Rick Houchin/ Tribune
Adams Central back Nathan Arlt (22) turns the corner past Crete's Johnny Leach during a big gain in the final drive of the first half Friday at Adams Central.

Adams Central falls to Crete
Gene Ray
sports@hastingstribune.com
Two-time defending Class B state champion Crete got its ground game going early Friday night, sparking the Cardinals to a 24-6 win over Adams Central.
Crete pounded the rock on the game’s first possession, going the distance on a 70-yard march that featured 17 runs. The Cardinals ate up 8 minutes, 16 seconds off the clock as quarterback Jeremy Brandt took the ball in on a 4-yard touchdown scamper.
“We have good size up front. We felt we could run the ball,” said Crete coach Chuck McGinnis, who saw his squad lose its season opener in double-overtime last Friday to Aurora. “Adams Central plays a good brand of defense. So it was a real confidence booster for our kids to open the ballgame with that.”
Crete came into the contest with a game plan geared toward the run.
“Our offensive lineman took a lot of pride in that and did a nice job,” McGinnis said. “Our kids were disappointed last week, and they worked hard to correct some of their mistakes. I thought we were pretty sound most of the night.”
Crete also used its speed game to put the game away right after the Patriots scored its lone touchdown early in the final quarter.
Cardinal speedster Trevor Florendo galloped on a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving Crete its 18-point victory margin.
Adams Central (1-1) got into the red zone twice in the first half but came away empty. The Patriots got to the Crete 10-yard line both of those times before the Crete defense stiffened.

To read more, see Saturday's Hastings Tribune or the Tribune e-edition.

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