Loss complicates Panther playoff, district title chances

NEVADA — With a playoff spot and a possible district title on the line, it was easy to call Creston’s game Friday at Nevada big.

What was at stake was much like moments in the game which Nevada won 49-28. Either a certain possession, quarter or play had game-changing results. Despite the loss, Creston still has playoff chances, but some things have to happen the Panthers can’t control.

Leading up to Friday, Creston controlled their own destiny to win the district as the only team to not have a district loss. The formula before the game has Nevada winning the district title by beating Creston by more than four points, plus a 17-point win against Atlantic Oct. 25. The other important game Friday was Harlan’s 41-16 win at Atlantic.

For Creston to get a playoff spot because of its district finish, the Panthers needs to beat visiting Perry Oct. 25 and Atlantic needs to win at Nevada. The loss to Nevada puts Creston at 3-1 in district play and 3-5 overall. Nevada is 3-1 in the district and 6-2 overall.

Harlan plays Knoxville Oct. 25. If Creston and Harlan finish with one district loss, Creston has the tiebreaker over Harlan because of Creston’s win earlier in the season. A second district loss by Nevada would give Creston the district title provided Creston beats Perry. Creston is not in as good position with Harlan or Nevada in a three-way tie each with one district loss because of point differentials during district games.

Class 3A sends the six district champions and runner-ups to the playoffs. The remaining four playoff spots are determined by the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI); a formula that includes the teams’ winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.

As of Oct. 14, Creston was 21st in the RPI. Nevada was 8th; Atlantic 16th and Harlan 17th. The index is updated on Mondays.

Big

Creston started the game on its own 31. Forced to a third-and-8 on the possession, it was given a first down because of a Nevada penalty. Multiple run plays by senior running back Weston Trapp and sophomore quarterback Tanner Ray moved the ball to the Nevada 3. A fumble recovered by the Panthers moved the ball back to the 8. The loss of yardage didn’t matter as Ray found an open Xander Drake for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 7:27. A Joaquin Flores point after gave Creston a 7-0 lead.

Ray completed 5-9 passes for 46 yards. He ran for 28 yards. Drake led the Panthers with two catches for 23 yards.

Nevada started its first possession on its 40. Running back Anthony Eaton and the Cubs offensive line showed its skill and chemistry to move the ball. Nevada was forced to a third-and-2 on the Creston 30 which turned into a fourth-and-1. Nevada got the first down.

The Cubs attempted a pass play that was deflected and intercepted by Panther senior Tyson Looney who returned it 75 yards for a touchdown giving Creston a 14-0 lead with 3:14 in the quarter.

Then Nevada got its first big break. Gavin Egeland returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a score to put Nevada on the board 14-7.

“We did not win special teams tonight. It’s an Achilles’ heel for us. We gave them a short field,” Creston coach Brian Morrison said.

The Panthers’ next possession didn’t last long as the Cubs’ Lucas Brown intercepted a pass on the Nevada 47 before the first quarter ended. That Cubs possession would create a fourth-and-2 on the Creston 26. Eaton earned the first down on a 5-yard run. The Cubs did some trick handoffs in the backfield before throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Brown to tie the score at 14 with 11:27 left in the second quarter.

As it has done all season, the Panther offense responded by continuing to use Trapp to move the ball. Creston faced second-and-12 and third-and-12 inside the Nevada 30. Ray scrambled for a first down to the Nevada 5. Two plays later, Trapp scored form 2 yards out. Another Flores point after gave Creston a 21-14 lead with 7:52 in the half. Trapp finished with 36 carries for 193 yards.

The Cubs started its next possession on the Creston 41 and relied on Eaton to move the ball. Nevada got to the Creston 19. Nevada threw a pass in the end zone, but the Panther defense broke it up. The defense forced Nevada to attempt a 35-yard field goal which they missed.

Creston wasn’t able to capitalize on the miss. The Panthers were forced to punt, but Nevada started its possession on its on 17 with 2:12 left in the half. Morrison said that drive was the beginning of what happened in the third quarter.

An up-tempo combination of run and pass plays moved the ball for Nevada into Creston territory. Nevada was inside the Creston 20 with less than 30 seconds left in the first half. Brown hauled in a scoring pass with :08 left as Nevada tied the score at 21 at halftime.

“That hurt,” Morrison said about the Nevada scoring drive. He was hopeful the Cubs would run out of time or force something to happen and error knowing they were 87 yards from the end zone. Morrison said the Nevada line instead showed its physicality.

“I told them at half, we need to come out and play like it’s our last game,” Morrison said he told his team.

What happened in the third quarter was big in many ways.

The Cubs started the second half with the ball and were forced into a third-and-12 on its own 40. Nevada got the first down and getting more than 3 or 4 yards on run plays was becoming more consistent. Nevada was inside the Creston 20 three minutes into the half. Eaton scored again on the ground from 8 yards out to give Nevada its first lead at 28-21 with 8:17 left in the quarter.

“Up front they are as good as we have seen especially in the second half, both sides,” Morrison said about the Cubs offensive and defensive fronts.

“Give them a short field and they are that good up front. It’s tough. Tight end to tackle they are physical. That is their strength,” Morrison said about Nevada’s offensive line dominating the game. “Our kids are trying, but they made their mistakes and they capitalized on them.”

The Panthers were forced to punt on its first second-half possession giving Nevada the ball on the Creston 43. This time, the Cubs didn’t waste any time. Eaton scored again on the first play running it in. With the extra point, Nevada was up 35-21 with 6:42 left in the quarter.

The Panthers got a first down on fourth-and-short on their next possession, but a Trapp fumble gave the ball back to Nevada near midfield. The yard-gaining run plays continued for the Cubs. Creston’s defense forced a fourth-and-2 on the Creston 5. Eaton again scored on the ground extending the Nevada lead to 42-21 with 1:59 left in the quarter.

“They came out with their game plan to run the ball and they did,” Morrison said about Nevada’s third quarter. “Down and distance, we didn’t win. We did have stops, but you don’t give teams second and short,” Morrison said. “We were not consistent on either side of the line.”

Creston tried to played catch up in the fourth quarter as Nevada wanted to run the clock. The Cubs’ last score was a 35-yard pass play with 6:59 left in the game. Creston’s last score was a Trapp 1-yard run with 3:36 remaining.

STATS

Creston 30, Atalntic 28

Points by quarter

Atl 7 14 0 7— 28

Cr 14 9 7 0— 30

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

Atl — Tyson O’Brien 6 run (Hadin Thompson) kick), 10:06

Cr — Weston Trapp 78 pass from Tanner Ray (kick failed), 9:48

Cr — Trapp 1 run (Trapp run), 6:52

Second Quarter

Atl — Tyson O’Brien 33 run (Thompson kick), 9:30

Cr — Trapp 65 run (run failed), 5:56

Cr — Joaquin Flores 27 FG, 0:00

Third Quarter

Cr — Trapp 2 run (Flores kick), 8:39

Fourth Quarter

Atl — O’Brien 2 run (Thompson kick), 7:06

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TEAM STATISTICS

NE CR

Rushes-yards 45-379 47-243

Passing 12-18-1 5-9-1

Passing yards 142 46

Total yards 521 289

Punts-avg. 0-0 2-35.5

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — CR: Weston Trapp 36-193, 2 TDs; Tanner Ray 9-28. NE: Antony Eaton 35-302, 3 TDs.

PASSING — CR: Ray 5-9-1 for 46 yards, 1 TD. NE: Tristan Hayes 11-17-1 for 121 yards, 1 TD.

RECEIVING — CR: Xander Drake 2-23, 1 TD; Josh Schaefer 2-14; Trapp 1-9. NE: Gavin Egeland 4-84, 1 TD; Lucas Brown 3-39, 2 TDs.

TACKLE LEADERS (total-solo) — CR: Lucas Travis 14.5 (6), Davin Wallace 9.5 (5), Tyson Looney 6.5 (4), Jayden Myers 4 (2). NE: Jackson Burlage 13.5 (8), Carson Clem 8.5 (2), Isaac Williams 8 (2).

INTERCEPTIONS — CR: Looney 1. NE: Brown 1.

FUMBLE RECOVERIES — CR: None 1. NE: Jaycee Rangel-Bello 1.

TACKLES FOR LOSS — CR: None. NE: John Nelson 1.5, Jaden Grimm 1, Cedar Smith 1, Kole Beving 0.5, Eaton 0.5, Burlage 0.5, Isaac Harrington 0.5, Will Clausen 0.5.

SACKS — CR: None. NE: Smith 1.