(Harlan) Harlan scored on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back in a 54-7 homecoming win over Atlantic on Friday Night.
Senior Quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer fired a short pass to Aidan Hall, and the senior flanker raced to the end zone for a 58-yard catch and run with 11:44 left in the first quarter. The extra point failed, and the home team led 6-0. Kasperbauer would end the night completing 7 of 13 passes for 150-yards and four touchdowns. Hall caught three passes for 91-yards to lead the stable of Harlan receivers.
On the ensuing kick-off, the Trojans mounted a seven-play 47-yard drive that stalled on the Harlan 33-yard line. That would be Caden Andersen’s only drive of the game before an injury sidelined the veteran signal-caller. Andersen suffered the injury on a two-yard run to the Cyclone’s 36-yard line, left the game, and never returned to the field. Sophomore Tristan Hayes was called to duty for the balance of the contest. Andersen completed two passes for 45-yards. Hayes went 8-13 for 68-yards.
Harlan would score once more in the first quarter and three times in the second stanza and led 33-0 at the break. Bradley Curren punched it in from two yards out with 4:41 left in the first quarter. Kasperbauer targeted Cade Sears for seven yards, rifled a TD pass to Jacob Birch for 14, and Hall polished off the first half scoring on a seven-yard run.
The Cyclones added to their lead with three touchdowns in the third quarter. Kasperbauer connected with Curren on a 36-yard TD pass, Noah Schmitz scored on a two-yard run, Brett Heese scooped up a Trojan fumble and raced in from 34-yards out, and led 54-0 at the end of the third quarter. Schmitz led the Cyclone ball carries with four carries and 23-yards.
Dante Hedrington put the Trojans on the board with 45 seconds left in the contest on a two-yard run before the game went final 54-7. Hedrington carried the ball 22-times for 51-yards. Colton Rasmussen caught two passes for 37-yards to lead the Atlantic receiving corps. Jayden Proehl snagged one pass for 36-yards, and Carter Pellett hauled in three passes for 18-yards.
The Cyclones move to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in district play. Harlan matches up against 6-0 ADM next Friday night at Harlan. Atlantic falls to 2-4 on the season and travels to Knoxville next week.
