ABERDEEN — Using a very balanced offense, a bend-but-don’t-break defense, mistake-free football and using three turnovers, the Huron Tigers ruined homecoming for the Aberdeen Central Golden Eagles, taking a 21-14 win in ESD action Friday night.

Huron improves to 2-3 with the win while the Golden Eagles fall to 3-2

For the Tigers, it is difficult to imagine having a better, more efficient first half. Four possessions, leading to three touchdowns, two of them on time consuming drives that sucked the life out of the Golden Eagle defense, while keeping the potent Aberdeen Central offense in check.

Huron took the opening kick and, after a great return by Cashton Caudell to near midfield, the offense marched down the field, using a deceptive blend of rushing attempts and short passes to Max Kranzler, churning out four first downs and using nearly six minutes before quarterback Cade McNeill hit paydirt from one yard out. A Nick Kleinsasser point after gave Huron a 7-0 lead halfway through the first period.

As well as the Tiger offense clicked on its first series, the Huron defense upped its game as well, forcing Aberdeen into a three-and-out and getting the ball back two minutes later.

Huron earned one first down, but the drive bogged down and Huron was forced to punt from around midfield. The punt bounced once and hit a Golden Eagle player and was covered by the Tigers.

Unfortunately, Huron was whistled for illegal procedure - the only first half penalty by either team - and had to re-punt.

Call it karma or something else, but Aberdeen running back Karson Carda coughed it up on the first play, and Huron’s Jackson Reno plopped on the ball, giving Huron the ball back at the Golden Eagle 30.

A short run by Jayden Beck set up a second down play where Mason Davis found Kranzler on a 23-yard juggling pitch and catch as the first quarter expired.

On the first play of the second half, however, Davis hit Kranzler on a fade route to give Huron a 14-0 lead after the PAT.

The Golden Eagles began to find their rhythm on the ensuing drive, riding the legs of Carda and Avery Ligon to an efficient drive that took them down the field. But while Aberdeen took nearly seven minutes off the clock and moved inside the Huron 20-yard line, the Tiger defense put up a wall and forced an incompletion on a fourth down pass.

Huron took over with just under five minutes in the half and returned to the short passing game to Kranzler, mixed with runs by McNeill, Beck and Quinston Luelleman to lull the Golden Eagles, then McNeill lofted a picture perfect 38-yard pass to a streaking Kranzler, three yards behind the cornerback, and the senior wide receiver galloped to the endzone to give Huron a 21-0 lead with 1:16 to play in the half.

Aberdeen rallied, but some sterling pass defense by the Tiger secondary and some questionable clock management on the part of the Golden Eagles left them with nothing to show for good field position and three timeouts and Huron took its 21-0 lead to the locker room.

Aberdeen regrouped over the break and moved smartly down the field to open the second half, as Carda ran four times and Rohlfs carried twice as the Golden Eagles moved from their own 43 to the Tiger seven-yard line. But, as it did in the first half, a turnover cost Aberdeen, as once again Carda put the ball on the ground and Huron took over.

The Tigers likely won the game on its next drive, taking over on their own eight-yard line with 8:29 on the clock. Huron went on a 15-play drive that ate up more than eight minutes off the clock, again using a blend of timely runs and short passes. Although the drive ended with an interception deep in Aberdeen territory, the time was off the clock and it would be telling before the game was over.

Aberdeen took over on Huron’s eight, and a run by Carda moved to the Golden Eagle 41 as the quarter ended, then Rohlfs pinballed down the field on the next play to complete the 59-yard scoring scamper to get Aberdeen on the board.

Huron went three and out on its next possession and Aberdeen took over with 9:34 to play in the game.

The Golden Eagles squeaked out a first down, but on a second-and-six play, the ball was snapped over Rohlfs’ reach and Elliott DeVries fell on it for the Tigers, snuffing out the Aberdeen drive.

Huron again, went three and out and a good punt pinned Aberdeen deep in its own territory. Rohlfs took over the game, running when he had to and throwing a mixture of short passes to move to midfield, before he was stopped on a fourth down rushing attempt by Jonatan Hernandez to force the turnover on downs.

Huron was again unable to sustain a drive, earning a first down on a Beck run, but running more than two-and-a-half minutes off the clock, as Aberdeen was forced to burn through its remaining timeouts.

While Aberdeen got the ball back with 1:48 to play, and Rohlfs capped a drive with a 31-yard scoring pass to Jacob Merxbauer, that score came with only 38 seconds to play. An onside kick was not successful - actually ending up going backward - and Huron was able to kneel down and enjoy the bus trip home with the win.

Huron ended the game with 295 yards in offense - 152 on the ground and 143 through the air. Beck carried 18 times for 73 yards, McNeill toted the rock eight times for 66 yards and the combination of McNeill and Davis completed 10 of 14 pass attempts, for 143 yards, two touchdowns and a late interception. Kranzler had a fantasy football night, with eight catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

Huron returns to action Friday night, when it travels to Pierre, for the Tigers third homecoming football game in a row.

Score by quarters

2nd Quarter
Huron — 11:55 - Max Kranzler, 13-yard pass from Mason Davis. Kleinsasser PAT.
Huron — 1:16 - Kranzler, 38-yard pass from McNeill. Kleinsasser PAT

4th Quarter
Aberdeen — 11:49 - Sam Rohlfs, 59-yard run. Tayden Brownson PAT.
Aberdeen — :38 - Jacob Merxbauer, 31-yard pass from Rohlfs. Brownson PAT.