Published on September 20, 2026 9:17 pm
Last Updated on September 20, 2026 9:17 pm
Effingham High School managed just four first downs in Friday night’s pivotal Apollo Conference matchup at Taylorville High School, scoring its lone touchdown late in the first quarter of a 28-7 defeat at the hands of the Tornadoes.
Taylorville (3-2, 1-1 Apollo) led 14-0 by the time the Flaming Hearts (1-4, 1-1 Apollo) got on the board, finding the end zone when Jack Hartman’s deep pass was tipped into Jenner Pals’ waiting mitts for a 74-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately that singular play represented 40 percent of Effingham’s total offense for the night, leaving just 118 yards to be amassed on the other 48 plays from scrimmage.
Even more unfortunate was the holding penalty called just before halftime on a completed pass to Carter Kalber in the end zone just seconds prior to the halftime horn. Hartman’s next toss downfield was picked off – one of Effingham’s three turnovers – to end the second quarter with the Tornadoes still up 14-7.
The Hearts defense continued to keep the doorway to victory ajar when it forced the home team to punt on the opening possession of the second half, but Effingham went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Taylorville’s next turn with the ball ended with a 48-yard scoring strike from Isaac Repscher to Wyatt Younker, the second time on the night the senior quarterback and wideout hooked up for a long TD toss.
The first came just three minutes into the game on Taylorville’s opening possession of the night. Brady Patnaude’s first of 10 punts on the evening started the Tornadoes at their own 8 and a pass for no gain followed by the first of two Cole Henderson quarterback sacks pinned them even closer to their goal line, but Repscher and Younker connected for 92 deflating yards and a quick 7-0 lead.
Repscher also punched one into the end zone from a yard out to make it 14-0 and capped the night’s scoring in the third quarter when he found Maddex Havera in the front left corner of the end zone.
At one point Effingham hassled Repscher into 10 straight incompletions and also forced a Garrett Lehman fumble on a first-and-goal play set up by a Bryden Kade fumble on the previous play; Taylorville returned that takeaway about 40 yards but the one yard it didn’t get turned out to be huge at the moment.
Clinton Metcalf picked off a pass in the later portion of the third quarter, one of three EHS takeaways. Aside from the interception and the goal line fumble, Taylorville also had a snap elude its punter in the final minute of the second quarter; Effingham recovered the loose ball on the Tornado 28 to set up the aforementioned penalty-negated equalizer from Hartman to Kalber.
As mentioned, Patnaude was called upon to punt 10 times and continued his solid contributions in that area with a pair of kicks downed at or inside the 10 and several other quality efforts to reverse field as much as possible.
Effingham already faced an uphill climb toward a possible playoff spot prior to the trip to Taylorville; that climb has now steepened significantly with state-ranked (and undefeated) Mahomet-Seymour and Centralia still remaining on the schedule along with Mt. Zion and Mattoon.
Mahomet comes to Klosterman Field this week for Effingham’s homecoming game after running out to a 30-0 first half lead on Mt. Zion and thumping the Braves 44-14. As always, kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with a 6:45 pregame show on your home for Hearts football, 979 XFM.
At Taylorville High School
Effingham 7 0 0 0 – 7
Taylorville 14 0 14 0 – 28
SCORING SUMMARY
1Q, 9:04, THS (0-7) – 92-yard pass, Isaac Repscher to Wyatt Younker – Ben Peabody kick good (3 plays, 89 yds, 1:21)
1Q, 1:47, THS (0-14) – 1-yard run, Isaac Repscher – Ben Peabody kick good (10 plays, 49 yds, 3:23)
1Q, 1:26, EHS (7-14) – 74-yard pass, Jack Hartman to Jenner Pals – Brady Patnaude kick good (1 play, 74 yds, 0:21)
3Q, 5:38, THS (7-21) – 48-yard pass, Isaac Repscher to Wyatt Younker – Ben Peabody kick good (4 plays, 73 yds, 1:38)
3Q, 0:09, THS (7-28) – 31-yard pass, Isaac Repscher to Maddex Havera – Ben Peabody kick good (4 plays, 79 yds, 0:58)
EFFINGHAM
Rushing: Lexton Roberts, 9 for 32 yds; Bryden Kade, 8 for 28 yds; Jenner Keyes, 6 for 17 yds; Jack Hartman, 3 for 4 yds.
Passing: Jack Hartman, 6-for-17, 11 yds, TD, INT; Jenner Keyes, 0-for-6, INT.
Receiving: Jenner Pals, 2 for 77 yds, TD; Maxx Kistler, 3 for 29 yds; Carter Kalber, 1 for 5 yds.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 192 yds on 49 plays (26 rushes for 81 yds, 23 passes for 111 yds).
TAYLORVILLE
Rushing: Kade Guhlstorf, 12 for 49 yds; Noah Nash, 8 for 59 yds; Isaac Repscher, 3 for -9 yds, TD; Garrett Lehman, 2 for 0 yds; James May, 2 for 14 yds.
Passing: Isaac Repscher, 13-for-30, 281 yds, 3 TD, INT; James May, 0-for-1.
Receiving: Wyatt Younker, 5 for 198 yds, 2 TD; Maddex Havera, 2 for 27 yds, TD; Blake Ladage, 3 for 34 yds; Noah Nash, 1 for 14 yds; Patrick Curtin, 1 for 8 yds.
TOTAL OFFENSE: 394 yds on 58 plays (27 rushes for 113 yds; 31 passes for 281 yds).
TURNOVERS: Effingham 3, Taylorville 3.
PENALTIES: Effingham: 9 for 81 yds. Taylorville: 8 for 75 yds.
FIRST DOWNS: Taylorville 20 (8 rushing, 9 passing, 3 by penalty), Effingham 4 (2 rushing, 1 passing, 1 by penalty).