Only one team could leave the UNI-Dome a winner when gridiron giants the Mount Vernon Mustangs (12-1) and the Harlan Cyclones (12-1) met in the Class 3A state football championship game, and despite a tremendous effort, the Mustangs fell to the repeat champs 30-23.
The game, played last Friday, Nov. 18 in Cedar Falls, was an explosive game, with most of the fireworks reserved for the third and fourth periods.
The Mustangs seemed poised to pull off an upset win in the third, but a comeback from the defending state champs that began in the third and carried into the fourth dashed any hopes Mount Vernon had of that outcome.
For the Cyclones, it meant a state-record 14th state football championship. By contrast, the Mustangs have amassed three.
The Mustangs got on the board first in the title game, with Henry Ryan (taking over for an injured Joey Rhomberg) connecting with Jensen Meeker for a 32-yard pass touchdown on fourth down. With 8:45 to play in the first, Mount Vernon had a 6-0 lead after Matthew Sorfonden blocked the extra point attempt.
On the next drive, the Cyclones marched 84 yards on six plays, capped by a touchdown from Aidan Hall, who will play with the Iowa Hawkeyes next season. The point after attempt was good, and with just over six minutes in the first quarter, the Cyclones had a 7-6 edge they would carry into the second.
Harlan would not score again in the first half of the game.
A late second quarter field goal from Ben Crock put the Mustangs up 9-7 going into the half.
The Mustangs forced two uncharacteristic turnovers on the Cyclones in the third, turning them both into successful touchdown campaigns, with Jackson Jaspers returning an interception, and Henry Ryan later sneaking one yard across the goal line. With Crock’s points-after, the team were up 23-7, and it looked like Mount Vernon could be poised to pull off the unthinkable.
That was the last of the good times for the Mustangs in this game.
Quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer responded with a six yard touchdown pass to Jacob Birch with 16 seconds left to play in the third.
Now only leading 23-15, the fourth quarter saw Harlan striking again, Kasperbauer connecting to Cade Sears for a touchdown, and connecting with Birch for a two point conversion. With 3:39 to play, the game was now locked at 23.
The Cyclones defense stopped a Mustangs campaign, forcing the team to punt and put Harlan back in control with 2:04 to play in the game.
Kasperbauer connected with Sears on a 48-yard pass that led to a touchdown. With the extra point, Harlan was now up 30-23 with 1:24 to play.
That was where it would remain.
Kasperbauer finished the title game with 220 yards and three touchdowns.
On Mount Vernon’s side, without quarterback Joey Rhomberg, Henry Ryan had to learn the role in about five days. Ryan passed for 64 yards and a passing touchdown. He added 29 rushing yards, and one more touchdown.
“They’re obviously a great football team, and a storied football tradition,” said Mustangs head coach Lance Pedersen.
“I think our kids went out and executed the game plan against a very very good Harlan football team. I was very proud of our effort. We just came up a little short at the end.”
“We lose 18 amazing seniors,” reflected Pedersen. “The seniors have set the bar extremely high for Mustang football, and they’re all going to be missed. They all played a very important role in the success that we had this season.”
Pedersen went on to acknowledge and thank the support from the community.
“We turned around and looked at the crowd that we had — and we just want to make sure that our community knows that they are a part of our football program, and that we love them, and that we thank them for their support,” he said.
“It was a great game,” said senior receiver Brady Erickson.
“Honestly, it kind of fell apart in the fourth quarter, but overall, the defense was really good.”
“Henry Ryan for sure had a big game. He had to step up. He’s just such a competitor, honestly,” he said.
“It was a successful season, I think. 12-0, you make it to the championship game. We can’t really complain,” Erickson said.
Or, as Mount Vernon Schools Athletic Director later put it at a rally held for the team when they came back to town, “What a fall. And what a place to be. Would you want to be anywhere else?”
Mount Vernon vs. Harlan
MV 6 3 14 0 23
HAR 7 0 8 15 30
Mount Vernon
Passing Yards | Henry Ryan, SR C/A 5/15 YDS 66 TDS 1 RUS 44 TDS 1
Rushing Yards | Henry Ryan, SR ATT 16 YDS 44 TDS 1
Receiving Yards | Jensen Meeker, SR REC 2 YDS 62 TDS 1
Total Tackles | Jackson Jaspers, JR TKL 10.5 TFL 1.5 INT 1
Harlan Community
Passing Yards | Teagon Kasperbauer, SR C/A 22/39 YDS 220 TDS 3
Rushing Yards | William Kenkel, SR ATT 11 YDS 43 TDS 0
Receiving Yards | Jacob Birch , SR REC 11 YDS 138 TDS 1
Total Tackles | Matthew Sorfonden, JR TKL 9.5 TFL 1.0 FR 1
Mount Vernon Harlan
Passing Attempts 15 39
Passing C/ATT 5/15 22/39
Passing Yards 66 220
Passing TDs 1 3
Passing Interceptions 1 2
Rushing Attempts 34 25
Rushing Yards 47 71
Rushing TDs 1 1
Rushing Longest For TD 1 20
Receptions 5 22
Receiving Yards 66 220
Receiving TDs 1 3
Reception Longest For TD 32 48
Total Tackles 47.0 40.0
Tackles Solo 32 22
Total Sacks 0.0 2.0
Total Tackles For Loss 6.0 9.0
Fumble Recoveries 0 1
Interceptions 2 1
Interception Return Yards 43 0
Interceptions Returned For TD 1 0
Kickoff Returns 0 5
Kickoff Return Yards 0 47
Punt Returns 1 1
Punt Return Yards 9 0
PAT Attempts 3 2
Field Goal Attempts 1 0
Kickoffs 5 5
Kickoff Touchbacks 0 5
Kickoff Yards 199 300
Field Goals Made/Attempted 1/1 0/0
Field Goal Longest 30 0
PAT Made/Attempted 2/3 2/2
PAT Points 2 2
Punts 6 4
Punt Yards 206 126
Two Point Conversions 0 2
Two Point Conversion Points 0 4
Tackles – Zatyk Holub 2, Henry Ryan 8, Caden Stimmel 1, Jackson Rhomberg 1, Jackson Jaspers 7, Jensen Meeker 1, Kael Riniker 1, Cardell Berry 3, Brad Vislisel 3, Brady Erickson 4, Jase Jaspers 1.

Gallery • 9 Photos

--Courtesy photo Jennifer Tischer

Mount Vernon’s Ben Crock (No. 15) punts the football in the game.