Offense steals the show as Cyclones top Grinnell

 HARLAN (Aug. 28) -- Going into Friday’s season opener, the early returns on Harlan Community football implied that the Cyclone defense was clearly ahead of the offense.
 Forty points and 549 total yards later, it turns out the offense is pretty good too.
 Answering all four scores by Grinnell with at least one touchdown of their own, the Cyclones erased deficits of 7-0, 14-7, 21-14 and 28-27 and eventually finished off the Tigers, 40-28, in a three-hour battle at Merrill Field.
 HCHS, ranked third in the preseason Radio Iowa poll, put together six touchdown drives between 66 and 80 yards and improved defensively as the game went along, clinching victory on sophomore fullback William Kenkel’s determined 10-yard TD run with 45 seconds left.
 The Cyclones converted 29 first downs and finished with a balanced output of 280 rushing yards and 269 passing. They lost the turnover battle 2-0 but outgained the fifth-ranked Tigers 549-444 on a warm night that saw both squads battling muscle cramps, especially in the second half.
 “You run into some nice surprises in the game - wow!” said HCHS head coach Todd Bladt of his Week 1 offense. “We had guys step up and make plays when they had to make plays.
 “I’m just proud of the guys and how hard they worked overall. There’s a lot of things we’re going to learn from this game, but one thing we did learn was that we’ve got some tough kids and guys that are willing to go the extra mile and make things happen on the field. I’m proud of the way they gave effort and I’m proud of our coaches too.”
 Solidified by an excellent performance up front from the offensive line, HCHS had a number of standouts in the skill position areas, starting with sophomore quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer, who took all 69 snaps in his varsity debut.
 Kasperbauer completed 16-of-27 passes for 269 yards and three TD passes with two interceptions, one of which was not his fault. In the first half alone he threw for 222 yards and three scores to Connor Frame, Aidan Hall and Joey Moser.
 Kasperbauer, who battled Brad Curren for the starting QB job in fall camp, showed poise in the pocket, made good decisions and fit the ball into some tight windows. When he did throw a few up for grabs, the Cyclone receivers were up to the task of hauling them in.

Grinnell    14     7     7    0 -- 28
HCHS      14    13    7    6 -- 40
    Grinnell: Wyatt Hunter 3-yd. run (Kyle Dillon kick) - 1st qt., 9:44.
 HCHS: Brenden Bartley 8-yd. run (Ashton Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 6:25
 Grinnell: Dillon 27-yd. pass from Dallas Sauser (Dillon kick) - 1st qt., 4:02.
 HCHS: Connor Frame 11-yd. pass from Teagon Kasperbauer (Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 1:01.
 Grinnell: Hunter 8-yd. run (Dillon kick) - 2nd qt., 2:50.
 HCHS: Aidan Hall 75-yd. pass from Kasperbauer (kick failed) - 2nd qt., 2:36.
 HCHS: Joey Moser 12-yd. pass from Kasperbauer (Lyon kick) - 2nd qt., 0:43.
 Grinnell: Hunter 8-yd. run (Dillon kick) - 3rd qt., 9:04.
 HCHS: Bartley 30-yd. run (Lyon kick) - 3rd qt., 6:01.
 HCHS: William Kenkel 10-yd. run (pass failed) - 4th qt., 0:45.

HCHS Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- Brenden Bartley 15-115, Mason Griffith 17-103, William Kenkel 10-62.
    Passing -- Teagon Kasperbauer 16-27-2, 269.
    Receiving -- Connor Frame 5-94, Aidan Hall 3-83, Will McLaughlin 3-38, Joey Moser 4-31, Bartley 1-23.
    Tackles -- Will McLaughlin 5s/4a, Jameson Bieker 3s/5a, Jesse Schwery 1s/6a, Garrett Assmann 3s/3a, Jordan Schechinger 2s/4a, Isaiah Ahrenholtz 2s/4a, Hall 5s/0a.
Grinnell Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- Wyatt Hunter 20-165, Dallas Sauser 2-21.
    Passing -- Sauser 19-39-0, 255.
    Receiving -- Cole Johnson 4-112, Owen Coffman 7-80.