(Creston) Atlantic held off Creston on the game’s final play and defeated the Panthers 26-21.
Creston quarterback Kyle Strider fired a hail Mary pass toward the end zone, and Cael Turner pulled down the jump ball at the Trojans’ three-yard line. With two seconds remaining, a high snap forced Strider to scramble to his right, and Jayden Proehl made the tackle to end the game.
Atlantic Head Coach Joe Brummer had this to say afterward.
The Trojans finished the season with three straight wins.
Unfortunately, the win was not enough; the Trojans missed an at-large berth by less than one point and saw their season end at (5-4), (3-2), in Class 3A district #6, third behind Harlan, and ADM. Due to the RPI rankings, Creston, a fourth-place finisher in the district, garnered enough points to land a spot in the post-season.
The game played out like this. The Panthers jumped out to an early lead following McCoy Haines’s interception. The home team capitalized on Striders’ TD pass to Brandon Briley from 17-yards out to give the home team a 7-0 lead. The Trojans bounced back with 4:29 left in the frame when Atlantic quarterback Caden Andersen rifled a short pass to Carter Pellett. The senior wideout took it from there and raced down the sideline for a 77-yard score. Thompson split the sticks on the PAT to tie the game at 7-7.
Creston regained the lead late in the first quarter when Strider delivered a 44-yard TD strike to Xavier Drake to boost the Panthers to a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Atlantic evened the score in the second quarter when Andersen targeted Pellett again for a touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 at the break.
The Trojans grabbed their first lead with 5:27 left in the third quarter on Andersens’ 18-yard aerial to Pellett. The Trojans misfired on the extra point and led 20-14.
The Panthers bounded back early in the fourth quarter on Striders’ two-yard run. The PAT pushed through, and Creston led 21-20. The Trojans responded again with 2:28 left to play. Senior Fullback Tanner O’Brien took the handoff and raced 24-yards for the score. The Trojans failed on the two-point conversion, led 26-21, and made it a final following the Trojans’ goal line stand.
