Story and photos by Chet Piotrowski

With 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jacob Roe hauled in his third touchdown pass of the night to pull the Trojans to within 26-22 of the Hearts. The two-point conversion failed.

On the ensuing kickoff, Charleston attempted its second onside kick of the contest, but the kick only went five yards before stopping and possession turned over to Effingham.

Effingham’s Spencer Fox sealed the JV football win with a long gain before the Hearts knelt to let time expire.

“I thought they (his players) played hard tonight,” Coach Morgan Biggs said. “I appreciate the fight til the end. We were down, and they didn’t give up. I wish we could’ve came away with the win but I saw a lot of greatt things out there.”

The Trojans scored twice off their two-minute offense led by freshman quarterback Luke Bonnsetter.

“Luke Bonnsetter is a blessing,” he said. “He makes me look better than what I think I am. I definitely appreciate that kid. He works hard every day. He’s a natural leader.”

Biggs took the blame for a first quarter interception that led to Effingham’s first touchdown. 

“We had an early interception on our first drive,” he said. “I’ll take the blame for that one. There was a little bit of confusion on the play call. I did get the play in late and Luke was a bit rushed and felt like he had to try to make a play happen.”

Bonsetter passing to Roe worked consistently against the Hearts defense.

“It was a great night for Jacob Roe,” Biggs said. “It was the first touchdown he ever caught.”

When asked if Roe was keeping the ball, Biggs replied: “I have no issues giving him that game ball. I think he deserved it. He’s a great player. Very unselfish, and does a lot of amazing things out there that a lot of people don’t pick up on. I think he’s earned it.”

  • Charleston’s Jacob Roe is tackled by an Effingham defender. The sophomore receiver not only scored his first career touchdown, but also added two more and a two-point conversion. (Photo Chet Piotrowski)
  • Charleston’s Josh Lynn, Parker Pounds, and Jacob Roe try to tackle Effingham’s Weldon Dunston at Effingham during the Trojans 26-22 loss Monday evening. (Photo/Chet Piotrowski)