It was a tale of two halves Friday night in Adel, as a tie game at half quickly went south for the ADM Tigers, who lost to visiting Creston, 38-21.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 1-3 in Class 3A District 8 play, putting ADM on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in. A welcome sight of good, consistent play from a previously-struggling ADM offense through one half of play reversed to a comedy of errors in the second half, when Creston outscored ADM, 17-0.
Creston junior running back Chase Shiltz, the district’s leading rusher, took over in the second half and finished with a whopping 250 yards on just 22 carries and four touchdowns. The big game put Shiltz over 1,000 yards for the season and increased his Class 3A-lead in rushing scores to 20.
After a wild shootout that left the game tied at 21 at halftime, both teams traded punts through the bulk of the third quarter. Shiltz then broke off a 47-yard touchdown run with 1:34 to play in the period, and the Panthers (4-2, 2-1) never looked back.
Shiltz added the icing on the cake with 5:40 to play, scoring from 46 yards out for the 38-21 Creston lead. Minutes later, he picked off Tigers quarterback Frank Weiland for the second time, bringing his team leading total to six.
Weiland compiled one of his best games of the season, finishing 14-of-25 for a season high 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and added a rushing touchdown on a team-high 41 yards rushing.
The Tigers (3-3) compiled self-inflicted wound after self-inflicted wound at the end of the third quarter and fourth quarter, including a pair of personal foul penalties that extended Creston drives and lead directly to points. Weiland was also victimized by several drops, including two that were sure first downs and another that was likely a touchdown.
Creston started the game with a bang. Shiltz picked off Weiland on ADM’s first series and returned it to the six. Several plays later, he punched it in from four yards out.
Weiland tied the game at 7 on a 61-yard touchdown toss to Jacob Hardy, using play action to fool the defense and beat the blitz.
Creston jumped back out in from on Moritz Johannknecht’s 9-yard touchdown strike to Jackson Mikkelsen. ADM responded with 14 straight points to take its only lead of the game on Weiland’s 6-yard touchdown run and a the play of the game for ADM. Backed up at their own 8-yard line on 3rd and 17, Weiland hit a wide open Daniel Finnegan over the middle on a short pattern, and Finnegan did the rest on his way to a 92-yard touchdown, his first of the season, with 5:17 to go in the half.
Shiltz’ 41-yard run with 3:41 to play in the half tied the game at 21, setting up Creston’s big second half.
Finnegan enjoyed a banner day for the Tigers, catching five balls for 132 yards and the touchdown. Sam McCartney had five catches on 57 yards, though both players had crucial drops in the fourth quarter.
Kade Overton, Logan Shield and Jacob Hardy continued their strong defensive play. Overton lead the way with 11 tacks and four tackles-for-loss, Shield had 9.5 and 2.5, along with a sack, while Hardy had nine tackles and two for loss.
To keep its faint playoff hopes alive, ADM will have to beat a 6-0 Glenwood team next Friday night in Adel.