Cyclone FB Season Ends with Loss to Algona, 49-6

Cyclone FB Season Ends with Loss to Algona, 49-6 –

(11-1-24) – A small mistake had huge ramifications.

A muffed punt on the opening series for Harlan Community saw Algona pounce on the opportunity getting a quick score that led to a 28-pt first quarter and the Cyclones would end up on the wrong side of a 49-6 score in the Class 3A State Playoffs Friday.

“They definitely got down the field on us a little bit,” Harlan Community Coach Todd Bladt told KNOD Sports following the game. “We had some guys that just made some mental errors that put us behind the 8-ball there and we weren't able to capitalize and get a first down and they go right down the field and hit a big pass and kind of put us in a bind there.”

Algona got a 31-yd TD pass from sophomore QB Nathan Manske to Tate Slagle and it would start the Bulldogs rolling. They would score on the next 4 drives and stretch their lead to 35-0 early in the 2nd qtr to start a running clock.

After the Bulldogs Jack Limbaugh scored his 3rd TD of the game, the Cyclones finally got on the board with on a 51-yd TD pass from Gabe Arkfeld to Jozef Reisz. A 2-pt conversion attempt that would have brought the deficit under 35 and stop the running clock failed. Arkfeld threw for 181 yds, a TD, and an interception. Reisz finishes his Cyclone career with 6 catches for 124 yds and a TD.

Despite the loss, Bladt was pleased with his team’s effort over the past 4 weeks to get to playoffs after their 1-pt loss to Creston.

“They did battle, there's no doubt about that. The seniors came together. They willed it. You know, we've been playing playoff football for quite a while now. This was our fifth game of playoff football. I got to just thank all the seniors, all the guys that put in so much hard work for this. I don't think anybody that hasn't ever played football quite understands how many hours goes into it, how much blood, sweat and tears. It's not easy. It's not easy to play football. Not everybody can do it.”

With a season that saw several ups and downs, a loss to end the season is just as tough on the coaches, who begin the second-guessing and “what if” portion of the season.

“I've got a great coaching staff and they're hurt right now and now, you know, they're trying to think of what we could have done different all the way back to how we're training all the way in January.

It's tough and it's hard to take and sometimes you just you compartmentalize it. You try to see any way that you could have improved, so you can maybe put that in for the next go around.”

But Bladt knows the effort of his players was there all season long.

“These guys, they did battle. They battled this season and I got themselves into the playoffs and got a playoff berth. One of 16 teams out of 48, and I'm proud of their efforts.”

Harlan Community finishes their season 6-4.

View past scores by visiting the Iowa High School Athletic Association's website, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union website,
or Iowa Quik Stats