COUNCIL BLUFFS – Creston/O-M football had its season come to an end at the hands of Class 3A No. 7 Lewis Central Friday night, losing in a 62-12 shellacking.
The Titans opened the game showing their prowess on offense, scoring in three plays with a pass from Jonah Pomrenke to Thomas Fidone being the first strike for LC.
The 27-yard score came at 11:01 in the first, and was followed by a stalled drive by Creston/O-M in its own half of the field.
Creston/O-M was able to get to Pomrenke, forcing a fourth down with a sack from Derek Paup. A forced punt led to another stalled drive from Creston/O-M who punted again in their own half of the field.
LC's Luciano Fidone shed two tackles from the Panthers to score from 10 yards out, giving Lewis Central a 14-0 lead with 3:46 left in the first.
Another strike by LC came with 0:49 left in the first, this time a Braylon Kammrad pass to Brayden Loftin from 23-yards out. To close the first, the Titans led 21-0.
Thomas Fidone was again found in space early in the second, and hauled off for a 67-yard score to make it a 28-0 game. The 28 points were answered by Creston/O-M, who created a scoring drive of its own.
Starting from its own 20, the Panthers went 80 yards on a drive that ended with a Cole Strider to Brance Baker touchdown from 7 yards out. A 19-yard gain on a pass interference call during a 4th-and-8 situation gave the Panthers a chance to score.
LC bit back with two more scores, including a Jon Humpal 58-yard receiving TD, giving LC a 35-6 lead.
Trailing with seconds left in the second at 41-6, the Panthers flexed its well-rounded receiving core on a 75-yard touchdown pass to Britain Miller.
The pass to Miller led to juking out LC's Pomrenke, a defensive back, with a spin move that put the defender on skates. Miller was then chased down as he hauled for the end zone, but was tackled as he crossed the plane.
A missed two-point conversion put the Panthers in halftime down 42-12, and the difference only got bigger as the second half went on.
Touchdowns from LC's Loftin, Blake Cyborn and Ethan Fishell made the contest a 51-point difference. With the final horn going off, it closed a memorable chapter for a senior group that has played under Creston/O-M head coach Brian Morrison's regime for four years.
"They mean a ton. We had high expectations with this group," said Morrison. "... Just the work ethic, the leadership, those kids led our team this year. We wouldn't have been the team we were without them. Super proud of them."
The Panthers bid farewell to 20 seniors, one of the biggest in recent memory, said Morrison. The size of the class, with their infectious work ethic and drive, is something Morrison hopes will translate to the underclassmen.
"I think they're going to see it. Those guys played for each other throughout the course of the season," said Morrison.
Morrison noted Lewis Central's frequency with throwing Friday night compared to running the ball, giving them credit and calling them an elite team with a chance to win the state title.
A pass-friendly offense while playing behind, the Panthers had good play from the receiving core.
"They stepped up. I thought we did some good things offensively," said Morrison. "It's tough to run the football with their front eight,and we still continued to throw the ball and get some good receptions."
The Panthers close out the season 1-7.
Editor's note: Yardage is unofficial until official stats are received. This article will update as information is processed.
Stanton 61, Murray 22
MURRAY – Turnovers and missed tackles was the recipe for a loss Friday night as Stanton blew out the Mustangs 61-22.
On the third play from scrimmage, Murray fumbled the ball on a pitch from quarterback Zack Belden. Stanton's Carter Johnson recovered for a scoop and score at 10:46 in the first quarter.
The Vikings jumped out with another score on their first offensive play. Logan Roberts broke a tackle and stormed his way into the end zone. Stanton's two-point conversion was successful, pushing the lead to 14-0 at 8:03 in the first quarter.
Murray responded on the kickoff. Christian Nevarez found a hole, started down the Mustangs' sideline and was able to escape to find his way into the end zone and give Murray six points, with a failed two-point conversion.
Stanton kept up the scoring, blocking a punt for a touchdown to take a 20-6 lead after the first quarter.
Scoring slowed in the second quarter. Stanton added one touchdown while Murray's offense struggled to get anything going, continuing to turn the ball over.
Murray found its first points since the opening quarter from an 11-play drive that saw two third down conversion. Belden connected with Jace Rodecker across the middle for a touchdown. Belden rushed for another touchdown in the fourth quarter, rushing up the middle after a long drive.
Stanton continued to put up points throughout the end of the game, ending Murray's season at 4-4.
Area playoff scores
East Mills 41, Lenox 16
IKM-Manning 34, Southwest Valley 20
Nodaway Valley 20, North Mahaska 0
Interstate 35, 20, Central Decatur 14 (Roadrunners will face Mount Ayr next week, who was on a bye)
