Harlan scores early and often

The flip of a coin created the worst-case scenario relative to how Creston football coach Brian Morrison hoped to start Friday’s home game against defending state champion Harlan.

Harlan won the toss and kicked off with a strong northwest wind (15 mph gusting to 25 mph) at its back. Morrison said special teams play could be a big factor in the game, especially with Harlan kicker Stephen Leinen’s ability to create touchbacks by booting to the opposing end zone.

Facing that wind, Creston’s offense

failed to convert a first down on its first two possessions starting at the 20, and punted into the wind for net yardage of just 18 yards and 11 yards. Harlan started those two possessions on the Creston 31 and 32-yard lines, quickly converting those opportunities into touchdowns and a 14-0 lead.

When the Panthers fumbled on their own 5-yard line to start their next possession, Aidan Hall ran for the first of his four touchdowns in a 56-12 Harlan rout.

Harlan outscored Creston 35-12 after that early flurry. The Panthers improved along the way, including an 83-yard touchdown drive to finish out the first half. But, the major damage had been done.

“It was one of those deals where you give a really good football team a short field for the entire first quarter and a half, and it’s tough to dig out of a hole like that,” Morrison said. “I told the guys going in, they’re going to get their yards. They’re a potent offense. I didn’t want to give up the big play. For the most part they had to earn it, but the thing that was bad was that they had a short field.”

Harlan, now 7-1 overall, clinched the Class 3A District title at 4-0. ADM remains in second place with one loss and secures the second automatic playoff spot. Creston, now 6-2 and 2-2 in district play, remains in strong contention for an at-large playoff berth on the IHSAA’s RPI ranking with a win in Friday’s senior night matchup with Atlantic. The Trojans improved to 4-4 and 2-2 on Friday with a 55-6 win over Saydel.

“We’ve worked hard for three months, and this is going to be a big week for us because our goals are still on the table,” Morrison said. “There are no guarantees, but something really funny would have to happen for us not to get in (the playoffs) with a win over Atlantic.”

Last year, Creston closed with a win over Atlantic and missed the playoffs by one position and a fraction of a point on the RPI system. But, that was with a 6-3 record. This year, Creston would be 7-2 with a win this week, after starting out with a 4-0 non-district record.

Harlan, which came into Friday’s contest tied with Humboldt for No. 1 in 3A on the Associated Press Poll — Humboldt lost to Nevada on Friday, 16-8 — had a dynamic mix of its record-setting passing attack and a powerful rushing game fueled by fullback William Kenkel and versatile receiver/running back Aidan Hall.

Scoring plays

Creston got on the scoreboard late in the first quarter as sophomore receiver Xander Drake got behind the Cyclone secondary and caught a long pass over the middle from Kyle Strider for an 80-yard touchdown.

But, Hall took the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-7. Hall also ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 68 yards and one TD.

“Hall is an elite kid,” Morrison said. “We had him bottlenecked alright for most of the first half, but we missed some tackles on a few plays.”

Creston’s best five minutes of the game came on the heels of Hall’s 26-yard TD reception that gave the Cyclones a 35-6 lead late in the second quarter.

The Panthers drove 83 yards on 15 plays, including a 5-yard pass from Kyle Strider to Dylan Calvin on fourth-and-one at their own 40. Moments later, Strider scrambled on fourth-and-seven and got the first down by an inch.

Calvin wrestled the ball away from a Harlan defensive back for an 8-yard reception to the Harlan 2-yard line, where Strider capped the drive on a TD run as time expired in the half.

Harlan’s second touchdown of the second half made it a 49-12 game and enacted the mercy rule running clock with 5:46 remaining in the third quarter. Creston’s offense never got untracked again, advancing no farther than its own 32 in the final tw

o quarters.

“I thought the kids prepared well and showed up to play. They never quit,” Morrison said. “We just got beat. The difference between them and ADM is up front. A very physical team on both sides. We just have to focus now on having a great week and play our best game against Atlantic.”

Harlan 56, Creston 12

Points by quarter

Harlan287147—56

Creston6600—12

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

H — WIlliam Kenkel 1 run (Stephen Leinen kick), 7:58

H — Kenkel 2 run (Leinen kick), 2:45

H — Aidan Hall 5 run (Leinen kick), 1:40

Cr — Xander Drake 80 pass from Kyle Strider (kick blocked), 1:27

H — Hall 82 kickoff return (Leinen kick), 1:12

Second Quarter

H — Hall 26 pass from Teagon Kasperbauer (Leinen kick), 6:06.

Cr — Kyle Strider 2 run (pass failed), :03

Third Quarter

H — Cade Sears 23 pass from Kasperbauer (Leinen kick), 8:14

H — Hall 26 run (Leinen kick), 5:46

Fourth Quarter

H — Kenkel 4 run (Leinen kick), 2:15

—————

TEAM STATISTICS

HCr

First downs1212

Rushes-yards25-14327-42

Passing11-24-19-14-0

Passing yards151201

Total yards294243

Punts-avg.1-554-21

Return yards11232

Fumbles-lost0-01-1

Penalties-yards4-431-5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Cr: Brennan Hayes 14-32, Weston Trapp 3-11, Kyle Strider 9-(-1), Brandon Briley 1-0. H: Aidan Hall 11-107, William Kenkel 13-63, Bradley Curren 3-14, Noah Schmitz 1-1.

PASSING — Cr: Strider 11-24-1 for 201 yards. H: Teagon Kasperbauer 10-17-0 for 151 yards.

RECEIVING — Cr: Xander Drake 2-100, Brandon Briley 2-56, Dylan Calvin 4-30, Cael Turner 2-14, Trey Chesnut 1-1. H: Aidan Hall 4-68, Cade Sears 4-49, Bradley Curren 1-21, Jacob Birch 1-13.

PUNTS-AVG. — Cr: Calvin 2-14.5; Turner 2-27.5. H: Leinen 1-55.

TACKLE LEADERS — Cr: Gannon Greenwalt 7.0, Austin Evans 4.5, Cael Turner 4.0, Ty orrison 3.0, Cade Wurster 3.0, Payton Conley 2.5, McCoy Haines 2.5. H: Garrett Assman 7.0, Matthew Sorfornden 5.5, Gunnar Schmmitz 5.5, Zane Bendorf 3.5, Sam Schmitz 3.0.

INTERCEPTIONS — H: Sorfonden 1.

FUMBLE RECOVERIES — H: Bradley Curren 1.

TACKLES FOR LOSS (YARDS) — H: Schmitz 5.0, Franz Feisz 1.0, Bendorf 1.0, Matt Schwery 1.0.

SACKS — H: Schmitz 3.0.

Area scores:

Atlantic 55, Saydel 6

Clarinda 52, Red Oak 7

Fort Dodge 28 Denison-Schleswig 7

Glenwood 69, C.B. Thomas Jefferson 7

Harlan 56, Creston 12

Lenox 28, Fremont-Mills 2

Lewis Central 41, Dallas Center-Grimes 0

Mount Ayr 33, Southwest Valley 14

Panorama 36, Nodaway Valley/O-M 34

Fort Dodge 28, Denison-Schleswig 7

Martensdale-St. Marys 62, Seymour 42

Pella Christian 48, Central Decatur 14

Southeast Warren 67, Lamoni 24

Underwood 28, Kuemper Catholic 20

Van Meter 54, AC/GC 0

West Central Valley 17, Interstate 35 13

Moravia 46, Murray 6

--------

Oct. 21 playoffs

8-player

Bedford at West Harrison

Colo-NESCO at Lenox

Class A

Southwest Valley at Madrid

Ogden at Mount Ayr