(Atlantic) Atlantic scored 20 unanswered points in the second half and cruised to a 30-8 win over Denison-Schleswig on Friday night at Denison.
Zayden Parker threw two touchdown passes to Brock Goodrich and Corbin Ritter, respectively. Carter Hadley snagged a pick-six, Ethan McNeal scored on a short run, and Trevor Ellison booted a 29-yard field goal for the Trojans. The Monarchs’ only score came on a Blaine Grady to Andy Pedersen 30-yard pass, and they capitalized on a two-point conversion.
Gavin McLaren blocked a Monarch punt, which set up the Trojans’ first score. A Trevor Ellison 29-yard field goal with 4:03 left in the first quarter. The Trojans then extended their lead to 10-0 with 11:52 remaining in the second quarter when Zayden Parker completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brock Goodrich.
The Monarchs answered back and closed the gap to 10-8 with 7:12 left in the second quarter. On a critical third down and seven, quarterback Blaine Grady connected with wide receiver Andy Petersen for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Denison opted for a two-point conversion, and Grady found Christopher Castro open in the back of the end zone, narrowing the score to 10-8. That’s how the first half concluded.
The Trojans dominated the second half. Starting on the Monarch’s 43-yard line, Parker launched a strike to Brock Goodrich, bringing the ball down to the Monarch’s six-yard line. On the next play, Ethan McNeal burst through a wide-open hole into the end zone, though the extra point attempt went wide left, leaving Atlantic with a 16-8 lead.
It didn’t take long for the Trojans to strike again, this time from the defensive side. The Monarchs snapped the ball from their own 17-yard line, Carter Hadley seized the opportunity, intercepting the pass and sprinting down the field behind a wall of Trojan blockers into the end zone. With Ellison’s successful PAT, the Trojans extended their lead to 23-8.
The Trojans capped off their impressive second-half performance with 9:52 left in the game. Parker launched a pass to Corbin Ritter, who made a spectacular catch and dashed to the end zone. Following another successful PAT from Ellison, the Trojans led 30-8, solidifying their dominance in the game.
Atlantic Coach Joe Brummer was proud of the defensive effort by the Trojans.
The Trojans came out in the second half and had all of the momentum.
Next Friday night, Atlantic will host Des Moines Christian, while the Monarchs will travel to Council Bluffs to take on Abraham Lincoln.
