(Harlan) #2 Harlan faces #9 North Scott for the Class 3A State Championship on Thursday. We’ll have the game on KSOM. Today we offer a statistical breakdown of the two teams. Coming up later in the week we’ll have our preview with Cyclone coach Todd Bladt.
Harlan has passed for 2,208 yards on the season and rushed for 1,628. Whether it be through the air or on the ground they can get the ball to a variety of weapons. Mason Griffith and Brenden Bartley have each topped 500 yards rushing on the season while William Kenkel has 386 yards. Those three plus quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer all have at least four rushing TD’s on the year. Kasperbauer has throw for 2,340 yards and 22 scores. Connor Frame, Aidan Hall, and Joey Moser are his main targets, but while Will McLaughlin and Brenden Bartley have made contributions catching the ball as well. Frame has a team high 39 catches for 885 yards and 12 TD’s. Hall has 747 yards on 29 catches with 7 TD’s, and Mosier has four touchdown receptions among his 29 grabs for 424 yards. Frame came up clutch in the quarterfinal win over Lewis Central while Hall was a driving force in the team’s semifinal win against Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley. Harlan averages 32.7 points per game.
The Cyclones defense has allowed just 14.5 points per game. They’ve forced 22 turnovers. Takeaways were a big factor their last time out as Bartley and Hall each returned interceptions for touchdowns in the semi’s. Hall lead the team with five picks on the year. Will McLaughlin has a team best 66 tackles including 11.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. Jameson Bieker also has 4 sacks and is 2nd on the team in total tackles with 56.5. Linebacker Joseph Fah has been another standout with 46 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss.
North Scott’s senior quarterback Carter Markham has carried the offensive load for the Lancers. He’s completed 66.1% of this throws for 899 yards, 7 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. Markham has 15 more rush attempts than anyone else on the team and has tallied 743 yards with 11 TD’s. Their other main rushing threat is Darnell Butler with 99 carries for 483 yards (4.9 avg) and 4 TD’s. Oliver Hughes, Jakob Nelson, and Max Solis are the main threats in the passing game. Hughes leads the way with 34 catches for 383 yards and 3 TD’s. Nelson has 21 grabs for 336 yards and one score. Solis has three TD grabs among his 17 catches for 222 yards. North Scott averages 27 points per game. They’ve scored 50 or more twice, including in the first round of the playoffs.
North Scott has allowed ten points or less in two of their last three outings. Joey Petersen has been a force to be reckoned with. The senior has 45.5 stops, 8 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss. Nine other defenders have at least 25 tackles for the year. Their defensive points per game allowed average is 10.9 points. In their first four wins of the year they allowed a whopping combined total of 7 points. They’ve forced 19 turnovers this season.
Both teams have found ways to pull out tight games this season. Five of Harlan’s 11 wins have come by 12 points or less including one possession games against Pella, Carlisle, and Lewis Central. North Scott needed overtime to oust CR Xavier in the semifinals (17-10) and field goals were the difference in their two previous wins. They topped Assumption 13-10 in the second round and West Delaware 24-21 in the quarterfinals. The only loss for either side was North Scott’s Week 2 setback to Class 4A semifinalist Pleasant Valley, 24-10.
The game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. Catch all the action on 96.5 FM KSOM.
