HCHS gridders focused on getting back to work at Creston

Cyclones drop one spot in 3A RPI rankings after knocking off LC, likely need two more wins to make playoffs

 CRESTON (Oct. 18) -- The football RPI system adopted by the Iowa High School Athletic Association last year to help determine at-large playoff qualifiers is nothing if not objective.
 The Ratings Percentage Index is not impressed with margin of victory or upsets or how many yards Johnny threw for against the so-called top defense in the land. It’s merely an unbiased mathematical formula that calculates each team’s RPI based partially on their own winning percentage (37.5%), their opponents’ winning percentage (37.5%) and their opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage (25%).
 So it really came as no shock on Monday when - after playing its best game of the season and notching arguably its most impressive regular-season win in years last Friday - the Harlan Community football team actually dropped one spot, 10th to 11th, in this week’s Class 3A RPI rankings.
 Lewis Central, the team the Cyclones just beat 14-6, dropped two spots from first to third.
 For what it’s worth, the more subjective Associated Press poll also left HCHS out of this week’s 3A top 10 by one position.
 What it all boils down to is that the Cyclones (5-2 overall, 2-1 in District 9) still have work to do with two weeks left in the regular season. Only the district champion is guaranteed an automatic playoff berth and HCHS is currently tied with LC for second place behind Glenwood (3-0), which hosts the Titans this week.
 If the Cyclones win out they should clinch at least a wildcard playoff spot, and that challenge starts Friday night at Creston/O-M (2-5, 0-3), Next week, Winterset (4-3, 1-2) visits Harlan for the regular season finale.
 “These are our playoff games,” said HCHS interim head coach Todd Bladt. “I don’t see a way to the playoffs if we lose one of the next two. We’ve got to battle the next two weeks and then we’ll see what the RPI says.
 “It is pretty interesting that you beat the number one RPI team and drop in the RPI rankings, but it does make sense as you get later in the season that those teams with one loss would eventually have to jump you, so that’s kind of what happened this week to us."
 Tonight’s opponent has lost five straight games since a 2-0 start, but the Panthers have shown the ability to put up points. Outside of a 48-8 loss to Lewis Central three weeks ago, Creston has scored between 21 and 42 points each game.
 Defense has been a problem, however. Since shutting out Chariton in Week 1 and holding Atlantic to 13 points in Week 2, the Panthers have allowed between 31 and 48 points in their five losses.

HCHS (5-2, 2-1) at Creston/O-M (2-5, 0-3) • Friday, Oct. 18 • 7:00 p.m.

Series History
HCHS leads all-time, 44-7.
at Harlan: HCHS leads, 22-4; at Creston: HCHS leads, 22-3; Playoffs: HCHS leads, 5-1.
Creston has won 5 of the last 9.

Last 4 Meetings
2015: Creston won 34-11 (at Harlan)*
2016: Creston won 70-49 (at Creston)
2017: HCHS won 42-7 (at Harlan)
2018: HCHS won 48-0 (at Harlan)
* Playoff Game

Creston Individual Stat Leaders
 Passing: Eli Loudon 103/213 (48.4%), 1,736, 15 TDs, 8 INTs. Rushing: Rylan Luther 68-504 (7.4), 4 TDs. Receiving: Cael Kralik 36-672 (18.7), 6 TDs; Luke Latham 25-449 (18.0); Brance Baker 19-316 (16.6), 6 TDs.
 Tackles: Luther 17s/45a, Garon Wurster 17s/44a, Baker 25s/20a, Mills 12s/31a. Tackles for loss: Jackson Kinsella 4s/2a.

 
 

 

Harlan Newspapers

1114 7th Street
P.O. Box 721
Harlan, IA 51537-0721

(800) 909-6397
news2@harlanonline.com

Comment Here