Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Effingham). They strolled past the Charleston Trojans with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 51-35. Given the Hearts' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 174th, while the Trojans are ranked 365th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jaxon Bridges
| 09/19/25 @ Charleston | 148 |
| 09/12/25 vs Mater Dei | 60 |
| 09/05/25 @ Mt. Carmel | 130.6 |
| 08/29/25 vs Breese Central | 69.9 |
| 10/25/24 vs Centralia | 73.1 |
| + 5 more games |
Jaxon Bridges was nothing short of spectacular: he threw for 278 yards and four TDs while completing 72% of his passes. What's more, he racked up 148 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September of 2024. Effingham's leading receiver Jenner Pals was Bridges' top target yet again, picking up 140 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
The victory (which was Effingham's third in a row) raised their record to 3-1. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.7 points over those games. As for Charleston, they are on a ten-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-4.
We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Effingham will challenge rival Taylorville at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, Charleston is set to square off against their familiar foe Mattoon at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
