Creston — Zayden Parker’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Shelton Mualia in the final seconds sealed a thrilling 29-27 victory for the Trojans over Creston in a Class 3A District 6 opener Friday night.
Atlantic Head Coach Joe Brummer…
Parker was efficient under center, completing 7 of 11 passes for 107 yards, including the game-winning strike to Mualia, who finished with two catches for 45 yards. The dramatic win capped off a strong all-around performance from the Trojans.
Junior running back Ethan McNeal continued his dominant stretch on the ground, rushing 38 times for 216 yards. It marked his second consecutive 200-yard game after recording 222 yards on 26 carries last week against Storm Lake. Through five games, McNeal has totaled 653 yards on 118 carries.
Gavin McLaren was another key contributor, finding the end zone three times for the Trojans. Defensively, Hunter Nelson came up with a crucial interception to help swing momentum.
The Panthers struck first after Atlantic won the coin toss deferring to the second half. Creston’s offense marched deep into Trojan territory before the drive stalled at the 13-yard line. Kicker Joaquin Flores put the Panthers on the board with a 30-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
The Trojans responded immediately with an 80-yard drive, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Gavin McLaren. Zander Killion’s extra point gave the visitors a 7-3 edge. Killion later added a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-3.
But Creston wasn’t done. Quarterback Tanner Ray tied things up before halftime, breaking free for a 17-yard touchdown run with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter. The teams entered the locker room knotted at 10-10.
The third quarter saw both defenses dig in, with neither team scoring until Gavin McLaren broke through with 1:54 remaining in the period. His one-yard touchdown plunge gave the Trojans a 17-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Creston answered early in the final frame as Joaquin Flores drilled his second field goal of the night — this time from 33 yards — cutting the deficit to 17-13.
Momentum swung entirely in the Panthers’ favor as they put together back-to-back scoring drives. Jackson Pettigrew powered in from eight yards out, and quarterback Tanner Ray added a 17-yard touchdown run with just 35 seconds remaining, giving Creston a dramatic 27-23 lead.
It looked like the Panthers had sealed the win, but the Trojans had one final answer.
The Trojans are now 1-0 in district play and 4-2 overall. The Panthers fall to 0-1 in the district and 1-4 overall.
Atlantic hosts Perry in a homecoming game next Friday night. The Panthers travel to Harlan.
