What we learned from No. 5 (3A) Nevada's thrilling 24-23 win over No. 7 Hampton-Dumont-CAL

The fifth-ranked (Class 3A) Nevada football team scored its biggest victory of the season last Friday when it pulled off a 24-23 thriller over No. 7 Hampton-Dumont-CAL at Cub Stadium in Nevada.

The Cubs built a 24-14 lead then held on in the fourth quarter to improve to 3-1 overall heading into their Class 3A District 2 opener at Gilbert this Friday.

"We had a hard-fought game," Nevada head coach Andrew Kleeman said. "I was proud of how our kids handled some adversity throughout the game. We continue to see growth in this group each week."

Here is what we learned from Nevada's clutch victory:

Nevada survives a scare

Nevada was in control for most of the game Friday.

The Cubs led 21-14 at the half. They went up 24-14 in the third quarter on a 37-yard field goal from Aidan Freeman.

But in the fourth quarter HDC went on a run. Tucker Heeran kicked a 32-yard field goal and Gavin Meader scored on a 6-yard run to pull within one.

The Bulldogs went for a 2-point conversion to win the game following Meader's touchdown, but Nevada stood tall and kept HDC out of the end zone to pull off the big win.

"We continue to do a lot of good things, however we do need to figure out how to eliminate mental mistakes," Kleeman said. "Offensively, we were physical, and I thought we played well but missed out on some scoring opportunities. They did a nice job of attacking us with timing routes and their skill players did a great job of making plays."

Nevada outgained HDC 377-248 in total yards. But the Cubs had one turnover and didn't force any.

Cubs win the line of scrimmage

The main reason Nevada came out on top despite its mistakes was its dominance in the trenches.

The Cubs rushed for 261 yards on 5.4 yards per carry and limited the Bulldogs to just 77 yards on 3.7 yards a pop.

Nevada quarterback Noah Mills ran for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. He also completed 10 of 16 passes for 116 yards.

Anthony Eaton did a nice job complementing Mills on the ground. The sophomore tailback picked up 116 yards on just 18 carries and he also made a 31-yard reception.

Kyle Kingsbury made four catches for 38 yards, Drew Robinson four for 26 and Will Palmer one for 21.

On defense Robinson and Jackson Burlage each made 10.5 tackles. Burlage and Dylan Fritz each had 1.5 tackles for loss and Carson Mather and Garrett Stringer each had 0.5 stops behind the line.

Meader completed 17 of 22 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown and he also ran for 48 yards and a score for HDC. Chase Spradlin led the Bulldogs defensively with 11.5 tackles and HDC finished the night with four sacks.

District play starts at Gilbert

Nevada will go on the road to face rival Gilbert (1-3) in its 3A District 2 this Friday.

It will be Gilbert's homecoming game. The Tigers are coming off a competitive 40-36 loss to Creston.

"We need to get everyone healthy and prepare for a tough game at Gilbert on Friday," Kleeman said. "We're excited for the opportunity."

Nevada and Gilbert will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium in Gilbert.

Nevada 24, Hampton-Dumont-CAL 23

HDC            7            7            0            9 — 23

Nevada       7           14            3            0 — 24

Individual statistical leaders

Rushing: HDC — Gavin Meader 8-48. Nevada — Noah Mills 30-145.

Passing: HDC — Meader 17-22-0-171. Nevada — Mills 10-16-0-116.

Receiving: HDC — Tony Valenzuela 3-49. Nevada — Kyle Kingsbury 4-38.

Tackles: HDC — Chase Spradlin 11.5. Nevada — Drew Robinson 10.5, Jackson Burlage 10.5.

Sacks: HDC — Meader 1, Karter Janssen 1, Carter Heilskov 1, Scott Harr 1.

Fumble recoveries: HDC — Taylor Mahler 1.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Nevada football team wins 24-23 thriller over Hampton-Dumont-CAL