Titans rout Cyclones in battle for District 9 lead

HCHS mistakes prove costly in 49-14 defeat; Lewis Central quarterback Duggan has six-touchdown night

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Oct. 5) -- Big plays and short fields.
 Two things the Harlan Community football team absolutely could not afford to give Lewis Central Friday night turned into two of the biggest difference makers as the 2nd-ranked Titans lived up to every bit of the hype in a 49-14 win over the 9th-ranked Cyclones.
 In a battle for the lead in Class 3A, District 9, LC built a 35-7 halftime lead and scored 35 unanswered points after HCHS made it a 14-7 game midway through the first quarter.
 Directed by future TCU quarterback Max Duggan, who scored four rushing touchdowns and passed for two more, the Titans (7-0, 3-0 District 9) completed three first-half passes for 50-plus yards and got touchdown runs of 38 and 25 from Duggan. They also had three scoring drives between 20 and 25 yards as a direct result of two mishandled punt snaps and a botched handoff by the Cyclones (5-2, 2-1).
 In the end, Lewis Central gained just 34 more yards than Harlan (318-284), but did so in nearly half the number of plays (33 to 58).
 The Cyclones finished with three official turnovers (basically four) and netted nearly half of their offense on two big touchdown passes by Preston Mulligan - an 80-yarder to Eli Boldan early and a 46-yarder to Johnathan Monson after the outcome was no longer in doubt.
 “When you give them the ball (three) times inside the (25)-yard line - just hand it to them - there’s not much good gonna happen. Not (against) that team,” said HCHS head coach Curt Bladt.
 A persistent light mist made the football just wet enough to give the Cyclones all kinds of trouble in terms of fumbles (five total, two lost) and dropped passes. The Titans, meanwhile, had no such problems and fumbled just once - on the first play of the fourth quarter.
 The Titans did what they did in large part because of a quarterback who looks very ready to play in televised Saturday games in the near future. Running with great vision and speed, avoiding almost sure sacks and throwing balls 60 yards downfield with the flick of a wrist, Max Duggan completed 7-of-12 passes for 193 yards and ran it 10 times for 97 (six total TDs).

Lewis Central 49, HCHS 14
CB LC: Max Duggan 38-yd. run (Drake Nettles kick) - 1st qt., 8:24.
CB LC: Duggan 1-yd. run (Nettles kick) - 1st qt., 5:59.
HCHS: Eli Boldan 80-yd. pass from Preston Mulligan (Kyle Knudson kick) - 1st qt., 5:49.
CB LC: Thomas Fidone 19-yd. pass from Duggan (Nettles kick) - 2nd qt., 11:03.
CB LC: Duggan 5-yd. run (Nettles kick) - 2nd qt., 9:39.
CB LC: Josh Simmons 53-yd. pass from Duggan (Nettles kick) - 2nd qt., 4:38.
CB LC: Duggan 25-yd. run (Nettles kick) - 3rd qt., 10:24.
CB LC: Mike Gittins 13-yd. run (Nettles kick) - 3rd qt., 4:35.
HCHS: Johnathan Monson 46-yd. pass from Mulligan (Knudson kick) - 3rd qt., 1:31.

HCHS Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- Brenden Bartley 11-49, Johnathan Monson 12-46, Alex Schechinger 1-21. Passing -- Preston Mulligan 7-22-1, 190. Receiving -- Eli Boldan 1-80, Jonny Cheek 4-55, Monson 1-46.
    Tackles -- Wyatt Schaben 8 (3s/5a), Jake McLaughlin 3 (1s/2a), Connor Bruck 3 (1s/2a). Fumble recovery -- Jon Owens (5-yd. return).
CB LC Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- Max Duggan 10-97. Passing -- Duggan 7-12-0, 193. Receiving -- Josh Simmons 2-103, Dane Norville 1-50, Thomas Fidone 4-40.

 
 

 

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