Panthers dethrone Cyclones in redemption matchup

With less than a minute left in regulation, the two-time defending Class 3A state champions, the Harlan Cyclones (3-2), looked for the end zone on fourth-and-9 to take their first lead of the game and a victory over the Creston Panthers (5-0).

But it wasn’t meant to be for the Cyclones, the Panthers’ Lucas Travis and Lincoln Keeler finding the stop for a thrilling 25-22 homecoming victory Friday.

The matchup between the No. 2 and No. 6 Class 3A teams in the weekly AP rankings was highly anticipated all week, and the game lived up to its hype.

The win broke a six-year losing streak, the Cyclones outscoring the Panthers 263-26 in those matchups. There’s no doubt the Panthers and their fans wanted redemption this year.

“All week, we’ve been saying we’ve got to believe,” senior defensive back Dylan Calvin said. “Last year, we lost 56-12 to these guys. Tonight was big. We knew we had to come out here and win.”

Though it was standing room only in the Panthers’ stands, there was one special person missing from the night. Calvin’s dad, Joe, was a Panther powerhouse athlete in football, basketball and baseball. Though Joe passed away unexpectedly in 2021, retired CNA sportswriter Larry Peterson said he would have really enjoyed this season.

“A lot of the dads of these guys coached in the junior padded league,” Peterson explained. “Joe was one of those guys. He was saying way back that this was going to be a special team, you just wait until they get to high school.”

Dylan came down with a big interception, his third of the season, in the first half and a pass deflection on fourth-and-19 in the third quarter to turn the ball over on downs. He had five solo tackles.

“It really didn’t matter what sport Joe played, he had a knack for a big play,” Peterson said. “It made me smile seeing Dylan make that interception in a big game like that. He reminds me of him, no fear covering an all-state receiver like Cade Sears and the great receiver from Lewis Central. He’s got a good knack for breaking on the ball.”

After the game, Peterson captured a touching moment between defensive teammates Will Bolinger and Dylan, Bolinger pointing up to where Joe is surely watching his son be a playmaker in a huge game.

Flushing mistakes

Last week, receiver Brandon Briley said the Panthers would need to not make mistakes in order to take down their rivals and earn their redemption victory, but Friday’s game was far from perfect.

“We preach to the kids, you’re not going to play perfect in football,” Creston coach Brandon Morrison said. “You’re going to make mistakes - just flush the last play and move onto the next play. They did that.”

The Panthers came out the same as they did against Carroll with a three-and-out.

Linebacker Austin Evans, a team captain, said coming onto the field after the first drive, he knew the defensive players just had to do their jobs.

“We’ve just got to get our offense in good field position,” he said. “We don’t even want to be on the field, we want our offense on the field as much as possible. The offense, as you can see, they’re going to put up a lot of points this year.”

The defensive unit did just that, allowing only 14 yards in seven plays by the Cyclones before getting the ball back to the offense.

Evans logged a 6.5 total tackles and a tackle for loss. Jack Walters led the defense with 11.5 total tackles including nine solo and a tackle for loss. McCoy Haines added eight total and seven solo.

On the next drive, the Panthers marched down, quarterback Cael Turner finding Briley for a 31-yard touchdown. An ineligible receiver downfield penalty brought the Panthers back for another try.

This time it was all-state running back Brennan Hayes with the 11-yard touchdown. Once again a penalty negated the touchdown.

On first-and-25, Turner’s pass to Hayes was incomplete. On second down, Turner tried to scramble, but took a big sack to set up third-and-33 from the 34-yard line.

Josh Schaefer caught a 7-yard reception, but it was still fourth and long. As Turner scrambled on fourth down, he was victim to a helmet-to-helmet hit by a Cyclones defensive player. The penalty advanced the ball to the 12-yard line, but it was still fourth down.

Turner took the snap, finding Hayes who made it in for the third touchdown of the drive, the first to count. Aggressive from the get-go, the Panthers went for two, Weston Trapp pushing it in to take an 8-0 lead with 2:06 left in the first quarter.

Hayes said the drive was a standout moment for him in the game. “That just showed that we could get it done on two or three plays scoring touchdowns,” he said.

Throughout the game, the Panthers struggled with penalties, but despite the errors, the Cyclones never took the lead.

“That shows a lot about the resilience of our team,” Turner said. “The way we bounced back, we were shooting ourself in the foot today. We pride ourself on staying between the sticks, not losing yards on first down, and sometimes we didn’t do that. That came back to hurt us, but we pushed through.”

Turner leads Class 3A in passing yards with more than 1,300 yards and no interceptions. Against Harlan, he logged 12-24 for 127 yards and a touchdown. He also broke away for 95 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Briley has been a major target for Turner this season. Friday he had four receptions for 69 yards.

Brothers

If there’s one thing the Panthers agree on, it’s that their record-breaking group of 25 seniors is a group of brothers.

“We’re brothers,” Evans said. “We play for each other, we care for each other. We hate losing.”

Calvin agreed, saying it’s what makes this team so special. “I think it’s something historical. Our seniors have a bond that I don’t think any team’s had before,” he said. “We all play for each other. We all look after one another. It’s 35 seniors and it’s like a brotherhood – we’re all brothers.”

Hayes said the close-knit senior class is a major reason for their success. “We’ve been playing together for so many years, working together,” he explained. “Those underclassmen that step up, they mesh really well with us. There’s no hostility between the classes, we all mesh well together. It’s a great team.”

Typical unsung heroes, the offensive line, shone in the matchup, giving Turner ample time to find a playmaker in space.

“They’re awesome,” Turner said. “I love each and every one of them. Not just as a football player, but as a person, as a friend. They know how important their jobs are even though they don’t get credit for it. They do their jobs and help out the whole team.”

Starting on the offensive line for the Panthers are Quinten Fuller, Gunner Martwick, Jagger Luther, Tucker Rohrig and Brayden Schoon.

It’s this brotherhood that made Hayes step up to fill several holes on the team. With more than 1,100 all-purpose yards, Hayes leads the Panthers in rushing and receiving yards as well as rushing and receiving touchdowns.

But Friday, it wasn’t just his football prowess that led the team to the big win. Hayes put his soccer skills on display as he kicked the game-winning field goal to regain the lead after the Cyclones tied it up in the fourth quarter.

Hayes logged 22 carries for 92 yards on the ground and five receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown.

“I do it for the team,” Hayes said. “I know what I’ve got to do. We had a spot that needed to be filled and I filled it. It’s not just me that won that game, it’s the whole team.”

Calvin said the Panthers offense is unstoppable. “It’s inevitable that they’re going to score,” he said. “The field goal, that was big. I don’t think we’ve kicked a field goal to win a game ever. Brennan came up clutch with that.”

Response

Turner ran it in from the 2-yard line to get the Panthers a 15-0 lead on the Cyclones after Calvin’s interception set the offense up at midfield, but Harlan wasn’t going to roll over.

It was Harlan’s Lukas Francis who found a hole to rush for a 34-yard touchdown with 7:33 left in the half, cutting the score to 15-7.

The Panthers responded in a nine-play 73-yard drive culminating in a two-yard touchdown by Trapp, getting their lead back to 22-7. Turner had a huge 48-yard run on third down to keep the drive alive.

“That was a huge play,” Hayes said. “That was definitely one of the best plays of the game.”

On a scoring rollercoaster, the Cyclones came back with a quick touchdown, a 44-yard pass from Will Arkfeld to Sears. The score jumped to 22-14.

“They were going to get their yardage,” Morrison said. “They’ve got playmakers, they get them in space.”

Harlan Coach Todd Bladt said both teams fought hard. “We stubbed our toe on some things and made some stupid mistakes,” he said. “I’m sure they made some mistakes. Both teams are going to get a lot better from this. We could meet again.”

On their last drive before the half, the Panthers couldn’t find the end zone. As the defense took the field, they knew they couldn’t let up their one-score lead.

The Cyclones got down to about midfield when they took a shot at the end zone with five seconds left in the half. It was a man in black who came down with the ball, Jack Walters logging his first interception of the season.

The Panthers defense came back ready after the half, stopping the explosive Harlan offense with turnover on downs two drives in a row.

“That’s a good Harlan team,” Morrison said. “They got beat by one against a Class 4A powerhouse in Lewis Central. They just kept getting better, that’s what Harlan does. We got their best shot, and our kids responded numerous times, over and over again - whether it be offense, defense, special teams.”

Calvin said the defensive success came from their preparation. “We believe in ourselves. We believe in our technique,” he said. “So we just go out there and make plays.”

The third quarter went scoreless for both teams as the defenses shut down plays.

In the final quarter, Harlan found what they had been looking for — the game-tying play. It was a 97-yard drive, a 22-yard reception by Sears getting the Cyclones in Panther territory.

Going for it once again on fourth down, the Panthers hoped to get a third stop in a row, but Lukas Francis made it through the defense, a successful 2-point conversion tying the game at 22 with 7:49 left to play.

Final Stand

As the Panthers made their move to take back the lead, they faced a situation this team hasn’t seen before — the chance to kick a possibly game-winning field goal on fourth-and-6. Hayes’ kick was good, and Creston gave the ball back to Harlan with 2:44 left in the game, up by 3. The good news for Panthers fans was the Cyclones had already used all three time outs.

From the sideline, Hayes said the atmosphere was surreal. “It was amazing seeing that crowd filled, and on that last defensive stand, hearing the whole crowd yelling,” he said. “It helps them out, messes up the offense on their side.”

The Cyclones took little time to get into Panthers territory. With more than a minute left, they earned a first-and-10 at the 26-yard line, but the Panthers’ defense held out, taking the ball back with less than 30 seconds remaining to earn their first victory against Harlan since 2016.

“I just think it shows the type of kids on this team, how much we play for the guy next to us,” Evans said. “It’s for the guy next to us, it’s for our family, our community. I think we wanted that one so bad, we just stepped forward and wouldn’t let up.”

All week, Morrison preached to the team to see they’re playing for the community, the school district and former players.

“Whether it be their dads in the 80s or 90s or the last 15 years, we’ve had some really good players,” Morrison said. “They’re here, they’re watching this and they’re used to Creston playing a certain way.”

After the game, Hayes said he felt exhilarated. “It’s just crazy,” he said. “We finally got that win against

Harlan that we’ve always wanted. It’s a big rivalry, definitely a tough game.”

Turner said he couldn’t have dreamed of a better homecoming game. “I think we were ready to play this game from the beginning,” he said. “I was kind of nervous with all the distractions and extracurricular activities going on today and the parade, but it was a good time.”

Evans said the win was incredible. “That’s a huge statement for our team, our community, our fans,” he said. “That just sets the tone for the rest of the season. We’ve just got to enjoy it tonight, enjoy it this weekend, and get back to work on Monday.”

Morrison agreed, saying the season isn’t done yet, though they escaped the toughest part of their schedule unscathed.

Coming up, the Panthers face Atlantic (2-3) and Knoxville (2-3) on the road, followed by a home game against Nevada (4-1) for senior night and their final stop is in Perry (1-4).

Stats

Creston 25, Harlan 22

Points by quarter

Cr 8 14 0 3 —25

Ha 0 14 0 8—22

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

CR: Brennan Hayes 12 from Cael Turner (Weston Trapp 2pt), 2:06

Second Quarter

CR: Turner 2 run (Hayes kick), 10:46.

HA: Lukas Francis 34 run (Nolan Schwery kick), 7:33.

CR: Trapp 5 run (Hayes kick), 7:33.

HA: Cade Sears 44 from Will Arkfeld (Schwery kick), 2:00.

Third Quarter

None.

Fourth Quarter

HA: Francis run (Jozef Reisz 2pt), 7:49.

CA: Hayes 30 yard field goal, 2:34.

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TEAM STATISTICS

Cr Ha

Rushes-yards 34-201 34-213

Passing 12-24-0 20-33-2

Passing yards 127 223

Total yards 328 436

Punts-avg 4-40.25 1-36

Return yards 3-18.7 4-25.8

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — CR: Cael Turner 8-95, 1 TD; Brennan Hayes 22-92; Weston Trapp 4-19, 1 TD. HA: Lukas Francis 14-92; 2 TDs; Noah Schmitz 5-37. Will Arkfeld 7-35.

PASSING — CR: Cael Turner 12-24-0 for 127 yards, 1 TD. HA: Arkfeld 20-33-2 for 233 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs.

RECEIVING — CR: Brandon Briley 4-69; Hayes 5-39, 1 TD. HA: Cade Sears 6-88, 1 TD; Brehden Eggerss 6-78; Jozef Reisz 6-55.

PUNTS-AVG. — CR: Turner 4-40.3. HA: Franz Reisz 1-36.

TACKLE LEADERS (total-solo) — CR: Jack Walter 11.5-9; McCoy Haines 8-7; Austin Evans 6.5-3; Dylan Calvin 5.5-5; Will Bolinger 5.5-4. HA: Matthew Sorfonden 10.5-4; Quinn Koesters 6.5-5; Jozef Reisz 5-2; Bryce Van Baale 5-2.

INTERCEPTIONS — CR: Calvin 1; Walters 1 HA: None.

FUMBLE RECOVERIES — CR: None. HA: None

TACKLES FOR LOSS — CR: Walter 1; Evans 1; Bolinger 1. HA: Sorfonden 1; Franz Reisz 1; Hayden Soma 1; Alex Heithoff 1.