The Effingham Flaming Hearts boys basketball team won the Apollo Conference this year with an in-conference record of 9-1. The first place Hearts had three players selected for the All-Conference team. Effingham’s Grant Wolfe Jacob Donaldson, and Sean Zerrusen were among the 11 players selected. Wolfe was the top vote getter in the conference. Other selections were Braden Smith and Drake Jeffries of Mattoon, Jonah Smith, Charles Kuhle, and Kevin Cox of Mt. Zion, Logan Clayton and Lane Ruppert of Taylorville, and Blaze Taylor Lutz of Charleston.
The Effingham girls team finished fourth in the conference with a record of 5-5. The Hearts were 20-11 overall. Carsyn Fearday was Effingham’s lone All-Conference selection in girls basketball. Other All-Conference selections were Morgan Sherwood, Dakota Crowder, and Paige Swango of Charleston, Avery Jackson and Sierra Thompson of Mattoon, Emily Baer of Salem, Alli Davis of Mt. Zion, and Kailey Talley of Taylorville.