Cyclones, Titans clash for outright district lead

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Oct. 5) -- It’s been a few years since the Harlan Community football team has faced a Class 3A foe from western Iowa like the one it will square off against tonight.
 Ranked second in the state by the Associated Press, Lewis Central has  defeated all six of its opponents, including No. 6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton, by at least 28 points and scored 52 or more the last four games, often approaching that number by halftime. The Titans boast the top-ranked offense in 3A, averaging 456 yards per game and 9.7 per play, and are winning by an average margin of 51.2 to 8.2.
 So is it fair to say that LC is playing at a level similar to some of the elite Sioux City Heelan teams that butted heads with Harlan annually about a decade ago?
 “Absolutely. The only thing (Lewis Central) has is better receivers and a better quarterback,” quipped HCHS head coach Curt Bladt.
 The 9th-ranked Cyclones (5-1) will take their best shot at the 6-0 Titans Friday night (7:00 p.m.) in a matchup of teams tied for first place with 2-0 records in 3A District 9.
 The winner gains control of its own destiny to win the district title and earn an automatic playoff berth later this month. The loser still stands a good chance to make the playoffs as an at-large team if it keeps its RPI score in good standing (LC currently ranks 3rd in 3A; HCHS is 10th).
 The household name for Titan football is certainly senior quarterback Max Duggan (6-2, 195), who has consistently been ranked among the top five QBs in his class nationally for quite some time and will sign with Texas Christian of the Big 12 in the coming months.
 Duggan, who threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s 31-21 LC win at Harlan (when the Titans were in Class 4A), is completing 71.3 percent of his passes so far this year for 1,236 yards, 16 TDs and no interceptions. He also leads the team with 574 rushing yards (11.7 per carry) and 10 scores.
 HCHS ranks third in 3A with 415.5 yards per game, is outscoring the opposition 40.3 to 13.8 and hasn’t allowed a single third-quarter point in almost two full years.