Missed opportunities, turnovers and penalties were the themes of the game for Effingham. As Charleston took advantage and snapped a decade long drought against the Hearts, winning on their homecoming game 21-17.
Effingham started off the game on their first possession driving down the field and finishing off a ten play 67 yard drive, a nine yard Weldon Dunston rushing touchdown. The TD was set by a 29 yard pass from QB Gaige Gillum to Andrew Lotz and Effingham would take the lead 7-0. The lead would be short lived, as Charleston would punch it in from three yards out by tailback Brett Spour to even things up at 7. Then from there both teams traded punts and turnover on downs. Until Spour broke one off, taking it to the right side picking up a block and was gone. The 53 yard touchdown put Charleston on top 14-7. Effingham with just over two minutes left in the half, the Hearts would march down the field only to see a Gillum scramble to the goal line get called back due to an illegal procedure. That forced Effingham with three seconds left to settle for a 31 yard field goal by Maicol Sefton to make the score 14-10 at halftime.
Effingham deferred to the second half so they got the ball first. After a couple of big runs by Dunston and Gillum, the drive eventually led to the Hearts takeing the lead 17-14 with a 8 yard scramble and dive to the pylon from Gillum.
Then the momentum shifted.
After a punt by Charleston, Effingham would lost a fumble giving the ball to Charleston on the Hearts 42 yard line. The drive did end up going 10 plays despite the short field, and a TD got called back due to a tripping penalty. The drive however would end up in six points anyways, as Charleston got close enough for fullback Ben Coffey to plunge it in to give the Trojans the lead back 21-17.
On the ensuing kick off Jacob Weaver would field it at the 10 yard line and get some good blocking returning it into Charleston territory at the 31. Unfortunately that drive would end with a turnover on downs.
The both teams would exchange turnovers after that. A Trojan drive stalled out and on the first play of Effingham’s ensuing drive, a bad exchange put the ball on the turf and Charleston would recover.
Charleston would have the ball on the 12 yard line only for Luke Bonnstetter throwing an interception on 4th down to Wade Bushur.
Effingham had one more chance to make something happen and soon after three straight first downs, Gillum would throw an interception to Langdon King ending the comeback attempt.
Charleston victorious on homecoming improving to 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in the Apollo. The Trojans also snapped a losing streak to the Hearts. As it was Charleston’s first victory over Effingham since 2012.
Effingham falls to 2-3 on the season and return home to Klosterman Field at Washington Saving Bank Stadium to host their own homecoming against Taylorville.
Hear Coach Hefner Reactions After The Game
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||
EHS | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
CHS | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter 7:06 10 plays 67 yards 9 Yd TD Run Dunston PAT Good (Sefton) 7-0
1st Quarter 2:33 9 plays 75 yards 3 Yd TD Run Spour PAT Good (Weber) 7-7
2nd Quarter 1:48 3 plays 55 yds 53 Yd TD Run Spour PAT Good (Weber) 14-7
2nd Quarter 0.0 6 plays 56 yds 31 Yd FG Sefton 14-10
3rd Quarter 10:11 5 plays 75 yards 8 Yd TD Run Gillum PAT Good (Sefton) 17-14
3rd Quarter 1:40 10 plays 42 yards 1 Yd TD Run Coffey 21-17
Effingham Stats
Gillum 6/12 97 yards 1 INT 11 carries 95 yards TD
Dunston 26 carries 136 yards TD
Lotz 3 receptions 60 yards
Belcher 3 receptions 37 yards
Charleston Stats
Bonnstetter 12/22 147 yds 1 INT
Spour 20 carries 89 yards 2 TDs
Coffey 1 carry 1 yard TD
King 3 receptions 28 yards
Nelson 6 receptions 81 yards
Shrader 1 receptions 12 yards
Clements 1 receptions 6 yards
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