Two teams enter Baker Gym with losing records but Effingham is thriving in Apollo. The Jekyll and Hyde situation have the Hearts heading into their game with Charleston with a 3-0 conference record. If the Trojans don’t take care of home court, the Hearts could keep competing with Mount Zion, also 3-0, at the top of the conference. 

Here is tonight’s preview:

Team Records: Charleston (2-4, 1-3) vs. Effingham (4-6, 3-0)

Where: Charleston High School

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at Charleston High School

School Size: Charleston (796), Effingham (736)

JV Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m.

Varsity Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m.

Opponent’s History: Obie Farmer enters his fifth season with the Hearts. He owns a combined 63-46 record with the games played this year. Farmer led the team to records of 17-6, 18-13, and 17-1 in his first three seasons. That included winning the Apollo in 2021. Last year, the team finished 10-22 and last in the Apollo with a 1-11 record. 

Effingham’s Past Results: Effingham participated in the Effingham St. Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament to start the season. The team lost all three games of pool play. That began with a 58-32 loss to Breese Central, an 81-66 loss to Robinson, and a 54-58 loss to St. Anthony. The team also owns non-conference losses to Mascoutah 45-41, Teutopolis 66-38, and Mount Vernon 71-59. However, the team is 3-0 in Apollo play with a 60-57 win over Taylorville, a 50-44 win over Mahomet-Seymour, and a 63-48 win over Mattoon. 

Effingham’s Top Players: Garrett Wolfe is the team’s leading scorer from last year. Wolfe was an All-Apollo selection as a junior and has been a starter since he was a sophomore. All-Apollo cross-country runner Andrew Donaldson returns as a starter as well. The team has four freshmen on the roster. 

Effingham’s Team Stats:  The Hearts are averaging 53.2 points and allowing 58.3 points per game. 

Charleston’s Past Results: Charleston defeated Sullivan 49-44 on Saturday. On Tuesday, the team lost to Robinson 78-62. William Applegate scored 23 points while Caleb Oakley added 19 points. Luke Bonnstetter added 14 points. 

Charleston’s Team Stats:  Charleston is averaging 47.1 points per game and allowing 59.5 points per game.