Cyclones shake off early mistakes to rout Denison 49-7

 HARLAN (Aug. 24) -- Senior quarterback Preston Mulligan threw five touchdown passes - three to Brett Sears - and Alex Schechinger made an impressive debut at tailback Friday night as the Harlan Community football team overcame a sloppy first half to rout Denison-Schleswig 49-7 at Merrill Field.
 HCHS led 21-7 at the half after Denison went 64 yards in 24 seconds just before the intermission, but it was all Cyclones the rest of the way as they scored on all four of their second-half possessions while holding the Monarchs to just 26 yards and one first down.
 The Cyclone defense also forced turnovers on four consecutive D-S possessions in the first half, including three fumble recoveries inside the Harlan 30-yard line.
 HCHS lost two first-half fumbles of its own, including a strip sack returned 56 yards to the Cyclone 12 with the score 14-0. Five plays later - on first and goal at the 1 - linebacker Wyatt Schaben blew up a Denison running play and Caleb Bieker recovered the resulting fumble to keep a two-score lead intact.
 The Cyclones were also penalized six times for 45 yards in the first half but cut that number down to two for 20 in a much more clean and efficient second half.
 “I gave it about a C+ in the first half; second half probably B+. A lot better. We did some good things,” said HCHS coach Curt Bladt. "We’re going to have to get a lot better because coming to town next week is Sergeant Bluff-Luton and they’ve got their whole (family) back from last year and they will put the pressure on us and we’re going to have to play a little bit better than what we did in the first half tonight.”
 The Warriors, who lost to the Cyclones 41-15 in a Class 3A playoff quarterfinal last fall, were defeated 42-14 in Friday’s season opener at Lewis Central.