Cyclones Championship Title Quest Begins

Hall scores first three TD's to lead team to next round of playoffs

Senior wide receiver and future Hawkeye Aidan Hall was the star of the night for the HCHS varsity football team as he had three touchdowns en route to a 42-7 first round playoff victory over the 6-3 #9 ranked MOC-Floyd Valley Dutchmen to begin the challenge of a title defense.

“We did come out and were excited,” said Cyclones Head Coach Todd Bladt. “We had the guys pretty pumped up. They got challenged in a few ways this week and they came out and responded, came out playing hot.”

The Dutchmen received the first kickoff, but nothing came of it as they had a quick three and out at the hands of the Cyclones defense.

It didn’t take long for the Cyclones to get on the board as Senior quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer found Hall for a 24-yard touchdown with just over six minutes to go in the first quarter. Senior kicker Stephen Leinen added his first extra point on the night.

“What a freak,” Bladt said of Hall. “What can you say about this guy? He can do just about everything. You put him in the backfield, he’s going to run the ball hard. You put him out wide, he’s going to go try and catch it. He’s tough to lockdown. He’s a fantastic player. We’re glad he’s on our side.”

The Dutchmen were hoping for some magic themselves as they looked to tie the game early on, but they handed the ball right back to the Cyclones.

It didn’t take long for Hall to get in on the action again, as Kasperbauer threw to Hall for a 46-yard touchdown to make it a 13-0 game with just under three and a half minutes left in the first quarter. Leinen added another extra point.

The Dutchmen got the ball back once again and given how close MOC kept their games all season long, you would think this would be their opportunity to score and get back in it, but instead the Cyclones had other plans as Senior cornerback Wil Neuharth intercepted the ball and got the Cyclones offense right back on the field.

Hall went for another touchdown on a pass from Kasperbauer for a 26-yard run after catch and with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter the Cyclones were in charge 20-0. Leinen added another extra point.

Deja vu struck the Dutchmen as they threw another interception as the first quarter was coming to a close. This time it was Junior linebacker Matthew Sorfonden who got in on the action and the Harlan fanbase lit up with applause.

The second quarter got underway with the Cyclones leading by 21 points. Senior running back Brad Curren got his team to a first and goal within 30 seconds.

Senior fullback William Kenkel then snuck his way into the end zone on a 1-yard run with just under a minute played in the second quarter to get the Cyclones to a 27-0 lead.

“I really got to give it to my line for blocking for me,” Kenkel said. “I really couldn’t do it without them.”

The Dutchmen got back on the field hoping to get some momentum in their favor before halftime rolled around, but were unsuccessful as they had a quick three and out on their next possession.

As the second quarter was approaching the three minute mark, on a second down with one yard to go, Kenkel had another 1-yard run for a touchdown that expanded the Cyclones lead to 34-0. Leinen added another extra point.

“He’s kind of just a rock out there for us,” Bladt said of Kenkel. “He’s just a hard-nosed tough kid that plays tough football and we’re just happy that we have him and he’s able to manufacture some of those things that some teams struggle to do once in a while. Sometimes a yard is a real tough thing and Willie is really good at getting North-South.”

As the third quarter was approaching the two minute mark, Kasperbauer found Senior tight end Jacob Birch for a 6-yard run for a touchdown to widen the Cyclones lead to 41 points.

The Dutchmen finally managed to find the scoreboard as during the fourth quarter, on a second down with 10 yards to go, Junior tight end Tyeson Vaas went for 34 yards on his way to the end zone that got the Dutchmen fans on their feet. Soon after, the clock expired as the Cyclones celebrated their 42-7 first round victory.

Following the game, the Dutchmen received a state participant trophy for their efforts, finishing the regular season with a 6-3 record. Bladt spoke highly of their season and the effort level they put forth.

“I think they were well prepared,” he said. “They did a lot of good things out there. We had some big plays early in the game that were predicated on the speed. Our guys were just a little bit faster. But I think their kids played really hard. They were in position to make plays all night, so that’s kudos to them. They gave us a run on some stuff.”

The Cyclones will turn their attention to the quarterfinals game against the #8 ranked 8-2 Nevada Cubs, as they prepare to battle them for a spot in the semifinals game Friday night at Merrill Field.

On offense, the Cubs are led by Senior Noah Mills with 1,456 passing yards, Junior Cason Stevenson with 1,065 rushing yards and Senior Drew Robinson with 596 receiving yards. On the defensive end, Sophomore Jackson Burlage leads the team with 67 tackles.

“It’s really a great opportunity we have to play them and to even be in the playoffs,” Kenkel said. “We’re just up for whatever they throw at us and we’re going to do our best to stop them and score.”

 
 

 

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