First-quarter flurry sinks Panthers

A promising start in the opening series of the game quickly evaporated in a three-score flurry by the speedy Carroll offense as Creston fell at home Friday night, 50-7.

Xander Drake, the Panthers’ senior wideout who returned a kick 85 yards for a touchdown a week earlier at Ballard, put Creston in good field position by returning the opening kickoff to Creston’s 42-yard line.

Two plays later, quarterback Tanner Ray connected with Seth Gordon on third down for a 17-yard pickup into Carroll territiory. Getting off to a good start, and winning the field position game, were the keys for Panther coach Brian Morrison in the days leading up to the game.

A holding penalty stalled the drive and the Panthers were forced to punt. In a five-minute span that included the first of three Panther turnovers, Carroll raced to a 23-0 lead that stretched to 30-0 by the end of the opening quarter.

The flurry was led by Carroll running back Taidyn Peterson, who compiled all of his 135 yards and three touchdowns on 12 first-half carries as the Tigers took a 43-0 halftime lead. On Carroll’s second play of the game, Peterson broke through the middle and outraced the Panther secondary for a 70-yard touchdown.

“Number 5 (Peterson) is a good player, I mean that’s a good football team,” Morrison said. “We weren’t gap sound multiple times on defense. They have a good quarterback and we struggled with their physicality up front against their front eight defensively.”

Returning quarterback Carter Essick led the Tiger offense that churned out 417 yards, turning mostly to Peterson and wingback Reece Ziegmann for big plays that opened up the early lead.

It was Peterson’s interception for the Tiger defense on Creston’s second possession that set up Carroll’s quick 31-yard drive ending in an 18-yard TD pass from Essick to Ziegmann.

Drake nearly put Creston in solid field position again with a long kickoff return that was nullified by a holding penalty. Morrison said eliminating penalties on positive plays is the quickest means of showing improvement moving forward as the Panthers fell to 0-4. (Carroll improved to 3-1.)

“We didn’t play clean,” Morrison said, “especially on special teams when we were set up to have good field position. We got backed up by penalties and had a couple turnovers to give them short fields. That, and giving up big plays defensively, made it hard to get something going. It kind of snowballed early.”

12-play drive

After Carroll sophomore running back Adam Malik raced to a 46-yard touchdown to start the second half, Creston answered with its best offensive drive of the game. Relying heavily on senior running back Weston Trapp in the run game, the Panthers marched 68 yards in 12 plays. On fourth-and-five from the Tiger 13-yard line, Ray hit senior receiver Casen Dryden on an inside screen for a touchdown at the 2:30 mark of the third period.

During the drive, Josh Schaefer had a 21-yard reception from Ray and Trapp ran five times for 29 yards.

“We’re capable,” Morrison said. “Right now we’re making too many mental mistakes on both sides of the football. We have to do the small things right to get more consistency and give ourselves a chance.”

There was no scoring in the fourth quarter. Senior Jake Hoyt nearly had his second interception of the season in the Panther secondary late in the game, but it was nullified by an interference call. Creston had three penalties as the Tigers drove toward the Panther end zone, but the defense held on fourth-and-goal on a Tiger incompletion.

“We had the penalties and an ejection for a block in the back after the whistle, so that’s not how you want to end the game,” Morrison said. “Like I told the guys after the game, we have to keep our chins up, don’t point fingers and focus on getting better as a football team. I don’t think you’ll see this team quit. We’ll come in Monday and get to work.”

The Panthers open district play this week at Harlan, which fell to 2-2 Friday in a 42-0 loss to undefeated Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

STATS

Carroll 50, Creston 7

Points by quarter

Car 30 13 7 0—50

Cr 0 0 7 0—7

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

Car — Taidyn Peterson 70 run (Kieran Polking kick), 8:45

Car — Reece Ziegmann 18 pass from Carter Essick (Peterson run), 5:03

Car — Peterson 8 run (Peterson run), 3:38

Car — Peterson 4 run (Polking kick), 2:09

Second Quarter

Car — Essick 3 run (kick blocked), 10:54

Car — Owen Klocke 11 pass from Essick (Polking kick), 2:33

Third Quarter

Car — Adam Malik 46 run (Polking kick), 8:11

Cr — Casen Dryden 13 pass from Tanner Ray (Joaquin Flores kick), 2:30

Fourth Quarter

None

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TEAM STATISTICS

CAR CR

Rushes-yards 33-275 18-57

Passing 7-9-0 9-18-2

Passing yards 103 113

Total yards 378 170

Punts-avg. 0-0 4-36.5

Return yards 56 107

Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-1

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — CR: Weston Trapp 14-44, Tanner Ray 2-10, Maddix Leppla 1-10. CAR: Taidyn Peterson 12-135, 3 TD; Adam Malik 4-64, 1 TD; Carter Essick 4-55, 1 TD; Tallon Crandall 5-21; Reece Ziegmann 4-16; Camden King 2-9; Treyvin Childress 1-6; Blake Boell 7-3.

PASSING — CR: Ray 9-16-1 for 113 yards, 1 TD. CAR: Essick 5-7-0 for 72 yards, 2 TD; Crandall 2-3-0 for 36 yards.

RECEIVING — CR: Casen Dryden 3-51, 1 TD; Josh Schaefer 2-24; Seth Gordon 1-24; Trapp 1-10; Xander Drake 2-4. CAR: Ziegmann 4-61, 1 TD; Lincoln Burke 1-25; Owen Klocke 1-11, 1 TD; Carson Tedrow 1-11.

TACKLE LEADERS (total-solo) — CR: Lucas Travis 10-5, Devin Wallace 4.5-3, Jackson Pettegrew 3.5-2, Brayden Schoon 3-2, Brett Orr 2-5-2, Aiden Snodgrass 2.5-0, Kal Barber 2-0.

INTERCEPTIONS — CAR: Peterson 1, Maddox White 1.

FUMBLE RECOVERIES — CR: None. CAR: 1.

TACKLES FOR LOSS — CR: Travis 3.5, Orr 2.5, Schoon 1.

SACKS — CR: None.