Cyclones week 7 preview: Perry Bluejays

HARLAN – The Harlan Community Cyclones welcome district foe Perry for a Week 7 matchup under the lights of Merrill Field on Friday night in their annual homecoming game.The Bluejays have struggled this season, entering the contest with an 0-6 record.In their first two district games against Greene County and Atlantic, they were outscored by a combined total of 98-7.The Cyclones have had plenty of success against the Bluejays in recent years, holding a 6-0 record in the series dating back to 2006.The last two meetings both ended in identical 49-7 Harlan victories. Perry’s offense is led by junior quarterback Ian Fisher, who has completed 27 of 66 passes for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions this season. The Bluejays’ top offensive weapon is junior running back Nadir Quahbi, who has carried the ball 98 times for 629 yards and four touchdowns, including a 98-yard scoring run.At receiver, juniors Rylan Modlin and Owen Zander are tied for the team lead in receiving yards with 137 apiece. Modlin leads in receptions with 12, while Zander has nine; both have caught one touchdown this season. Defensively, the Bluejays are led by senior Jacobo Cerna-Gomez, who has recorded 33.5 total tackles and three tackles for loss — tied for the team lead. Perry has just two sacks on the season, coming from juniors Gavin Leslie and Cohen Galivan, who each have one. In last week’s matchup against Atlantic, the Bluejays gave up 429 rushing yards on just 32 carries, allowing an average of 13.4 yards per rush.Cyclone head coach Todd Bladt spoke about this week’s contest, saying,“Perry is looking to get their first win of the season at Merrill Field. The Bluejays have a potent running back that hits the hole with hard downhill running. The Bluejays have had many opportunities during the season that have slipped through their fingers. We will have to play disciplined defense and efficient offense to come out on top.”The Cyclones are coming off a big week on the ground against Creston and will look to carry that same success into this matchup as they aim to defend their home turf for homecoming.Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night at Merrill Field.