(Perry) McNeal and McLaren each rushed for over 100 yards, and Atlantic topped Perry 35-14 Friday night at Perry.
The Trojans racked up 346 yards of offense, led by Ethan McNeal and Gavin McLaren. McNeal carried the ball 16 times for 166 yards and one touchdown. McLaren carried the ball 12 times for 113 yards and scored two touchdowns.
The Trojans’ first score came with 11:55 to play in the second quarter. Kinnick Juhl picked off a Geron Kinney pass in the end zone with 4:25 to play in the first quarter. The Trojans followed the pick with a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Ethan McNeal’s eight-yard run. Atlantic opened up a 14-0 lead when quarterback Tristan Hayes fired a 29-yard touchdown strike to Xavier Darrow with 2:06 to play in the first half. Head Coach Joe Brummer complimented Hayes and Darrow for the execution.
The first half ended with the Trojans holding a 14-0 advantage. The Trojans added to their lead late in the third quarter. Blue Jays quarterback Geron Kinney completed a pass to Eric Lajos. Carter Hadley and Kinnick Juhl teamed up and made the tackle and forced the fumble. Jarrett Hansen scooped it up and ran to paydirt from 29 yards out to put the Trojans on top 21-0.
Perry kept on grinding and scored on the ensuing drive, gobbling up 72 yards in 13 plays. Kinney capped off the impressive drive with a four-yard run, narrowing the score to 21-7. The Trojans answered quickly with a five-play 61-yard drive ending in Gavin McLaren’s touchdown carry of 19 yards and a 28-7 lead. The Blue Jays’ elusive quarterback Geron Kinney answered the bell with a four-yard score to cut the lead in half 28-14 with 1:47 left to play. The Trojans responded with McLaren’s 15-yard TD scamper to move the score to 35-14. Hadin Thompson finished the night with a perfect five-for-five kicking PATs.
Perry chewed up 307 yards of total offense, 179 yards rushing, and 128 passing. Kenney led the ground attack with 75 yards, and Eric Lajos, 73. Kenney finished the night 10-20.
For the Trojans defensively, Jake Wailes led the team with 11 tackles, including one sack and two for loss, and Kinnick Juhl picked off two passes.
The Trojans next play Harlan on Friday night. The Cyclones are coming off a 24-21 win over Nevada. Creston leads the district at 3-0, and Nevada, Atlantic, and Harlan each have one loss. Coach Brummer is planning for a big week ahead of the Harlan matchup, with a lot on the line for both teams.
The kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. We will the broadcast on 95.7 F.M. and live video-streamed on westerniowatoday.com.
