CYCLONES BACK IN THE ‘SHIP!

 CEDAR FALLS (Nov. 12) -- The championship game drought has officially ended for Harlan Community football.
 For the first time since 2009, the Cyclones are back in the Class 3A state title game following Thursday night’s dominating 44-7 playoff semifinal win over Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley at the UNI-Dome.
 Down 7-0 early - the seventh time in 11 games it has fallen behind - HCHS used one explosive play after another to score the final 44 points, including a 27-0 second-half advantage.
 Aidan Hall’s 65-yard touchdown reception ignited the offense while the defense boasted a pair of pick-six interceptions by Brenden Bartley and Hall, allowing only three first downs and one midfield crossing after the Nighthawks’ opening possession.
 The 2nd-ranked and top-seeded Cyclones (11-0) will now face North Scott (8-1) in Thursday’s 7:00 p.m. 3A championship game back at the UNI-Dome. The No. 9 Lancers won an overtime thriller against No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 17-10, in the other 3A semifinal.
 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, which had won seven games in a row, finished 8-3.
 “It’s in our history,” Hall said of making it back to the title game for the 21st time and looking to build on the program’s state-leading 12 championships. “It’s just good to be back... It’s crazy. It’s awesome. Hopefully we can win.”
 HCHS head coach Todd Bladt, in his first year on the job after serving as interim head coach in 2019, played on back-to-back Cyclone state title teams for his dad, Curt, in 1997 and 1998. He was also on the coaching staff for the team’s last title in 2009.
 Eleven years marks the Cyclones’ longest championship game absence since the playoffs started in 1972, but Bladt was confident as early as last November that this year’s team would be special.
 “That was the main goal of the year,” he said of making it this far. “Every team says that, but we really committed to it and I’m proud of the guys for everything that they’ve done.
 “We forget about all the angst we had at the beginning of the season... ‘Are we going to have a season? Are we going to be able to play? Is it going to look different? What is it going to be?’ And these guys fought through it and kept believing in us just saying, ‘One week to the next, one play at a time,’ and that’s the way they’ve played. They played one play at a time and I’m proud of that. That’s what we’re going to continue to do this week.”
 Bladt added that Thursday’s victory means a lot to the whole community. “It’s a tough year - lot of things going on - and for our community to have something to look at that’s real positive for the kids and what they’re doing out there, I think that’s a huge thing for us and we want to do them proud,” he said.
 B-H/RV started the game with a 72-yard touchdown drive but added just 71 more yards and was outgained by HCHS 332-143. The Nighthawks' final 10 possessions resulted in seven punts, two interceptions and a stop on downs at the Cyclone 43, which is the farthest they advanced.

HCHS 44, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 7
B-H/RV: Kody Noble 6-yd. run (Gael Enciso kick) - 1st qt., 4:26.
HCHS: Aidan Hall 65-yd. pass from Teagon Kasperbauer (Ashton Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 4:12.
HCHS: Brenden Bartley 25-yd. INT return (Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 0:16.
HCHS: Lyon 20-yd. FG - 2nd qt., 0:17.
HCHS: Hall 27-yd. INT return (Lyon kick) - 3rd qt., 11:44.
HCHS: Joey Moser 39-yd. pass from Kasperbauer (Lyon kick) - 3rd qt., 9:21.
HCHS: William Kenkel 7-yd. run (Lyon kick) - 3rd qt., 3:27.
HCHS: Mason Griffith 29-yd. run (pass failed) - 4th qt., 5:27.
HCHS Individual Stat Leaders:
    Rushing -- Mason Griffith 13-77, Brenden Bartley 9-44, William Kenkel 8-31. Passing -- Teagon Kasperbauer 11-18-1, 176. Receiving -- Aidan Hall 5-108, Joey Moser 2-38, Wes Muenchrath 2-18. Punt returns -- Bartley 3-33.
    Tackles -- Joseph Fah 2s/10a, Lucas Stanley 2s/9a, Will McLaughlin 1s/8a, Jordan Schechinger 1s/8a, Jesse Schwery 2s/4a, Hall 3s/2a, Chandler Leinen 1s/4a, Bartley 1s/3a, Jameson Bieker 1s/3a.
    Tackles for loss -- McLaughlin 1s/2a, Stanley 1s/0a, Hall 0s/1a, C. Leinen 0s/1a. QB Sacks -- McLaughlin 1.0, Stanley 1.0.
    INTs-return yards -- Hall 1-27 (TD), Bartley 1-25 (TD).