The Atlantic Trojans dropped their third straight game in a 69-7 loss to the Harlan Cyclones on Friday, Sept. 25. Special teams struggled with punts, putting the Trojans under early as they allowed 41 points in the first quarter alone.

The Cyclones just needed 13 offensive snaps in the first quarter to put up 41 points. Harlan’s efficiency didn’t stop there. They ran 30 fewer plays than the Trojans, and exceeded Trojan yardage by only 44 yards. Yet the Cyclones managed to out-score the Trojans by 62 points.

Atlantic rushed for just 41 yards and passed for 132 for a total of 173 yards on the night. Atlantic rushing leader sophomore Noah Bruckner, rushed for 23 yards on seven carries, and senior Brendan Holmes was right behind him with 19 yards on only five carries.

In the passing game, sophomore Jaxson Eden went 13 for 28 with 132 yards, 0 touchdowns and three interceptions. Receiving wise, Holmes caught seven of Eden’s passes earning 115 yards, all but 17 of Eden’s passing yards of the night.

Defensively Holmes again lead his team with four solo tackles and one assisted. Fellow senior Kyle Nelson came up with three solo tackles and one assisted. Eden and Bruckner combined for six more solo tackles, three each.

When asked about the Trojans’ game preparations for Harlan, head Coach Eric Waldstein said, “Just normal game stuff, getting guys ready to play because of the injuries.” Waldstein sad, “It took a while to get things going especially on offense. Alex Williams was out sick, so Clayton West started, and that wasn’t expected. We had a lot of young guys on the field.”