(Harlan) Will Arkfeld threw two touchdown passes, and Brehden Eggerss scored on a 71-yard punt return to lead Harlan over Atlantic 27-6 in a Class 3A District 6 football game at Merrill Field in Harlan on Friday.
Harlan balanced out the offense with 143 yards passing and 123 rushing. Atlantic totaled 186 yards, 105 rushing and 81 yards passing.
The Cyclones broke a scoreless tie with 1:18 left in the first quarter on Noah Schmitz’s one-yard touchdown. Arkfeld and Eggerss hooked up on the drive’s biggest play on a 28-yard catch, landing deep in Trojan territory. Moments later, Schmitz bolted across the goal line, giving Harlan a 7-0 lead.
The defensive battle picked up again in the second quarter. The Cyclones posted another six points on the board with 22 seconds left in the half. Arkfeld found Josef Reisz in the end zone for a 15-yard TD strike. Atlantic defenseman Cohen Bruce blocked the extra point, and Harlan led 13-0 at the break.
Arkfeld fired his second touchdown strike at the 4:52 mark in the third quarter to Landen Kaufman. Schwery kicked the extra point, putting the Cyclones up 20-0. The final blow came early in the fourth frame when Brehden Eggerss gathered in a punt and zig and zagged his way to the edge, kicked into high gear, and raced 71 yards to paydirt, giving the home team a 27-0 lead.
Atlantic senior running back Dante Hedrington put six on the board late in the game when he blasted through the first level, racing 66 yards into the end zone. The extra point failed, and the game closed out 27-6, Harlan.
The Cyclones scored on two big plays but also controlled the ball, keeping the Atlantic offense off the field. Harlan’s time of possession totaled 30 minutes and 44 seconds. Atlantic controlled the ball for 17 minutes and 16 seconds.
The Trojans host Nevada in a Week 9 regular season finale’. Harlan travels to Knoxville.