Atlantic 48, Council Bluffs Jefferson 30

Boyer Valley 54, Moravia 21

Baxter 58, Springville 49

Colo-Nesco 60, Twin Cedars 0

Murray 74, Melcher-Dallas 26

(Atlantic) — Atlantic Football started the season off strong with a focused rushing attack against the Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson Yellow Jackets winning 48-30 in their season opener. A key part to their win was the commitment to the run game amassing over 300 rushing yards.

Atlantic came out in the first quarter aggressive and ready to establish a tone early. The run game immediately clicked as the Trojans committed to the I-Formation for the majority of the evening. Which methodically drove them down the field allowing Gavin McLaren to push his way through the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown score.  The Trojans were then up 7-0 and they held onto the lead for the rest of the night.

The rest of the ball game a pass first versus run first philosophy between the two teams. The second quarter brought another McLaren touchdown score after a 4th and out from T.J. in the redzone and 43-yard pass from quarterback Tristan Hayes to Jarrett Hansen putting the Trojans up 13-0. Before the end of the second quarter the Yellow Jackets did score off a 4-yard touchdown throw from Jayden Fujii to Mayson Kramer making it 13-6 at halftime.

Coming out of halftime the Trojans immediately received a shot of adrenaline from a 72-yard kick return by Hansen to set Atlantic up at the goal line. McLaren would once again plunge his way into the endzone creating a 20-6 lead for the Trojans. Towards the end of the third quarter Atlantic threw in sophomore running back Ethan McNeal who took a pitch play and turned it into a 40-yard touchdown run. The Trojans lead then turned into 27-6 and the ball game seemed over.

Before the end of the third quarter the Yellow Jackets did manage to gain another score from a 65-yard touchdown pass from Fujii to Braxton Parks off of broken coverage and with a 2-point conversion successful the game was at 27-14. The fourth quarter would turn into a slug-fest for both sides as each side continually exchanged scores. The top of the fourth quarter saw Tyson O’Brien rush his way down into T.J. territory and collect a one-yard touchdown score to put Atlantic up 34-14. T.J. then had a sharp 23-yard touchdown pass from Fujii to Jimmy Ross-Cotton slashing into the lead for a 34-22 score.

Atlantic took control for the rest of the game on both sides of the ball scoring on back-to-back drives from a 5-yard O’Brien touchdown run and 4-yard score by McLaren to put them up 48-22. The Yellow Jackets final score of the game was by backup QB Daulton Garrison to Mayson Kramer on a 40-yard seam route for a final score of 48-30.

The victory was not the smoothest with some work needing to be done by the Atlantic secondary. But, Atlantic Head Coach Joe Brummer was pleased with his offensive line and rushing performance.

Atlantic finished the night with 324 total rushing yards. 204 of those yards were by leading rusher Tyson O’Brien who had 2 touchdowns of his own. McLaren had 4 td’s and 78 yards on the ground from 78 attempts. Ethan McNeal’s lone touchdown carry accounted for 40 yards on its own. Coach Brummer liked the way his team shared the ball throughout the evening.

Atlantic’s next game will be against the Clarke Indians, a team they beat 47-33 a year ago. It’s a matchup that Coach Brummer is not taking lightly.

Kickoff for the Trojans battle against the Indians is set for 7:00 PM, with the pregame on KJANTV beginning at 6:30 PM.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Karl Gollan has been named an assistant coach for the University of Iowa softball team, head coach Renee Gillispie announced Friday.
“I am grateful to Renee and the entire selection committee for trusting me to help move the program forward,” said Gollan. “Iowa is my home, and I have a genuine love for the Hawkeyes. I am beyond excited for the opportunity to help grow a program that driven players want to be a part of and Hawkeye fans are proud to support.”

Gollan comes to Iowa after one year at Ole Miss where he served primarily as the pitching coach. He helped the Rebels to a 31-27 record and their eighth straight NCAA Regional appearance. The Ole Miss pitching staff finished with a 2.86 ERA and held hitters to a .249 batting average against. Gollan had four pitchers with sub 3.00 ERA in SEC Conference play with 339 team strikeouts.

Prior to Oxford, Gollan served as the head coach for the Augustana softball program. He helped turn around the program that was picked to finish last in the conference and guided them to a third-place finish. Winning over 20 games, three Vikings earned all-conference honors, including Nadia Ranieri, who was named CCIW Pitcher of the Year. Under Gollan, the pitching staff flourished, tying the conference single season strikeout record with 264 punchouts.

Gollan has over 25 years of international playing experience. A former member of New Zealand’s national team from 2004-2017, he helped his country remain at the top spot in the WBSC/ISF and ISC rankings. He is a four-time world champion and 10-time national champion. As a coach, Gollan assisted the NZ Black Sox and still serves as an advisor for the national team. As an advisor, his duties included player evaluations and scouting for the No. 1 ranked men’s fastpitch team in the world.

While playing professionally, Gollan coached numerous junior club teams, including Auckland United and Miramar Softball Club from 2009-13. He worked to help develop athletes as well as manage the in-game lineups and strategy.

Gollan also opened the K2 School of Fastpitch in 2006. As the owner and lead instructor for over 100 clients, he was responsible for creating all training programs and helping a majority of his athletes get recruited to play college softball at every level, ranging from JUCO to Division I.

Prior to opening his own business, Gollan worked as the co-lead pitching and lead hitting instructor with DG Softball Academy from 2003-05. One of only two training facilities approved for the USA National and Olympic teams at the time, he designed and implemented hitting and pitching programs for all students. Gollan also helped lead camps and coaching seminars.