HCHS looks to sharpen for playoffs vs. one-win Panthers

 KNOXVILLE (Oct. 22) -- The Week 9 goals of the Harlan Community football team are basic and to the point: play clean, stay healthy and enter the playoffs on a winning note.
 The last of those goals appears to be a given as the top-ranked (3A) Cyclones (8-0, 4-0 District 6) journey to face a struggling Knoxville team standing 1-7 and 1-3, respectively, on Friday night.
 HCHS, which locked up a district championship with last week’s 42-0 win over Creston, will be shooting for a second straight undefeated regular season in just its third-ever matchup with the Panthers.
 The Cyclones beat Knoxville 49-26 in a 1990 playoff quarterfinal and also won at Knoxville 56-0 in 1971.
 The 2021 Panthers are very young overall with seven sophomores starting on offense and a combined eight sophomores and freshmen on the starting defense. They picked up their only win in Week 6, topping Saydel 24-14. One week later, head coach Eric Kellar stepped down following a 42-6 loss at Atlantic. Interim head coach Chris Hudson was at the helm for last week’s 52-0 loss vs. ADM.
 Through eight games, Knoxville has gained 937 rushing yards (3.7 ypc) and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. The Panthers have just 322 passing yards with zero TDs and nine interceptions, averaging only 8.5 passes per game.
 “They do some things pretty well and then they started throwing the ball a lot more the last game,” said HCHS head coach Todd Bladt. “Our game plan is to try to get ahead and make them do what they don’t want to do... We’ll see how they respond.”
 Junior T.J. DeJong (5-foot-9, 150 pounds) is the Panthers’ leading rusher with 83 carries for 318 yards and two scores. Cole Carter leads the defense with three interceptions and Gavin Montalvo (not listed among Knoxville’s starters) has a 90-yard kickoff return TD on special teams.
 The Cyclones, meanwhile, have some of the top skill position players in the state. Junior quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer leads Class 3A with 2,039 passing yards and 29 TD passes. Senior Connor Frame ranks second in 3A with 12 touchdown receptions while Joey Moser, Aidan Hall and Jacob Birch have combined for 17 more.

Full story in Oct. 22 Harlan News-Advertiser

 
 

 

Harlan Newspapers

1114 7th Street
P.O. Box 721
Harlan, IA 51537-0721

(800) 909-6397
news2@harlanonline.com

Comment Here