Cyclones roll to first win of the season on homecoming 48-0 over rival Denison-Schleswig

HARLAN — The Harlan Community football team finally got the win it had been searching for, and the Cyclones did it in dominant fashion with a 48-0 win over rival Denison-Schleswig.

HCHS rolled past rival Denison-Schleswig 48-0 Friday night at Merrill Field, putting together one of its most complete performances of the season on Homecoming night.

The Cyclones scored early, forced turnovers and consistently shut down the Monarchs’ offense while celebrating their first victory of the 2026 season.

The victory also provided a memorable night for senior Brody Bendorf, who was crowned Homecoming king earlier in the day before turning his attention to the football field.

Bendorf went on to score three touchdowns and rush for 98 yards on 11 carries while also contributing four tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack defensively.

For Bendorf, handling the emotions and distractions surrounding Homecoming was something he and the team had to consciously put aside once it was time to play.

“It’s extremely important. I won’t lie, there were a lot of distractions this week,” Bendorf said. “During the week, I definitely didn’t hit the perfect routine that I usually get, but I really tried to dial it in tonight. I usually do a lot of meditation before I come down and really visualize what I’m going to do. You know, that really helps me focus in. I really try to bring the energy up and make sure everyone is there as well.”

That focus was evident immediately.

HCHS forced a three-and-out on Denison-Schleswig’s opening possession, then took over deep in Monarch territory after a punt. The Monarchs were unable to get the punt away cleanly, allowing the Cyclones to take over at the 5-yard line.

Bendorf quickly punched it into the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run with 9:41 remaining in the first quarter.

After another Denison-Schleswig three-and-out, senior Landon Nihsen gave HCHS another immediate spark by returning a punt 51 yards for a touchdown.

The score came with 8:05 remaining in the opening quarter and pushed the Cyclones’ advantage to 14-0.

It was precisely the type of start the Cyclones head coach Todd Bladt had been emphasizing throughout Homecoming week.

“We talked about focus the whole week and how important it is to be focused during Homecoming. You’ve got to get excited and have fun, you know, it is your Homecoming, and for seniors, it’s their last one,” Bladt said.

“We talked about it all week about how important it is to dial in. You’ve got to be able to flip the switch and turn on the football mind when it’s football time, and they were able to do that really well today.”

Bladt was particularly pleased with how quickly his team established control.

“I was impressed by our start,” Bladt said.

“We get a three-and-out and we don’t block the punt, but he had to pull it down or he was going to kick it right into our guys, so we got the ball on the 5 and punched it in. Then we got another three-and-out and returned the punt for a touchdown.”

“That was the hot start we talked about all week. We wanted to come out and get on them early, and we were able to accomplish that with great defensive plays and great special teams play.”

The Cyclones continued to control the game from there.

HCHS finished with 239 rushing yards on 37 carries, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt.

Bendorf led the way with 98 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore Levi Shields added 60 yards on nine carries. Sophomore Avery Kimmen rushed six times for 51 yards and scored once, including a 33-yard run.

Henry Mgonja added 17 yards on three carries, William Adem had a 17-yard run and Landon Nihsen finished with eight rushing yards.

Quarterback Kreed Boggess was efficient through the air, completing 7 of 9 passes for 71 yards. Nihsen and senior Cade Nelson each caught two passes, while Luke Ineson added a 21-yard reception.

Collin Burchett and Joshua Erlemeier also recorded catches.

Bendorf credited the offensive line for helping the Cyclones find so much success on the ground.

“The O-line did great. They made the holes pretty clear, but when they weren’t as clear, you know what happens, you just make your own hole,” Bendorf said. “That’s what I try to do: run through somebody, make someone miss and keep going.”

While the offense continued to build its lead, the Cyclones defense was putting together an even more dominant performance.

The Cyclones held Denison-Schleswig to just 31 yards of total offense and two first downs for the entire game.

HCHS recorded seven tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception while keeping the Monarchs off the scoreboard throughout the night.

Junior Coy Obrecht led HCHS with four total tackles and three tackles for loss.

Bendorf and junior Ray Schechinger also recorded four tackles apiece, with Schechinger adding two tackles for loss and a sack. Senior Shane Cooper added a tackle for loss, while Carson Baughman intercepted a pass.

For Bladt, the physicality and effort on defense were among the biggest positives of the night.

“Yeah, we were. We had some pads popping tonight out there. I thought we were a lot more physical,” Bladt said.

“We put that as a point of emphasis this week, that we were going to be more physical, and the kids responded and played hard.”

“That’s the effort we’re looking for. If you can give great effort and be in the right spots, that will solve 90% of your issues, and it was great by the defense to bounce back and play such a dominant football game tonight.”

Bendorf, who was asked to contribute on both sides of the ball, said the individual statistics only tell part of the story.

“I’m nothing without the rest of the team,” Bendorf said.

“There are 11 guys on the field, and everyone has a job to get done, and I’m only one of them. Without them, I can’t do anything. I definitely try my best to push through the tiredness.”

The Cyclones also received a strong contribution from their special teams unit. Nihsen’s punt return touchdown was one of the game’s early turning points, while Jacob Spangenberg went 4-for-5 on extra-point attempts.

By the final whistle, HCHS had put together a 48-0 shutout and secured its first victory of the season.

More importantly for the Cyclones, the performance came after a difficult opening stretch and showed the type of physical, energetic football Bladt had challenged his team to play.

Now HCHS turns its attention toward its first district matchup.

The Cyclones will host Carroll next week at Merrill Field.

Carroll enters the matchup after defeating Lewis Central 29-28 on a last-second play.

Lewis Central had defeated HCHS 55-9 the previous week.

Bladt knows the Cyclones will face a different challenge next week.

“We’re going to be tested next week. Obviously, they’re a good football team. It’s going to be a dogfight, and both teams are going to be wanting that first district win,” Bladt said. “I can see that being a real dogfight at Merrill Field.”

For one night, though, the Cyclones could enjoy everything that came with Homecoming  including a long-awaited first win.