick good (6 plays, 49 yds, 1:44)
2Q, 0:46.2, CHS (14-13) – 38-yard run, Treylin Couch – Kenny Laingen kick no good (6 plays, 63 yds, 2:03)
3Q, 9:09, EHS (21-13) – 10-yard pass, Jack Hartman to Brayden Baudier – Brady Patnaude kick good (6 plays, 56 yds, 2:51)
3Q, 5:33, CHS (21-21) – 8-yard run, Treylin Couch – 2pt pass to Couch good (7 plays, 69 yds, 3:36)
3Q, 4:36, EHS (28-21) – 57-yard pass, Jack Hartman to Jenner Pals – Brady Patnaude kick good (3 plays, 58 yds, 0:57)
3Q, 2:20, EHS (34-21) – 3-yard run, Lexton Roberts – Brady Patnaude kick no good (2 plays, 22 yds, 0:37)
3Q, 0:07.9, CHS (34-27) – 39-yard run, Treylin Couch – Kenny Laingen kick no good (6 plays, 58 yds, 2:05)
4Q, 7:38, EHS (37-27) – 25-yard FG, Brady Patnaude (10 plays, 54 yds, 4:30)
4Q, 1:37, EHS (44-27) – 18-yard run, Treylin Couch – Brady Patnaude kick good (8 plays, 63 yds, 3:51)
CHARLESTON
Rushing: Treylin Couch, 24 for 228 yds, 4 TD; Blaine Taylor-Lutz, 1 for -1 yds; Brody Wilson, 4 for -13 yds (sacked twice); Josh Stewart, 2 for 4 yds.
Passing: Brody Wilson, 7-for-19, 34 yds.
Receiving: Grant Taggart, 1 for 2 yds; DreySean Eich, 1 for 9 yds; Treylin Couch, 1 for 7 yds; Lake Plummer, 1 for 11 yds; Jayden Nickens, 1 for -3 yds; Josh Stewart, 1 for 4 yds; Christian Hayes, 1 for 4 yds.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 252 yds on 50 plays (31 rushes for 218 yds; 19 passes for 34 yds).
EFFINGHAM
Rushing: Lexton Roberts, 21 for 136 yds, 2 TDs; Bryden Kade, 10 for 51 yds, TD; Jack Hartman, 4 for 7 yds; Jenner Keyes, 5 for 25 yds.
Passing: Jack Hartman, 11-for-17, 204 yds, 3 TDs; Jenner Keyes, 0-for-1.
Receiving: Jenner Pals, 7 for 179 yds, 2 TDs; Ian Kinkelaar, 2 for 12 yds; Carter Kalber, 1 for 3 yds; Brayden Baudier, 1 for 10 yds, TD.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 423 yds on 58 plays (40 rushes for 219 yds, 18 passes for 204 yds).
TURNOVERS: Charleston 1, Effingham 0.
PENALTIES: Charleston – 2 for 15 yds. Effingham – 4 for 48 yds.
FIRST DOWNS: Charleston 8 (6 rushing, 2 by penalty), Effingham 17 (13 rushing, 4 passing).