Panthers seek return to playoffs

If you’re going to have one of the toughest Class 3A schedules in the state, it’s helpful to have some experience on your side.

That’s certainly the case with the 2023 Creston football team, led by a senior class of 25 players returning from last year’s 6-4 playoff team. That’s the highest number of seniors on a Panther team this century, approached only by 22 seniors on the 2002 team, 21 in 2006 and 20 in 2016. The 1989 team that included current Creston activities director Scott Driskell at quarterback, assistant coach Chad Briley at receiver and all-state lineman Clint Luther, father of current Panther center Jagger Luther, also had 21 seniors.

Coming off consecutive six-win seasons — Creston was 17th on the RPI scale in 2021 to miss a playoff berth by one position — head coach Brian Morrison said the varsity experience on this year’s team will be valuable in a gauntlet of a schedule.

“This senior class has been a huge part of our success the last two years,” Morrison said. “A majority of them started as sophomores and a lot more of them played quality minutes as juniors. We knew they were a good unit. They were 8-1 in a very tough schedule when they were freshmen. Lewis Central was their only loss that season.”

The 2023 graduating senior class left some holes in the lineup, including all-district defensive back Gannon Greenwalt, both inside linebackers and all-district quarterback Kyle Strider. Last year Strider completed 118 of 235 passes for 1,766 yards (ranked fifth in Class 3A) and 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Greenwalt led the team in total tackles (54.5).

Senior Cael Turner will shift to quarterback from wide receiver, where he had a team-high 34 catches for 532 yards and four TDs. Turner was quarterback of that 8-1 freshman team and played the position in middle school. His shift to receiver was to get on the field with his big-play capability while Strider was completing his career at quarterback.

While opponents haven’t seen much of Turner behind center, Morrison said he has tremendous upside. It’s a similar situation as 2014, when Alex Nielsen became an all-state quarterback for Creston’s only UNI-Dome semifinalist team in his one year as varsity quarterback, after playing defense and backing up quarterback Brandon Phipps the previous season. Phipps is now Turner’s position coach on the Panther staff.

“Cael Turner is a good one,” Morrison said. “He was the backup to Strider so we put him at safety and receiver. He’s back at quarterback and looked good this summer. He runs the ball well and throws the ball accurately. He is so athletic, he can be a difference maker for us. I really think he will be one of the better quarterbacks in the state in Class 3A. He’s really thriving in this offense.”

The offense has a slightly different look this year under new offensive coordinator Garrison Carter, head coach of last year’s ADM team that advanced to the UNI-Dome in a 49-35 semifinal loss to state champion Harlan. Carter is a volunteer member of the coaching staff and teaching in Creston this year.

“Our offensive concepts really didn’t change, as far as our base stuff,” Morrison said. “But, how we call it in, how we name the formations, that’s all completely different. The no-huddle system is new for us. It’s a high-tempo offense that puts a lot of stress on the defense with its shifts and motions. It’s a tough preparation in one week.”

Leading rusher returns

While the passing game was on full display in Friday’s scrimmage against Class 4A 2022 semifinalist Carlisle, the primary weapon in Creston’s offense is returning all-state running back Brennan Hayes. The 6-1, 195-pound senior rushed for 1,338 yards (fourth in 3A) and 11 touchdowns last year. He also caught eight passes for 89 yards and two TDs.

As a sophomore, Hayes shared backfield duty with older brother Briley (now at Simpson College) and rushed for 687 yards, while Briley led the team with 865 yards. According to Morrison, Hayes is poised for an even better season as a senior.

“Brennan has put in a lot of work since last football season,” Morrison said. “He tested out in the weight room at the end of the summer as impressive as anyone since I’ve been here. Pound for pound, he’s probably the strongest kid we have. He’s just explosive on the squat rack — he had 425 on the rack and did it twice. He’s been great on the bench press, the hand clean. He ran a 4.54 40-yards. We don’t get many kids weighing 195 running a legit 4.54. He holds the pro agility drill school record. He wants to be the best.”

Morrison said Hayes has big-play capability.

“Brennan is another one of those elite-type kids,” Morrison said. “If you don’t get him in the tackle box, you’re in trouble. It’s one cut and gone. Then you throw in (running back) Weston Trapp. I know Nevada has an all-state running back returning with stats similar to Brennan’s, but who has two backs like Brennan Hayes and Weston Trapp in 3A?”

The receiving corps is deep, even with Turner’s position switch. Xander Drake, Dylan Calvin, Brandon Briley, Casen Dryden and Tyler Riley are all in the mix, along with tight ends Carson Rieck and Josh Schaefer. Briley, Calvin and Drake combined for 968 receiving yards and six TDs last year. Drake aggravated a minor knee injury Friday and his status this week was unknown after the scrimmage.

The offensive line features all-district tackle Quinten Fuller and center Jagger Luther, who received all-district honorable mention last year. Tucker Rohrig and Gunner Martwick are guards, with Lucas Rushing able to help at both guard and tackle. Brayton Schoon and Rushing have worked at the tackle spot opposite of Fuller. In certain formations, all-district defensive lineman Max Chapman can provide extra push.

But, for the most part Creston is going with separate offensive and defensive platoons this season. Combined with the fast pace of the no-huddle offense, Morrison hopes it pays off late in games against district opponents.

“We’re playing some 4A teams in non-district that will platoon, so it won’t be an advantage there,” Morrison said. “But we should be in good shape against 3A teams. Not that we don’t have some crossover guys like Drake and Calvin going both ways, but we’re mostly in a platoon situation.”

Defensive outlook

Thomas Mikkelsen, a physical 210-pound freshman who started varsity in baseball last summer, holds the nose tackle position on the defensive line, flanked by the 6-4, 260-pound Chapman and 205-pound Jackson Kerr at ends in the three-man front. Other defensive line candidates include Jayden Myers and Wyatt Barber. Chapman was particularly disruptive to Carlisle’s interior running game Friday night, although some sweeps did go for extended yardage.

“We’re hoping we can clog up the line of scrimmage and have everything spill to the outside, so we don’t have safeties tackling a kid going 100 miles an hour right at them,” Morrison said. “The long runs against us in the scrimmage were guys out of position. That’s why we scrimmage a good team like that, so we can work on the little details before next week. For the most part I thought we competed very well against a Class 4A semifinal team.”

Both Carlisle and Creston had one touchdown drive in the varsity scrimmage, although other drives were cut short by the limit of 12 offensive plays at a time before switching possession in the controlled format. Creston’s touchdown was an 18-yard pass from Turner to Briley.

Ty Morrison, now playing at Iowa Central, and Austin Seaton were graduating inside linebackers on last year’s team. Will Bolinger and Lucas Travis will step into those roles. Tyson Looney and Aiden Snodgrass are also working at those spots.

The outside linebacker corps is deep in talent, led by all-district senior Austin Evans, second on the team last year with 46.5 tackles. Two other wrestling teammates of Evans, Milo Staver and Lincoln Keeler, are vying for time at the other outside backer position.

McCoy Haines, who received all-district honorable mention last year, moves from cornerback to safety in this year’s secondary. Dillon Starlin and Jack Walter are other safeties. Calvin, a second-team all-district player as a junior, is at cornerback with Drake and promising sophomore Seth Gordon. Starlin and Walter can play at either safety or corner, Morrison said.

Hayes, Haines and freshman Joaquin are all capable placekickers, and Calvin returns as punter, backed up by Haines. The quartet of Calvin, Drake, Briley and Tripp are all breakaway threats as kickoff and punt returners.

Tough schedule

Creston certainly will be challenged in non-district play prior to opening Class 3A District 6 competition Sept. 22 on homecoming weekend against two-time defending state champion Harlan.

The Panthers open at home Friday against Class 4A Winterset before traveling to Lewis Central, which was Class 4A state runner-up to Cedar Rapids Xavier last year. (LC topped Carlisle 42-21 in the semifinals.)

The Panthers return home Sept. 8 against Class 4A Ballard before ending non-district play at Class 3A Carroll. The new District 6 includes Atlantic, which edged Creston for third place in the district in a 5-4 season last year, and a Nevada team coming off a run to the 2022 quarterfinals with an 8-3 record. Knoxville and Perry are the other district opponents.

Harlan lost several weapons from its championship run, but returns speedy all-state receiver Cade Sears. Atlantic also has an all-state receiver in Colton Rasmussen.

Four District 6 teams appear in the Bound Iowa Class 3A preseason top 10, led by Harlan at No. 5 and followed in order by Nevada, Creston and Atlantic in sixth through eighth.

“It’s a tough schedule, no doubt,” Morrison said. “As far as the RPI system, there can’t be another 3A team with a tougher one. It helps to have quality opponents, but I still think winning games is more important in this system than any other scenario. We just have to keep getting better as a football team each week and hope that we stay healthy.”