CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Unwilling to get caught up in a finesse-filled shootout, Harlan Community turned the proceedings into a back-alley brawl.

Carroll quarterback Blake Haluska started quickly, but the Cyclones physically throttled the Tigers over the final three quarters, cruising to a 42-7 Class 3-A state football semifinal victory Monday at the UNI-Dome.

Harlan quarterback Michael Kaufmann passed for 141 yards in the first half, and the Cyclones ran for 186 in the second half. Dylan Barrett pounded for 97 of his 132 rushing yards after the intermission.

“The guys in the press box were saying, ‘Run the ball right at them. Run the ball right at them. You keep running it at them and you're going to wear them down,''' Harlan coach Curt Bladt said. “They must have known something up there. I thought our interior line played really well today.''

The Cyclones finished with 495 total yards after dominating the final three quarters and improved to a remarkable 20-5 in state semifinal games. Top-rated Harlan (13-0) will meet unrated Pella (10-3) back here Saturday at 4:05 p.m. for the 3-A title. The Cyclones are seeking to add to their state record by earning a 12th championship trophy.

In its first semifinal appearance, Carroll finished at 12-1. Coach Dennis McCartan said his staff and several of the players will return to watch the finals.

“We know they're going to win it next week,'' he said. “We want to come and watch the best play, and we think they're the best.''

Carroll had 116 yards of offense in the first 9:09 of the game, as Haluska gave the Tigers the early 7-0 lead with a 31-yard touchdown scramble. But in the next 38:51 of action, Carroll managed just 112 yards.

Senior defensive end Joe Arentson led the Harlan defense with 10 tackles. He was in on five sacks of Haluska. Fellow senior Ryan Fahn had a hand in three sacks.

“We tried to make them one-dimensional, and that's what we did,'' said Arentson, a 6-foot, 190-pounder who missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury.

Kaufmann was at his best in the first half, when Harlan took control of the game. The 5-11, 155-pound senior had completions of 18 yards to Brian Kloewer and 20 to Barrett, setting up his own 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7.

On Harlan's next possession, Kaufmann hit Kloewer for 16 and 40 yards, leading to Matt Hoch's 1-yard touchdown run that put the Cyclones up 14-7 with 4:48 left in the half.

Then came the backbreaker. After an Alex Brown sack led to a Carroll punt, Harlan needed just six plays and 98 seconds to convert. Eric Croghan got behind the Tiger defense, and Kaufmann threw a strike to him for a 39-yard score, sending Harlan to the intermission up 21-7.

“Some people might have said, ‘Wait until Carroll gets on turf,''' McCartan said. “Well, wait until Harlan gets on turf. They're pretty fast, too. I don't think anybody's been faster than us all year, and Harlan was faster than us.''

Harlan added the knockout blow on its first possession of the second half. The Cyclones covered 84 yards in nine plays, including six straight carries for 47 yards by the 6-0, 185-pound Barrett. Kaufmann hit Joey Buman from 31 yards out to put Harlan up 28-7 with 4:04 left in the third.

For all intents and purposes, that was the ballgame. Bladt said Barrett ran with a purpose in the second half.

“I told him, ‘This isn't Arthur Murray,''' he said. “So let's quit dancin' and get up field a little bit. I thought he did a great job both halves, he was just trying to make a big play (early).''

Four of Harlan's six sacks of Haluska came in the second half. Haluska finished with 197 yards of total offense, but just 50 in the second half.

“They brought their rush so well, and their kids are just tenacious,'' McCartan said. “They keep coming, they never stop to look and they drive their feet through people.''

Harlan linebacker Matt Hoch, a 6-4, 245-pound Iowa football recruit, said he spent the whole game “spying'' on Haluska, that is, shadowing his every move.

“He's got some wheels,'' Hoch said, “but everybody on the defense did a great job.''

Kaufmann finished 9 of 13 passing for 180 yards and two scores. He rushed for another 74 yards and one touchdown.

Harlan improved its playoff record to 80-18. It is bidding for its first title since winning a third straight crown in 2005.

“We're ready for the ‘ship,'' Hoch said. “We're ready for Saturday.''

McCartan said the Tigers made another important step in their progression as a football program.

“The kids got a taste of it, and now it's back to work,'' he said. “We told them, ‘Look around. Look at the locker rooms. Look at the field you played on. Is this where you want to be? If it is, then this is what you have to do to get there.'''

Carroll (12-1)...............7 0 0 0—7
Harlan (13-0)...............0 21 7 14—42

C: Blake Haluska 31 run (Casey Kasperbauer kick)

H: Michael Kaufmann 5 run (Trent Wendt kick)

H: Matt Hoch 1 run (Wendt kick)

H: Eric Croghan 39 pass from Kaufmann (Wendt kick)

H: Joey Buman 31 pass from Kaufmann (Wendt kick)

H: Hoch 5 run (Wendt kick)

H: Lucas Musich 4 run (Wendt kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: C, Haluska 18-62, Ben Meiners 2-15, Jordan Thelen 5-11, Ethan Shields 1-5. H, Dylan Barrett 21-132, Kaufmann 7-74, Lucas Musich 5-50, Hoch 10-44, Justin Mills 2-15.

PASSING: C, Haluska 12-27-1, 135 yards. H, Kaufmann 9-13-0, 180 yards, 2 TDs.

RECEIVING: C, Taylor Ostrich 2-42, Brad Christensen 3-36, Shields 3-26, Jordan Holdsworth 2-14, Casey Kasperbauer 1-14, Thelen 1-3. H, Brian Kloewer 3-74, Croghan 1-39, Joey Buman 1-31, Barrett 1-20, Luke Lansman 2-16, Adam Cave 1-6.

Contact the writer:

444-1055, kevin.white@owh.com

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