Ballard quickly separates itself from Panthers

HUXLEY — Playing on a Friday the 13th, superstitions lend itself to black cats and not walking under ladders. Creston High’s football team may want to add kickoffs to that list.

Ballard (1-2) took the opening kickoff to the Creston 45-yard line to start its first possession. About five minutes later the Bombers were in the end zone for a 6-0 lead on their way to a 55-28 win over Creston.

“Special teams was an omen,” said Creston head coach Brian Morrison about the start to the game appearing to be cursed. “It put us in a bind, punt or kick off teams.”

Ballard had a fourth-and-2 at the Creston 37. A Ballard run play gave them a first down to the Creston 24. The Bombers had third-and-3 when Bombers’ Jude Gibson took off for a first down to the Creston 9. The Panther defense again held Ballard to a fourth-and-goal on the 4. The Bombers responded with a touchdown pass at the 7:16 mark. A blocked extra point gave Ballard the 6-0 lead.

Creston responded with its first possession using senior running back Weston Trapp. The Panthers were forced to punt on a fourth-and-long. Trapp mishandled the snap but rather than punt he took off running and got a first down at the Creston 42. Matching Ballard, Creston had a third-and-2 and got a first down on the Ballard 41. Moments later, Trapp took off for 34 yards to get to the Ballard 4. He would eventually score on a 4-yard run with 2:46 left in the quarter. A missed extra point attempt had the game tied at 6.

That tie only lasted a few moments.

Ballard’s Tucker Vitzhum took the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a score. The extra point gave Ballard a 13-6 advantage.

“It was just getting yards after contact,” Morrison said about the first two kickoff plays for Creston. How Ballard produced just on two kickoffs changed Creston’s game plan by getting good field position, let alone scoring.

“We have to get better as a unit,” he said.

Trapp continued to be Creston’s offensive weapon. A third-and-2 play on their own 32, Trapp got a first down on the Creston 42. Unlike the first series, Creston didn’t score. The Panthers did flip the field as a punt made Ballard start at its own 4 early in the second quarter. The Ballard offense got themselves out of the bad field position, but the Panther defense forced a punt from the Ballard 19. Creston’s Xander Drake returned the punt to the Ballard 22.

The Panther offense used a trick play as Trapp was handed the ball in the backfield and went right. He stopped to throw a pass to an open receiver in the end zone, but the pass was overthrown. Creston faced a third-and-8 as Trapp got a first down on the Ballard 17 continuing the threat. But an eventual fourth-and-4 play came up short giving the ball back to Ballard on the 15 about halfway through the second quarter.

The Bomber offense opened up as Gibson had a run to the Ballard 35. A pass play put the ball in Creston territory on the 34. Gibson then caught a 23-yard touchdown pass extending the Ballard lead to 20-6 with 3:48 left in the half. He finished with five carries for 101 yards.

Morrison said drives like that showed what he knew about Ballard and what he learned about his own team, “We knew they had really good athletes at skill positions. They are efficient up front. We were exposed a lot of areas defensively.” Ballard finished 502 yards of offense, 333 in the air and 169 on the ground.

Creston’s Drake still kept the ball moving, getting a first down on their 24 on a third-and-5 play. But the drive was hampered by multiple false starts. The Bombers intercepted a pass again giving them ideal field position in Creston territory. A Ballard pass play moved the ball from the Creston 24 to the 5. With 2:15 left in the half, a Rhett Hedrick run grew Ballard’s lead to 27-6.

Ballard’s Mason Gatchel finished completing 14 of 20 passes for 232 yards and four scores.

What Morrison saw in the first half with Ballard’s speed running on the ends, intensified in the second half. Creston’s opening possession resulted in a punt. Ballard started their second half on the Creston 45. The Panther defense forced a third-and-6 on their own 41. Ballard responded with a pass play to the Creston 10. Another touchdown pass at the 7:54 mark extended the lead to 34-6. Senior Lucas Travis led the Panther defense with six tackles, two solo.

“We had multiple people out of position on long plays,” Morrison said about Ballard’s big plays. “We couldn’t control the ends. They are a sweep and a counter team. That’s what we prepped for all week. We just didn’t execute.”

Creston’s offense continued to use Trapp to move the ball. After each team exchanged holding penalties, Creston got a first down on the their own 47. A third-and-4 play moved the ball to a first down on the Ballard 40. Creston got on the scoreboard again later in the drive. The running back pass play was tried again and successful as Drake found Casen Dryden for 21 yards. With 3:36 left in the quarter, Ballard led 34-13. D

rake led Creston with four receptions for 31 yards.

Panther quarterback Tanner Ray was 11-20 for 71 yards. The Panther offense had 404 yards, 302 on the ground.

The Panthers, with hopes to play catch up, attempted an onside kick only to be recovered by Ballard at their 47. Ballard again used a run play around an end as Gibson took off for 23 yards and a score. Ballard was up 41-13.

Creston didn’t waste time on their next possession using Trapp and a 15-yard penalty on Ballard to get the ball to the Bombers 32. A Creston pass to the end zone was intercepted by the Bombers ending the drive late third quarter.

The Bombers didn’t waste any time early in the fourth quarter. Another long pass play moved the Bombers from their 41 to the Creston 4. A scoring pass play gave Ballard a 48-13 lead just 37 seconds in.

The Bombers defense intercepted a Creston pass at the Ballard 38 and returned to the Creston 35. Another pass play put the ball on the Creston 11. Ballard’s last score was a 11-yard pass play with 8:02 left in the game.

The Panthers Xander Drake returned the kickoff 85 yards for a score. A successful 2-point conversion cut the deficit to 55-21. Creston’s last score was a 54-yard run by Trapp with 5:56 left in the game. Trapp finished with 31 carries for 295 yards.

“Our kids never lost fight. We looked overwhelmed at times with what they were doing offensively. The big plays, you can’t stay in a football game giving up chunk yardage and we were giving up chunk yardage,” Morrison said.

Creston returns home Friday against Carroll (2-1). The Tigers defeated a visiting Denison-Schleswig 45-3 Friday. Carroll started the season with a 34-21 win at Greene County. Carroll’s loss was 36-18 to Gilbert.