HALL OF A GAME

HCHS sophomore Aidan Hall catches three TD passes, two INTs on record-breaking night; Cyclones overcome penalties, turnovers to hold off No. 9 Pella 21-18

 PELLA (Sept. 4) -- It was a wild, entertaining and sometimes sloppy game between two of Iowa’s top Class 3A football programs.
 There were four long touchdown passes, big plays on defense, 20 penalties, 785 yards and seven turnovers.
 In the end, it was only fitting that Aidan Hall made the last great play on a night full of them for the Harlan Community sophomore.
 Hall’s diving interception of Ryan Mace’s downfield heave with 17 seconds left sealed the outcome Friday as the fourth-ranked Cyclones outlasted No. 9 Pella 21-18 to cap an impressive 2-0 non-district slate.
 The Dutch dropped to 0-2, having lost to HCHS and top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes.
 “A couple of teams that were really battling,” said HCHS head coach Todd Bladt. “We wanted to go 2-0 and they wanted to not go 0-2. We had some guys rise up there at the end.”
 Hall, making just his sixth career varsity start, had a night he will not soon forget. Offensively, he caught five passes for 245 yards and all three Cyclone touchdowns. On defense, he made four tackles and had two INTs, including the game-clincher at the 8-yard line.
 Hall’s 245 receiving yards are believed to be the most in school history for a single game (no previous record was kept) and his 89-yard TD reception from Teagon Kasperbauer in the first quarter broke the HCHS school record by one yard for the longest touchdown pass.
 Previous 88-yard scoring tosses included Roger Jacobsen to Jeff Branstetter in 1970 and Scott Arkfeld to Cohen Johnson in 1989.
 Kasperbauer was intercepted three times during an eventful first half, but had a second straight big game for the Cyclones. He completed 16-of-28 passes for 347 yards, firing TD strikes of 65, 89 and 8 yards to Hall.
 And on a night when Pella completely shut down the Cyclone rushing attack (32 carries for 17 yards), Kasperbauer settled in to complete 10-of-11 second-half throws.

Harlan Community 21, Pella 18

                1    2    3    4          F
HCHS    14    0    0    7     -- 21
Pella        6    0    6    6     -- 18
Pella: Nolan Clayberg 85-yd. pass from Ryan Mace (kick failed) - 1st qt., 11:41.
HCHS: Aidan Hall 65-yd. pass from Teagon Kasperbauer (Ashton Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 7:22.
HCHS: Hall 89-yd. pass from Kasperbauer (Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 5:11.
Pella: Jason Knox 47-yd. pass from Mace (pass failed) - 3rd qt., 0:04.
HCHS: Hall 8-yd. pass from Kasperbauer (Lyon kick) - 4th qt., 10:18.
Pella: Nick DeJong 7-yd. run (pass failed) - 4th qt., 7:59.

HCHS Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- William Kenkel 9-23, Mason Griffith 8-12. Passing -- Kasperbauer 16-28-3, 347. Receiving -- Aidan Hall 5-245, Joey Moser 4-29, Connor Frame 2-27, Will McLaughlin 2-23.
    Kickoff returns -- Moser 3-102, Brenden Bartley 1-23.
    Tackles -- Jordan Schechinger 5s/2a, McLaughlin 4s/3a, Jameson Bieker 0s/7a, Brad Curren 3s/2a, Hall 3s/1a, Bartley 2s/2a. QB Sacks -- Jacob Schechinger 1a, Leinen 1a.
 Fumble recovery -- Michael Erlemeier (7-yd. return). Interceptions -- Hall 2, Eli Monson 1.

 
 

 

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