Football Game Preview: Effingham Hearts vs. Centralia Orphans

The Effingham Hearts are taking a road trip to square off against the Centralia Orphans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Effingham turned things around against Mattoon on Friday. They blew past the Greenwave 36-16. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Hearts' offense, which had struggled in the games prior.

Jaxon Bridges

Rushing Yards (Career)

10/17/25 @ Mattoon	10
09/05/25 @ Mt. Carmel	7
09/20/24 vs Mattoon	4
08/30/24 vs Robinson	3
10/04/24 @ Taylorville	2

Jaxon Bridges went supernova, throwing for 282 yards and three touchdowns, while also punching in one score on the ground. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing yards (ten). A healthy portion of Bridges' aerial production (83 yards to be exact) went to Jenner Pals.

Effingham didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Mattoon to a completion percentage of just 45.5%. The Hearts weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 61.1%.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Centralia, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They secured a 48-44 W over Mt. Vernon on Friday. The win almost wasn't to be: the Orphans were down 44-20 in the second quarter.

The victory got Effingham back to even at 4-4. As for Centralia, their record now sits at 6-2.

Effingham ended up a good deal behind Centralia when the teams last played back in October of 2024, losing 35-19. Can the Hearts avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.