EDN WEEK 2 FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Effingham has hands full with Sission, Mt. Carmel; Newton travels to Paxton, Cumberland to Niantic
Aug. 31—EFFINGHAM — Week 2 of the high school football season is upon us and all three area teams are gearing up for it.
Here in Effingham County, the Flaming Hearts, who defeated Robinson in Week 1, will take on Mt. Carmel — out of the Little Illini Conference — at Klosterman Field at Washington Savings Bank Stadium.
In Jasper County, the Eagles, who lost to Shelbyville in Week 1, will travel to Paxton-Buckley-Loda and in Cumberland County, the Pirates, who defeated Cerro-Gordo/Bement in Week 1 at Pirate Field, will travel to Niantic (Sangamon Valley)/Buffalo (Tri-City).
Below is a breakdown of each matchup — if stats were provided — and a look at the opponents.
Flaming Hearts vs. Mt. Carmel Golden Aces
The Effingham Flaming Hearts will take on the Mt. Carmel Golden Aces in Week 2, following a 31-7 victory over Robinson in Week 1. Effingham looked the part on defense against the Maroons, accounting for 49 total tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. Senior Zach Donaldson led the Hearts (1-0) with seven tackles, five solo. Seniors Jacob Weaver and Spencer Fox finished with six. Juniors Kaden Koeberlein and Michael Love and seniors Eli Middendorf and Charlie Ring finished with five. Senior Camden Raddatz and junior Kayden Mietzner finished with four and senior Maddox Burner and sophomore Wade Bushur had one on the night. Bushur also added an interception in the first quarter and Raddatz recovered a fumble in the fourth near the goal line. Offensively, senior quarterback Gaige Gillum completed five of his 11 passes for 91 yards and one touchdown. Junior Colten Webb was the recipient of his touchdown throw, catching the ball in the back of the end zone for a two-yard score. Senior Andrew Lotz caught one pass for 42 yards. Junior Brodie Belcher had one catch for 23 yards and senior Hunter Reed had two catches for 24 yards. Junior running back Weldon Dunston was the highlight for the Hearts on the offensive side of the ball. He rushed for 217 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns. Dunston averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Gillum also rushed for 60 yards on eight carries and one score. Effingham will have its hands full this week, however. Mt. Carmel is coming off a loss in Week 1 to Gibson Southern out of Fort Branch, Ind. The Golden Aces lost 21-14. The key player to watch for Mt. Carmel is 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior athlete Blayne Sission, who is committed to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
Eagles vs. Paxton-Buckley-Loda Panthers
Newton travels to Ford County on Friday night for a matchup against Paxton-Buckley-Loda, out of the Illini Prairie Conference. The Eagles (0-1) lost last week to Shelbyville, 42-7. The defense struggled for Newton, as the Rams scored on each of their first five drives of the game. Byron Ashley scored the lone touchdown for Newton with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter. Altogether, the Eagles rushed for 64 yards on 20 carries. Quarterback Max Meinhart threw for 118 yards on 11-of-26 passing. Payton Harris caught six passes for 61 yards and Gus Bierman had two catches for 52 yards. Paxton-Buckley-Loda is coming off a win over Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central), 46-39, in Week 1. Junior quarterback Conner Vaughn leads the Panthers under-center. He threw for 168 yards on 9-of-13 passes and two touchdowns in Week 1. Sophomore wide receiver Kayden Vance caught three passes for 82 yards and two scores. Junior Robert Boyd-Meents added two catches for 56 yards and senior Noah Steiner finished with three catches for 28 yards. Boyd-Meents was equally as good in the backfield, as well, rushing for 244 yards on 27 carries and four scores.
Pirates vs. Niantic (Sangamon Valley)/Buffalo (Tri-City) Storm
The Cumberland Pirates take on Lincoln Prairie Conference foe Niantic (Sangamon Valley)/Buffalo (Tri-City) in Week 2. The Storm won their Week 1 matchup against Tri-County, 14-0. There were no stats available for either team. Cumberland is 1-0 and 1-0 in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.
Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at {span}618-510-9231{/span} or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.
