Fall Football Preview 2014

T H E D A I LY N O N P A R E I L

S U N D A Y, A U G U S T 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

1F

2014 FOOTBALL

PREVIEW Thomas Jefferson’s Devon Kermoade

Abraham Lincoln’s Tony Outlaw

Lewis Central’s Austin Simmons

MOVING UP WITH THE

BIG BOYS FLYING

HIGH

Lewis Central joins A.L., T.J. in Class 4-A for first time PAGE 11F

Jackson Scott-Brown, St. Albert look to keep gridiron tradition going PAGE 7F

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Football Preview New-look districts part of many Ready for a gridiron reboot

2F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

alterations to upcoming season Change.

High school football coaches, famous for their desire for continuity and consistency, often loathe it.

They’d prefer to be doing the same drill at the same precise time of the day in the same section of the practice field every year.

So every two years, when the Iowa High School Athletic Association realigns its football districts, it’s like slapping a big jar labeled “Control’’ out of their hands.

But the good ones always adapt.

They embrace the challenge of scouting new opponents as they also prepare their own untested players for the rigors of varsity football.

Change is plentiful again across Iowa, as football teams enter into a new two-year district and divisional alignment.

Take the OA-BCIG and A-H-ST-W programs, for instance. (That’s Odebolt, Arthur, Battle Creek and Ida Grove on one side, and Avoca, Hancock, Shelby, Tennant and Walnut on the other, for the uninitiated.) They have never had any real reason to care about one another.

OA-BCIG has been a Class 2-A school in recent years, with A-H-ST-W a Class A school. Located about 65 miles apart, they rarely compete against one another in any sports.

But then OA-BCIG moved down a class, and A-H-S-T-W moved up a class. Suddenly, they’re sharing District 1 of 1-A. OA-BCIG coach Larry Allen is a graduate of AvoHa High School before it added the S, the T and the W. You can bet he’s getting

more familiar with his alma mater.

Class 4-A underwent the most change of any of Iowa’s six classes.

After years of using conference competition to craft schedules and determine playoff qualifiers, the eastern half of the state has abandoned that and joined the west in a district format.

There are now 46 4-A football teams, 24 in the west and 22 in the east. The big change is that with the move to districts, Cedar Rapids Xavier (54th in enrollment), Davenport Assumption (83rd) and Dubuque Wahlert (72nd) are now dropping into the class that corresponds with their enrollments, 3-A. For years, they had played in 4-A conferences and competed in 4-A. Their exit left the eastern half with 21 schools. Ottumwa has now moved from the west to the east to give it 22, and Lewis Central has moved up to 4-A and become the 24th west team.

Xavier won the 4-A title in 2006 and was second the last two seasons. Assumption has been a perennial contender in 4-A. Clearly, the road to a 3-A state title got tougher for everyone.

In other changes, there will be no brackets released prior to the opening round of the playoffs.

The matchups for each round will

be determined after the previous round by the IHSAA. Rick Wulkow, executive director of the IHSAA, has said the primary reason for that is to eliminate as much travel as possible, while still maintaining the integrity of the playoffs.

For the same reason, the use of “sister districts’’ also has been eliminated, where one district would compete exclusively with another in the first three rounds of the postseason. Travel also dictated that change, Wulkow has said.

Perhaps the most important potential change was not made.

The IHSAA’s Board of Control voted against reducing the regular season from nine to eight games.

That would have allowed a week break between each round of the playoffs. Instead, teams reaching the quarterfinals are still forced to play four games in 14 days.

The Board of Control said more data needed to be gathered. The data has been there for years. Talk to coaches, especially in the smaller classes, who are consistently in the quarterfinals. Most of them will tell you that 16- and 17-year-old bodies aren’t equipped to handle that type of quick turnaround, when many of them rarely come off the field.

Perhaps reducing the regular season to eight games isn’t the answer. But the IHSAA needs to come up with a solution. It’s absolutely crazy – not to mention dangerous – to ask kids, especially in small schools, to play four of the biggest games of their lives in 14 days.

I knew it had been a while, but a recent afternoon gave me proper perspective.

I was visiting St. Albert to gather information for this football section.

I walked around to the back of the school. There were two open doors. One led to a locker room, the other to a large room where the Falcon football coaches were gathering before practice.

It was really sunny that afternoon, so when I entered the darker coaches room, not everything in my sight immediately came into focus.

Still, I knew who I was looking for.

The presence, the voice. It was unmistakable.

With no luck, I approached the man at the head of the table. Just as I was about to ask where I could find him, he intervened.

“You looking for me?” he said.

Surprised and embarrassed, I realized he had been right in front of me all along.

I’ve known Kevin Culjat for six years now, but I hadn’t seen the St. Albert coach in roughly two years.

In that time, the coach had transformed himself. He shed 180 pounds. He looked great. And he understandably had a hearty laugh at my expense.

That afternoon made me realize that there’s much to get reacquainted with, starting with you, the readers.

Hello again, Council Bluffs football fans. I feel the need to reintroduce myself.

I shifted from reporting to being in charge of the Nonpareil sports desk in July 2012. Suddenly, my primary duties went from writing stories on deadline to

designing pages as stories came in from Kevin White, Evan Bland or Tony Boone.

That job taught me plenty, but it also made me appreciate just how much I enjoy reporting.

Which is why I’m thrilled about the upcoming fall.

I’ve been back in the new role for a few weeks now, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Something in the air changes once the calendar turns to August. Football season is within sight, and life improves with that change.

Working on this football section has afforded me the opportunity to get reacquainted with some city coaches, which is always a treat.

And in interviewing players and coaches, one element stands out: Change seems to be the theme this fall at the four schools.

Thomas Jefferson is desperately trying to turn a corner and find that winning identity.

Abraham Lincoln starts fresh in John Wolfe’s first season guiding his alma mater, as former coach Justin Kammrad joins the Lewis Central staff.

L.C. and St. Albert must adapt to playing in new classes. The Titans move up to Iowa’s biggest class, 4-A, while the Falcons drop down to Class A. There are so many unknowns, but honestly, that’s the best part of being in my position. I never know what kind of unique stories will unfold once that opening kickoff is booted.

It’s weird. I can relate to many of these players in that I just want the season to get here. Once Aug. 29 comes around, there’s no more speculation, no more questions, and most importantly, no more waiting.

Prep football is back. A nine-part drama in which teams battle to add chapters in the postseason.

Can’t wait!

Weekly Prep Football Schedules Thursday, Aug. 28 Non-District Game Sioux City Heelan at Sioux City East Friday, Aug. 29 Non-District Games Thomas Jefferson at St. Albert Sioux City North at Abraham Lincoln Lewis Central at Sergeant Bluff-Luton Fort Dodge at Sioux City West Ankeny Centennial at Ames Des Moines East at Des Moines Roosevelt Indianola at Ankeny Southeast Polk at Johnston Des Moines Lincoln at Des Moines North Cedar Rapids Xavier at WDM Dowling Urbandale at Des Moines Hoover WDM Valley at Waukee Harlan at Denison-Schleswig Red Oak at Glenwood Atlantic at Clarinda Norwalk at Creston Carlisle at Dallas Center-Grimes Oskaloosa at Winterset Perry at ADM Audubon at A-H-S-T-W Lawton-Bronson at Treynor Missouri Valley at Logan-Magnolia Underwood at Tri-Center Cherokee at OA-BCIG East Sac County at IKM-Manning West Monona at Westwood Shenandoah at Riverside Bedford at Griswold Alta/Aurelia at Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto East Mills at Boyer Valley Fremont-Mills at Woodbine Sidney at West Harrison Ar-We-Va at Remsen St. Mary’s Exira-EHK at Nishnabotna Kingsley-Pierson at Clay Central-Everly MMC at River Valley West Bend-Mallard at Newell-Fonda Adair-Casey at CAM Essex at Lamoni Lenox at East Union Stanton at Guthrie Center Thursday, Sept. 4 Non-District Game Fort Dodge at Sioux City North Friday, Sept. 5 Non-District Games Abraham Lincoln at Lewis Central Glenwood at Thomas Jefferson Sioux City East at Sioux City West Ames at Cedar Falls Ankeny at Johnston Des Moines North at Des Moines East Waukee at Southeast Polk Des Moines Roosevelt at Ankeny Centennial WDM Dowling at Urbandale Des Moines Hoover at Waterloo East Indianola at Des Moines Lincoln

Iowa City West at WDM Valley Carroll at Harlan Creston at Clarinda Denison-Schleswig at Atlantic ADM at Ballard Dallas Center-Grimes at Pella Winterset at Norwalk A-H-S-T-W at Tri-Center Logan-Magnolia at Underwood Maple Valley-A-O at Missouri Valley Treynor at St. Albert IKM-Manning at Audubon OA-BCIG at Lawton-Bronson Sibley-Ocheyedan at West Monona Riverside at Red Oak Griswold at Clarinda Academy Westwood at Akron-Westfield Boyer Valley at Fremont-Mills West Harrison at East Mills Woodbine at Sidney CAM at Exira-EHK Clay Central-Everly at Ar-We-Va Newell-Fonda at Harris-Lake Park River Valley at Remsen-Union Remsen St. Mary’s at Kingsley-Pierson East Union at Essex Lamoni at Stanton Mormon Trail at Lenox Nishnabotna at Adair-Casey Friday, Sept. 12 Non-District Games Abraham Lincoln at Thomas Jefferson Lewis Central at Harlan Sioux City North at Sioux City East Sioux City West at Sergeant Bluff-Luton Ames at Iowa City High Ankeny Centennial at Ankeny Des Moines East at Indianola WDM Valley at Southeast Polk Des Moines North at Des Moines Hoover Des Moines Roosevelt at Des Moines Lincoln Johnston at Urbandale Waukee at WDM Dowling Lewis Central at Harlan Clarinda at A-H-S-T-W District Games Class 3-A, District 8 Atlantic at Glenwood Winterset at Creston Dallas Center-Grimes at ADM Class 1-A, District 1 Treynor at IKM-Manning Underwood at Missouri Valley West Monona at OA-BCIG Class A, District 1 St. Albert at Logan-Magnolia Tri-Center at Maple Valley-A-O Griswold at Audubon Westwood at Riverside Eight-Man, District 1 Newell-Fonda at Boyer Valley West Harrison at Ar-We-Va Woodbine at Kingsley-Pierson Exira-EHK at River Valley

Eight-Man, District 8 Nishnabotna at East Mills Sidney at Fremont-Mills Essex at Lenox Stanton at CAM Friday, Sept. 19 Non-District Games Thomas Jefferson at Lewis Central Sioux City East at Abraham Lincoln Sioux City West at Sioux City North Ankeny at Des Moines North Des Moines Lincoln at Des Moines East Marshalltown at Ames Southeast Polk at Ankeny Centennial Des Moines Hoover at Des Moines Roosevelt WDM Dowling at WDM Valley Johnston at Waukee Creston at Greene County Southwest Valley at Underwood District Games Class 3-A, District 8 Glenwood at Winterset Harlan at Dallas Center-Grimes ADM at Atlantic Class 1-A, District 1 Missouri Valley at Treynor OA-BCIG at A-H-S-T-W IKM-Manning at West Monona Class A, District 1 Riverside at St. Albert Audubon at Logan-Magnolia Tri-Center at Westwood Maple Valley-A-O at Griswold Eight-Man, District 1 Boyer Valley at West Harrison River Valley at Woodbine Ar-We-Va at Exira-EHK Kingsley-Pierson at Newell-Fonda Eight-Man, District 8 East Mills at Stanton Fremont-Mills at Nishnabotna CAM at Essex Lenox at Sidney Thursday, Sept. 25 District Game Class 4-A, District 2 Des Moines Roosevelt at Sioux City East Friday, Sept. 26 Non-District Games Dallas Center-Grimes at Boone Ridge View at OA-BCIG District Games Class 4-A, District 1 Sioux City North at Thomas Jefferson Des Moines East at Southeast Polk Ames at Ankeny Class 4-A, District 2 Lewis Central at WDM Dowling Des Moines North at Johnston Class 4-A, District 3 Abraham Lincoln at Des Moines Lincoln Ankeny Centennial at Sioux City West

WDM Valley at Des Moines Hoover Class 3-A, District 8 Atlantic at Harlan Creston at Glenwood Winterset at ADM Class 1-A, District 1 Underwood at Treynor A-H-S-T-W at IKM-Manning Missouri Valley at West Monona Class A, District 1 St. Albert at Tri-Center Logan-Magnolia at Riverside Audubon at Maple Valley-A-O Westwood at Griswold Eight-Man, District 1 Boyer Valley at Kingsley-Pierson West Harrison at Exira-EHK Woodbine at Ar-We-Va Newell-Fonda at River Valley Eight-Man, District 8 East Mills at Fremont-Mills Nishnabotna at Lenox Sidney at CAM Stanton at Essex Thursday, Oct. 2 District Game Class 4-A, District 1 Ames at Sioux City North Friday, Oct. 3 Non-District Games Glenwood at Denison-Schleswig Treynor at Red Oak District Games Class 4-A, District 1 Thomas Jefferson at Southeast Polk Ankeny at Des Moines East Class 4-A, District 2 Des Moines North at Lewis Central Sioux City East at WDM Dowling Johnston at Des Moines Roosevelt Class 4-A, District 3 WDM Valley at Abraham Lincoln Des Moines Lincoln at Sioux City West Des Moines Hoover at Ankeny Centennial Class 3-A, District 1 Harlan at Winterset ADM at Creston Dallas Center-Grimes at Atlantic Class 1-A, District 1 A-H-S-T-W at Missouri Valley West Monona at Underwood IKM-Manning at OA-BCIG Class A, District 1 Griswold at St. Albert Riverside at Audubon Tri-Center at Logan-Magnolia Maple Valley-A-O at Westwood Eight-Man, District 1 Exira-EHK at Woodbine Kingsley-Pierson at West Harrison River Valley at Boyer Valley Ar-We-Va at Newell-Fonda Eight-Man, District 8

Fremont-Mills at Stanton Lenox at East Mills CAM at Nishnabotna Essex at Sidney Friday, Oct. 10 Non-District Games Atlantic at Shenandoah IKM-Manning at Manson-NW Webster District Games Class 4-A, District 1 Des Moines East at Thomas Jefferson Sioux City North at Ankeny Southeast Polk at Ames Class 4-A, District 2 Lewis Central at Sioux City East WDM Dowling at Johnston Des Moines Roosevelt at Des Moines North Class 4-A, District 3 Abraham Lincoln at Des Moines Hoover Sioux City West at WDM Valley Ankeny Centennial at Des Moines Lincoln Class 3-A, District 8 ADM at Glenwood Creston at Harlan Winterset at Dallas Center-Grimes Class 1-A, District 1 OA-BCIG at Missouri Valley Underwood at A-H-S-T-W West Monona at Treynor Class A, District 1 St. Albert at Maple Valley-A-O Riverside at Tri-Center Logan-Magnolia at Griswold Audubon at Westwood Eight-Man, District 1 Boyer Valley at Ar-We-Va West Harrison at Woodbine Kingsley-Pierson at River Valley Newell-Fonda at Exira-EHK Eight-Man, District 8 East Mills at CAM Fremont-Mills at Lenox Nishnabotna at Essex Stanton at Sidney Thursday, Oct. 16 District Game Class 4-A, District 3 Abraham Lincoln at Sioux City West Friday, Oct. 17 Non-District Games Norwalk at ADM Hinton at West Monona District Games Class 4-A, District 1 Ankeny at Thomas Jefferson Sioux City North at Southeast Polk Ames at Des Moines East Class 4-A, District 2 Johnston at Lewis Central Des Moines North at Sioux City East Des Moines Roosevelt at WDM Dowling Class 4-A, District 3

WDM Valley at Ankeny Centennial Des Moines Hoover at Des Moines Lincoln Class 3-A, District 8 Glenwood at Harlan Atlantic at Winterset Dallas Center-Grimes at Creston Class 1-A, District 1 Missouri Valley at IKM-Manning Treynor at A-H-S-T-W Underwood at OA-BCIG Class A, District 1 Westwood at St. Albert Audubon at Tri-Center Maple Valley-A-O at Logan-Magnolia Griswold at Riverside Eight-Man, District 1 Exira-EHK at Boyer Valley River Valley at West Harrison Woodbine at Newell-Fonda Ar-We-Va at Kingsley-Pierson Eight-Man, District 8 CAM at Fremont-Mills Essex at East Mills Lenox at Stanton Sidney at Nishnabotna Friday, Oct. 24 Non-District Games Winterset at Bondurant-Farrar Missouri Valley at West Central Valley District Games Class 4-A, District 1 Thomas Jefferson at Ames Des Moines East at Sioux City North Southeast Polk at Ankeny Class 4-A, District 2 Lewis Central at Des Moines Roosevelt Sioux City East at Johnston WDM Dowling at Sioux City North Class 4-A, District 3 Ankeny Centennial at Abraham Lincoln Sioux City West at Des Moines Hoover Des Moines Lincoln at WDM Valley Class 3-A, District 8 Glenwood at Dallas Center-Grimes Harlan at ADM Creston at Atlantic Class 1-A, District 1 A-H-S-T-W at West Monona IKM-Manning at Underwood OA-BCIG at Treynor Class A, District 1 St. Albert at Audubon Logan-Magnolia at Westwood Riverside at Maple Valley-A-O Tri-Center at Griswold Eight-Man, District 1 Boyer Valley at Woodbine West Harrison at Newell-Fonda Kingsley-Pierson at Exira-EHK River Valley at Ar-We-Va Eight-Man, District 8 East Mills at Sidney Fremont-Mills at Essex Lenox at CAM Stanton at Nishnabotna

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Iowa Western

The Daily Nonpareil

Sunday, August 17, 2014

3F

NEW SCHEDULE, SAME CHALLENGE

Iowa Western’s success has made it a target – even with a slate full of Kansas schools KEVIN WHITE

KEVIN.WHITE@NONPAREILONLINE.COM

In five quick years, the Iowa Western football program has gone from the hunter to the hunted.

Following a 2012 national championship with an 11-1 season, a Graphic Edge Bowl victory and a No. 2 final national ranking last year, the Reivers are quite familiar with the pressure that comes with not wanting to lose and make an opponent’s season.

Think Alabama in football or Duke in basketball. When somebody beats them, it’s big news.

Even though Iowa Western lacks a large number of returning starters, that pressure isn’t going anywhere.

“Everybody’s trying to bring their best,’’ Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier said. “I guess as a coach, that’s your goal. You want to get to the top, and now it’s, ‘How do you maintain it?’

There’s a learning process to that, in preparing your team.

“Honestly, I like being the guy who can sneak up on somebody or be the underdog and just go and prove somebody wrong. Now, it’s a whole different deal. I’m even seeing it on social media right now. Teams are reporting, and (preparing) to beat Iowa Western and Butler. I’m like, ‘Shoot, we don’t play you for six or seven weeks.’’’

Iowa Western, No. 2 in the national preseason rankings, opens its sixth season at 1 p.m. on Aug. 30 at Titan Field against Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.

It’s the first year of a two-year agreement between the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Due to the demise of the Midwest Football Conference, IWCC had been struggling to find nonconference opponents. The new agreement has the Reivers playing all eight of the Jayhawk Conference teams along with ICCAC members

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Receiver Ronald Nash from Sioux City East, left, and former Iowa State secondary starter Charlie Rogers are among IWCC’s newcomers.

Iowa Central and Ellsworth. College of DuPage, in Glen Ellyn, Ill., a member of the old MFC, is the 11th foe.

IWCC isn’t eligible to win the Jayhawk Conference.

Last season, Iowa Western played each of its in-state opponents twice, which wasn’t good for anyone.

“You beat a team 60-7 the first time, then you’ve got to try to prepare your team to play them the next time, which was tough,’’ Strohmeier said.

“Where here, it’s a new team every sin-

gle week, and they’re all pretty good. I am concerned about playing 11 weeks, back to back, with no bye week.’’

Among the personnel losses from last year were coaches Mike Strohmeier and Donnie Woods. Scott Strohmeier’s brother was the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, and Woods was the team’s respected run-game coordinator. They had been with Scott Strohmeier for nine and six years, respectively.

New additions to the staff are

offensive line coach Dane Wardenburg, running backs coach Rich Mayson and safeties coach Pat Cashmore.

Karson Pike moves up to become the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

“Being out on the practice field for a few days, it is a little bit different,’’ Scott Strohmeier said. “It’s not easy, but we’re going to make the most of it, and I feel really good about where our staff is now.’’

At quarterback, sophomore Tay

Bender returns after starting one game and playing in 10 last year. He threw for 480 yards and ran for 566.

Strohmeier said the Lincoln Southwest product “might have a little bit of an edge right now,’’ due to his experience.

Strohmeier said freshmen Zach Martin of Omaha North and Najee Jackson of Lincoln Southeast also

Iowa Western

REIVERS/See Page 6F

Home Schedule AUG. 30 @ 1:00 PM vs. COFFEYVILLE CC

SEP. 6

@ 6:00 PM

SEP. 20

@ 2:30 PM

SEP. 27

@ 2:30 PM

OCT. 18

@ 1:00 PM

OCT. 25

@ 1:00 PM

vs. BUTLER CC

vs. DODGE CITY CC

vs. ELLSWORTH CC

vs. COLLEGE OF DUPAGE vs. HUTCHINSON CC Games played at Lewis Central H.S. field.

2014 FOOTBALL n o r e e h Come cmetown team! your ho

All games broadcast on 89.7 The River & www.goreivers.com.

Watch highlights and more on CBTV17 Bluffs Sports Zone

For a complete schedule, check out the Reivers at goreivers.com

College Football

4F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

2014 Area College Schedules

IOWA Aug. 30 Sep. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 28

IOWA STATE

N. Iowa Ball State Iowa State at Pittsburgh at Purdue Indiana at Maryland Northwestern at Minnesota at Illinois Wisconsin Nebraska

11 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

TBA 11 a.m.

11 a.m.

11 a.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

Aug. 30 N. Dakota State Sept. 6 Kansas State Sept. 13 at Iowa Sept. 27 Baylor Oct. 4 at Oklahoma State Oct. 11 Toledo Oct. 18 at Texas Nov. 1 Oklahoma Nov. 8 at Kansas Nov. 22 Texas Tech Nov. 29 West Virginia Dec. 6 at TCU

NEBRASKA

NORTHERN IOWA

11 a.m.

11 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

TBA TBA 2:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

Aug. 30 at Iowa Sept. 13 at Hawai’i Sept. 20 Northern Colorado Sept. 27 Tennessee Tech Oct. 4 at Indiana State Oct. 11 at South Dakota Oct. 18 South Dakota State Oct. 25 at Western Illinois Nov. 1 Illinois State Nov. 8 North Dakota State Nov. 15 at Southern Illinois Nov. 22 Missouri State

Aug. 30 FAU Sept. 6 McNeese State Sept. 13 at Fresno State Sept. 20 Miami Sept. 27 Illinois Oct. 4 at Michigan State Oct. 18 at Northwestern Oct. 25 Rutgers Nov. 1 Purdue Nov. 15 at Wisconsin Nov. 22 Minnesota Nov. 28 at Iowa

11 a.m.

11 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

2 p.m.

3 p.m.

4 p.m.

1 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

2 p.m.

4 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

11 a.m.

9:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

7 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

Huskers say skeptics fuel fire

WHNS/Chris Machian

Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis, right, is stressing takeaways this fall.

The Huskers’ turnover margin the last two years was the worst in the Big Ten.

Defense wants to do its part for better NU turnover margin

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s prideful football program goes into 2014 teetering on the edge of national relevance after 10 straight years with no fewer than four losses. Even in the Big Ten, the Cornhuskers are lumped in the second tier of championship contenders.

Some players say they don’t put stock in the Big Ten media poll that placed the Huskers third behind Wisconsin and Iowa in the new West Division.

“We’re the ones who have to go out and play, not the analysts,” defensive end Greg McMullen said.

Michigan State was picked third in its division last year before going unbeaten in Big Ten play and winning the Rose

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stop Papuchis and his players from lamenting what might have happened if they had taken the ball away more.

Of course, the offense had its own problems.

Only Maryland lost more fumbles than Nebraska’s 16 in 2013.

The Huskers totaled 18 turnovers and two takeaways during a six-game stretch in which they went 3-3. In a 41-28 loss to Michigan State, Nebraska coughed up the ball five times on its side of the 50, twice inside the 10, and the Spartans converted the turnovers into 24 points.

While ball-hawking is a priority for any defense, the numbers show the Huskers were lax, lineman Vincent Valentine said.

“We really didn’t get away from it, but it really wasn’t at the front of our list,” he said.

“Throughout this camp, we’ve hit on it enough that we know this is one of the main points we have to focus on throughout the season.”

The emphasis goes beyond the standard ballstripping drills in practice. It’s about developing an attitude.

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after they went 9-4 overall and tied for second last year.

They finished by beating Georgia in the Gator Bowl.

But before that came a second-half meltdown in a loss to UCLA, a road loss to Minnesota and a home loss to Iowa. They also needed a Hail Mary to beat Northwestern at home.

“We had a bunch of injuries and we still had a 9-4 season,” Armstrong said.

“Who knows what would have happened if Taylor had never gotten hurt, or Spencer Long or Jake (Cotton) or (Jeremiah) Sirles. Nothing’s really promised for us. I know one thing; we’re going to work as hard as we can to be the No. 1 team coming out of the Big Ten.”

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Huskers see plenty of room for improvement LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis refuses to let the offense take all the blame for the Cornhuskers having one of the worst turnover margins in the nation the last two years.

“We’ve got to hold up our end of the bargain,” he said. “In some of the games where we may have had some turnovers, we didn’t have very many takeaways, either. There’s a lot to be said for a defense equaling things out.”

Papuchis is emphasizing takeaways in the meeting room. He tracks how many his players get on the practice field and how many times they miss opportunities to knock a ball loose or intercept a pass. The next day, he uses film to go over the good and bad.

The Huskers were tied for 119th out of 125 Bowl Subdivision teams in turnover margin (minus-0.85 per game), giving up the ball 11 more times than they took it away. Their combined minus-23 the past two years is last in the Big Ten and seventh worst nationally.

Given a statistic like that, their two-year record of 19-8 is quite remarkable. But it doesn’t

Bowl. The Nebraska players who do acknowledge the prognosticators said they’re using the prediction as motivation.

“It’s hard being looked at as a team that isn’t going to win a conference. That’s always our goal,” defensive tackle Vincent Valentine said.

“That puts a bigger chip on our shoulder. It’s a message you can put on the board for guys to see. We have to prove them wrong.”

Nebraska’s last conference title came under Frank Solich in 1999 in the Big 12. The Huskers made it to the conference title game but lost in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Quarterback Tommy Armstrong said he wasn’t surprised the Huskers were picked third in the division

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The Daily Nonpareil

College Football

Sunday, August 17, 2014

5F

NICE HAVING OPTIONS

Despite young team, Hawkeyes enjoying depth at every position

IOWA CITY (AP) — The uncertainty that hung over Iowa heading into last year’s fall camp has been replaced by stability and reasonably high expectations.

That doesn’t mean the Hawkeyes can afford to cruise through August.

Iowa has five starters to replace on the back end of its defense, including three linebackers that reached the NFL. The Hawkeyes also need to sort out playing time at running back, wide receiver and tight end, and the new starters on the offensive line need to be ready by the end of the month because the program’s depth isn’t what it used to be.

But the good news for the Hawkeyes is that they appear to have solid options at every position. The task for the next three weeks will be to settle on starters for the opener on Aug. 30 against Northern Iowa and beyond. “This is a very, very pivotal three weeks for our football team,� Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said as fall camp opened. “It’s a great time for development. And we’ve got a lot of things that we’re curious to learn and curious to see.�

Here are five things to watch as Iowa opened fall practice.

NEW LINEBACKERS: The Iowa coaching staff has long been high on senior Quinton Alston whose playing time had previously been limited because of the presence of standouts Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens and James Morris. Alston is expected to lead a unit featuring sophomore Reggie Spearman, junior Travis Perry and as many as four redshirt freshmen in the rotation. “Some guys just make you feel good,� Ferentz said of Alston, who struggled earlier in his career. “When you see that light come on or the switch flip a little bit, it’s fun.�

AP

Sophomore Reggie Spearman is one of several Iowa linebackers battling for playing time after the graduation of starters James Morris, Christian Kirksey and Anthony Hitchens last year. The Hawkeyes open their season at home Aug. 30 against Northern Iowa.

FREE LOMAX: Junior defensive back Jordan Lomax was expected to start at cornerback for Iowa a year ago, but injuries and the emergence of freshman Desmond King scuttled those plans.

The Hawkeyes felt strongly enough about finding a spot for Lomax that they moved him to free safety though, and he’s expected to start there this season. Lomax, a 5-foot10 junior, should be able to lean on senior strong safety John Lowdermilk as he navigates his first fall camp in a new position.

SKILL QUESTIONS: The Hawkeyes will likely split most of their car-

mORE iOWA

Full Hawkeyes schedule, Page 4F

ries between senior Mark Weisman and junior Jordan Canzeri this season.

Iowa is deep and experienced at wide receiver as well, though rising redshirt freshman Derrick Willies could earn a starting spot over the next three weeks after an electrifying spring camp.

Senior Ray Hamilton will finally get his chance as Iowa’s top tight end following C.J. Fiedorowicz’s graduation, but Jake Duzey will also get a chance to be a major factor for the Hawkeyes. “Ray Hamilton is a guy, in my opinion,

that is probably better than we think maybe he is,� Ferentz said.

LINED UP: Iowa returns three starting offensive linemen, including All-America candidate Brandon Scherff at left tackle, and senior Andrew Donnal has been installed at right tackle after playing both guard and tackle a year ago. Redshirt freshman Sean Walsh will open camp as the starting left guard, and the Hawkeyes will be counting on Walsh to prove he belongs there because their rotation behind him is filled with untested underclassmen. “We’ve got to focus on the smaller details,

because that’s what got us in trouble last year, with false starts.

We’ve all got to be on the same page,� Scherff said.

EXTRA POINTS: Wide receiver Damond Powell suffered a sports hernia injury this summer, but he said Monday that he should be ready for the opener...The competition between Maurice Fleming and Sean Draper for the left cornerback spot might be the closest of any starting job in the program...True freshman Tyler Wiegers will likely start the season as Iowa’s third quarterback after Nic Shimonek left the program to walk on at Texas Tech.

Rhoads, Iowa State embracing big expectations

AP

Iowa State defensive end and former Iowa Western standout Cory Morrissey will be a key up front as ISU looks to reach a bowl game after going 3-9 last season.

AMES (AP) – It was a pretty forthright answer to a question that could have been answered multiple ways.

Toward the end of his annual media day press conference, Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads was asked what would make the 2014 season satisfying, subtracting wins and losses.

Rhoads responded quickly, “a postseason victory.�

That answer would appear to be far-fetched to the critics who view the Cyclones as a team that is coming off a 3-9 season and is full of question marks, especially on defense.

But to a coach who has led ISU to bowl games in three of his five seasons, the comment has some merit and Rhoads doesn’t care what those critics may think of his comment. “It is an expectation I place on our program on a yearly basis,� Rhoads added. “You don’t back off that. We want to not only get into the postseason but we want to win in the postseason. “I don’t think there is a lot of people in this room that thinks that is possible (addressing a large group of media). That is OK. We are working every day to get there.�

But bowl games, other than that one comment late in a 25-minute question and answer session, was far from Rhoads’ mind with three weeks left until the Cyclones host three-time defending FCS national champion

mORE iOWA St.

Full Cyclones schedule, Page 4F

North Dakota State at Jack Trice Stadium on Aug. 30.

This list of question marks is deep for Iowa State and Rhoads. For one, the Cyclones still haven’t named a starting quarterback, but Rhoads said that answer should come soon. Back in July during the Cyclones’ Tailgate Tour across Iowa, Rhoads said he wanted to make a decision by mid-August.

Sam Richardson and Grant Rohach are the leading candidates with redshirt freshman Joel Lanning of Ankeny close on their heels. “No separation,� Rhoads said. “We meet as a staff (Monday) at noon and they literally are listed on the same line on the depth chart as we go into week two.�

There are few other question marks on offense with Aaron Wimberly, a former Iowa Western standout, and DeVondrick Nealy back at running back, a deep wide receiving corp led by Quenton Bundrage, preseason all-Big 12 pick in tight end E.J. Bibbs and an offensive line that returns all five starters and 83 career starts.

And there is new offensive coordinator Mark Mangino who is expected to ignite life into an offense that ranked eighth in the Big 12 in scoring (24.3) and eighth in total offense

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(354.8) last year in conference play.

Over on defense, the Cyclones have fewer answers.

Rhoads said veteran defensive end Cory Morrissey, another IWCC product, and sophomore cornerback Nigel Tribune may be the only two guys who have solidified starting spots.

ISU needs senior linebacker JeVohn Miller to play like he did toward the end of the season after losing his job to Luke Knott only to get it back when Knott had season-ending hip surgery. “We know what we can do, and we are ready to prove the doubters wrong,� Morrissey said.

Redshirt freshmen Alton Meeks takes over for NFL draft pick Jeremiah George at middle linebacker, and from there Rhoads is counting on several junior college transfers to contribute immediately.

Three of those transfers - Trent Taylor, Gabe Luna and Dale Pierson - are defensive linemen, while Qujuan Floyd is a free safety.

ISU’s schedule, while it has few if any breathers, is much better than the one it had in 2013 when the Cyclones had breaks of 14 days, 12 days and nine days. “Last year’s ... this is a family press conference, last year’s stunk,� Rhoads said. “We didn’t play a normal Saturday-to-Saturday game until mid-October. This year we are all Saturday-toSaturday.�

Football Preview

6F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

2014, ’15 2013 Prep Standings Districts Class 4-A District 1 Thomas Jefferson Ames Ankeny Des Moines East Sioux City North Southeast Polk Class 4-A District 2 Lewis Central Des Moines North Des Moines Roosevelt WDM Dowling Johnston Sioux City Esat

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Lewis Central grad Alex Reed caught three touchdown passes as an IWCC freshman. Now, he’s one of the team’s veterans.

Time out with ... Alex Reed Reed is entering his second season as a wide receiver at Iowa Western. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Lewis Central graduate caught 25 passes last season for 356 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned eight punts for 89 yards and one kickoff for 47.

Do you feel different this preseason, having a year of college football under your belt?

I just feel more confident, as a receiver, as a college athlete, as a leader this year. I’m a veteran around here, a second-year guy. I’ve been through the fall and spring, so I know what I’m doing. If these guys have questions, they come and ask me, and I try to help them out.

Did you feel any pressure last year, being the local guy with big potential?

Coming into my freshman year, I thought I had to prove myself as the next big guy from Council Bluffs, following Jake Waters and everything. Now I’m just kind of settled in, and I’m going to do the best I can to help this team.

You’ve put on five pounds of muscle. What else have you improved in the offseason?

We have really good DBs, and they’re coached really well, and it was just hard for me to get off the ball sometimes last year. I have gotten faster. My feet have gotten quicker, which is really going to help me when I’m getting off jams, getting off the ball, and also getting in and out of breaks. That was one of my big focuses over the summer, to become a better

receiver. I’m just feeling a lot more complete.

With 164 players on this team, several of whom have spent time in Division I programs, can you give us some insight on what it’s like on that practice field?

In high school, everybody was ‘that guy.’ Here, it really tests guys’ will, their discipline. Are they going to do what the coaches are telling them, or are they going to do their own thing? When they do their own thing, it doesn’t end up so well.

Can you give me one player who’s already making his mark?

I’d say Ronald Nash. I saw him, day one, eat up the cushion of one of our good defensive backs on a post route quickly, very quickly. I was impressed by his speed and his route-running ability. I think he’ll really be a good one for us, if he keeps progressing.

I’m guessing it gets heated in practice, with that much competition for spots. How do you make sure it doesn’t become a problem?

Coaches just constantly remind us. We want you to compete. We want you to go at it. But at the end of the day, when you walk off this field, you guys are still teammates.

What are your thoughts on playing in the Jayhawk Conference?

I think playing tougher competition, playing a tougher schedule, will help everyone stay focused during the week.

Schedule Aug. 30................ Coffeyville, Kan. 1 p.m.

Sept. 6........................ Butler, Kan. 6 p.m.

Sept. 13............ At Highland, Kan, 1 p.m.

Sept. 20........ Dodge City, Kan. 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 27..................... Ellsworth 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 4........... At Garden City, Kan. 1 p.m.

Oct. 11..... At Independence, Kan. 7 p.m.

Oct. 18...... College of DuPage, Ill. 1 p.m.

Oct. 25............... Hutchinson, Kan. 1 p.m.

Nov. 1.............. At Fort Scott, Kan. 1 p.m.

Nov. 8............. At Iowa Central, 2:30 p.m.

REIVERS/From Page 3F have flashed potential at the position. Among the in-state quarterbacks competing are freshmen Nate Boland of Iowa City West and Andrew Kramer of Dallas CenterGrimes, and sophomore J.D. Culjat of St. Albert.

Early on, it appears wide receiver could be a position of strength, the Iowa Western coach said. Taj Williams, who initially signed with Indiana, “is showing some explosiveness.’’ Paul Harris is a transfer from Tennessee.

Among in-state receivers, Ronald Nash of Sioux City East, Marshall Clark of Ankeny Centennial and Tucker Culjat of St. Albert already are impressing.

Nash initially committed to Northern Iowa before changing his mind.

“Ronald’s really talented,’’ Strohmeier said. “His reasoning to come here was he didn’t want to sell himself short, because he felt he could play BCS-level ball. In my short time, there’s no question that he can play at that level.’’

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Class 3-A District 1 Denison-Schleswig Sioux City Heelan Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley Le Mars Sergeant Bluff-Luton Spencer Storm Lake Class 3-A District 8

Glenwood Harlan ADM Atlantic Creston Dallas Center-Grimes Winterset

Class 2-A District 8

Clarinda Carroll Kuemper Red Oak Shenandoah East Sac County Prairie Valley West Central Valley

Class 1-A District 1

A-H-S-T Missouri Valley Treynor Underwood IKM-Manning OA-BCIG West Monona

Reiver wideouts looking good Coach: Scott Strohmeier, 6th year (46-9 at IWCC) 2013 record: 11-1 (Won Graphic Edge Bowl, finished No. 2 in nation) Returning starter: Alex Reed The Word: The most deceiving statistic in juco football might be Iowa Western’s number of returning starters.

Between transfers, redshirts, big-time recruits and those who earned playing time last year in the Reivers’ multitude of blowouts, these guys won’t lack Strohmeier experience. It’s just a matter of putting the right pieces in the right places, because there are a lot of pieces. And Strohmeier has shown to be quite adept at making it all work. The potential is there to be in the national-title hunt again.

Class 4-A District 3 Abraham Lincoln Ankeny Centennial Des Moines Hoover Des Moines Lincoln Sioux City West WDM Valley

On defense, another player who has already shown he can play at the BCS level is Charlie Rogers. The Iowa City West graduate started two games as a freshman at Iowa State in the secondary.

“Charlie needed a fresh start,’’ Strohmeier said. “He’s All-Big 12 academic. He’s really fit in well with the guys. Sometimes when you get Division I transfers, they maybe think they’re at a different level. He’s really taken it in stride.’’

There are 164 players in preseason camp, about 50 of whom are from outside Iowa.

When they arrive in Council Bluffs, Strohmeier wipes the slate clean.

“In my first meeting I’m like, ‘It does not matter to me where you played high school ball, where you transferred from, how many stars you had behind your name. You’re at Iowa Western Community College right now. It’s not just because you transferred from here, you’re walking into a starting position.’’’

Class A District 1

St. Albert Logan-Magnolia Riverside Tri-Center Audubon Griswold Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto Westwood Eight-Man District 1 Boyer Valley West Harrison Woodbine Ar-We-Va Exira-EHK Kingsley-Pierson Newell-Fonda River Valley

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W L T W L T Waukee 5 0 0 10 2 0 Southeast Polk 4 1 0 7 4 0 Abraham Lincoln 3 2 0 5 5 0 Des Moines East 1 4 0 2 7 0 Sioux City West 2 3 0 2 7 0 D.M. Roosevelt 0 5 0 3 6 0 Class 3-A District 1

Dist. All

W L T W L T Harlan 6 0 0 10 2 0 Lewis Central 4 2 0 4 6 0 Glenwood 3 3 0 5 4 0 Creston 3 3 0 6 4 0 ADM 3 3 0 4 5 0 Perry 2 4 0 4 5 0 Atlantic 0 6 0 1 8 0 Class 3-A District 2

Dist. All

W L T W L T Sioux City Heelan 6 0 0 14 0 0 Carroll 5 1 0 8 3 0 Spencer 4 2 0 8 3 0 Le Mars 3 3 0 3 7 0 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 2 4 0 5 4 0 Storm Lake 1 5 0 2 7 0 Denison-Schleswig 0 6 0 1 8 0 Class 2-A District 8

Dist. All

W L T W L T Carroll Kuemper 6 0 0 14 0 0 Clarinda 4 2 0 4 6 0 Greene County 4 2 0 5 5 0 Red Oak 3 3 0 3 7 0 OA-BCIG 2 4 0 4 5 0 Shenandoah 2 4 0 3 6 0 Clarinda Academy 0 6 0 0 9 0 Class 1-A District 2

Dist. All

W L T W L T Ft. Dodge St. Edmond 6 0 0 13 1 0 Ridge View 5 1 0 9 2 0 Manson-NW Webster 4 2 0 8 3 0 Sioux Central 3 3 0 5 5 0 IKM-Manning 2 4 0 4 5 0 Pocahontas Area 1 5 0 1 8 0 MVAO 0 6 0 2 7 0

Class 1-A District 8

Dist. All

W L T W L T St. Albert 6 0 0 10 1 0 Panorama 5 1 0 7 3 0 Nodaway Valley 4 2 0 5 5 0 Treynor 3 3 0 5 5 0 Tri-Center 2 4 0 3 6 0 West Central Valley 1 5 0 3 6 0 Missouri Valley 0 6 0 0 9 0 Class A District 7

Dist. All

W L T W L T Audubon 7 0 0 9 3 0 Madrid 6 1 0 8 3 0 Woodward-Granger 5 2 0 6 4 0 Guthrie Center 4 3 0 4 6 0 Earlham 3 4 0 3 6 0 Bedford 1 6 0 1 8 0 M-SM 1 6 0 2 7 0 Woodward Academy 1 6 0 1 8 0 Class A District 8

Dist. All

W L T W L T A-H-S-T 7 0 0 12 1 0 East Mills 5 2 0 8 3 0 Logan-Magnolia 4 3 0 5 4 0 Riverside 4 3 0 5 5 0 Westwood 4 3 0 6 4 0 Griswold 3 4 0 4 5 0 Underwood 1 6 0 2 7 0 West Monona 0 7 0 1 8 0 Eight-Man District 7

Dist. All

W L T W L T Exira-EHK 7 0 0 12 1 0 Glidden-Ralston 6 1 0 10 2 0 Coon Rapids-Bayard 5 2 0 8 4 0 Boyer Valley 4 3 0 7 4 0 West Harrison 3 4 0 5 4 0 Charter Oak-Ute 2 5 0 3 5 0 Ar-We-Va 1 6 0 1 8 0 Woodbine 0 7 0 0 9 0 Eight-Man District 8

Dist. All

W L T W L T Southwest Valley 6 1 0 7 3 0 Fremont-Mills 6 1 0 7 3 0 Sidney 6 1 0 8 2 0 CAM 4 3 0 4 6 0 Lenox 3 4 0 4 5 0 Stanton 2 5 0 3 6 0 Nishnabotna 1 6 0 1 8 0 Essex/South Page 0 7 0 0 9 0

2014 Playoff Schedule First round: Wednesday, Oct. 29 Second round: Monday, Nov. 3 Quarterfinal round: Friday, Nov. 7 Semifinal round: Thursday, Nov. 13 (Eight-Man, Class 3-A); Friday, Nov.

14 (Class A, Class 4-A); Saturday, Nov. 15 (Class 1-A, Class 2-A) Final round: Thursday, Nov. 20 (Eight-Man, Class A, Class 3-A); Friday, Nov. 21 (Class 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 4-A)

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St. Albert

The Daily Nonpareil

Sunday, August 17, 2014

7F

Falcons health better entering Class A Injuries last season prevented St. Albert from reaching state quarterfinals for 1st time in 15 years the regular season unbeaten before falling in the second round of the playoffs to Ogden at home.

“To have the success we’ve had, it hinges on the fact that we haven’t had injuries,” Culjat said. “I’ve never gone through anything like last year. You went into the year with 21 seniors thinking about all the depth you’ll have, not even considering that there’s any way possible that you’ll lose 19 people.

“At the end of the year, I was talking to the coaching staff, and I think when we look back in four or five years, it’ll probably be one of the best coaching jobs we’ve ever done, to get that team to 10-1.”

Adversity didn’t prevent St. Albert from producing the win

Patrick Donohue pat.donohue@nonpareilonline.com

St. Albert coach Kevin Culjat admitted he held his breath at the end of the first practice of fall camp.

Senior offensive lineman Matt Weihs went down with a hamstring injury on the last rep of the day.

One thought likely entered the coach’s head: Here we go again.

Culjat is less than a year removed from arguably the toughest season he and his staff have endured. Injuries decimated the Falcons during most of 2013. At one point late in the season, 19 players were on the injured list.

Despite all the setbacks, the Falcons still finished

totals southwest Iowa fans are accustomed to, but it did help end its streak of consecutive state quarterfinal appearances at 15.

All the setbacks did come with one positive. Many younger players who didn’t expect to have a significant role were thrown into the mix.

They now have important varsity experience, which will be critical moving forward.

“We’re not afraid to play freshmen,” Culjat said. “We always have. But when you have freshmen who are mentally ready to go and physically ready to go, you work with them, and slowly but surely work them into your process, and you hope by the end of the year they can help you.”

For the first time in program

history, St. Albert will move down to Class A. It’s not completely unfamiliar territory.

In fact, the Falcons are quite familiar with many of their district opponents, including Logan-Magnolia, Tri-Center and Griswold.

Two important players who were bit by the injury bug are back and fully healthy, seniors Gage Bowman and Jon Meyerring. Bowman’s year ended with a broken collarbone late in the season while Meyerring dislocated his elbow in the fourth game.

Bowman has gained a greater appreciation for football. He needed surgery to mend the injury.

“It was kind of surreal,” he said. “You don’t really think

Proud to celebrate 10+ years

that will happen, and then you hear that crack. It changes your whole view.”

Both Bowman and Meyerring will be relied upon heavily.

Bowman returns to linebacker a year after making 57 tackles.

He’ll also play tight end.

Meyerring is moving to running back in addition to maintaining his duties as kicker.

Other key returners include

seniors Jackson Scott-Brown, Will Van Soelen and Weihs on the offensive line and Jake Petry, Glen Bertelsen and Cole McBride at linebacker.

Junior Travis Miller returns at quarterback after throwing for 495 yards and eight TDs. “I think he’s doing pretty

FALCONS/See Page 8F

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Football Preview

8F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

Iowa School for the Deaf

Bobcats to rely on veteran trio Patrick Donohue

pat.donohue@NONPAREILONLINE.com

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Seniors Jon Meyerring, left, and Gage Bowman will help lead St. Albert as it makes its transition into Class A football.

Falcons sporting healthy optimism

Sept. 11 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 2 Oct. 11 Oct. 16 Oct. 23

Schedule At Kansas, 4 p.m.

At Arkansas, 1:45 p.m. vs. Minnesota, 1:45 p.m. vs. Wisconsin, 11 a.m. vs. Oklahoma, 1:45 p.m.

At Missouri, 11 a.m.

At Illinois, 1 p.m.

Coach: Kevin Culjat, 6th year (61-5) 2013 record: 10-1 (beat Pella Christian 35-7 in first round; lost to Ogden 12-10 in second round) Key returners: Seniors: Jackson Scott-Brown, Will Van Soelen, Matt Weihs, Gage Bowman, Jake Petry, Cole McBride, Jon Meyerring. Juniors: Glen Bertelsen, Travis Miller.

The Word: Healthy. That’s the current state of the Falcons, and Culjat hopes it stays that way after all the injury woes his squad dealt with in 2013. St. Albert has a strong senior core, and with a quarterback who gained valuable experience last year in Travis Miller, look for this group to make some positive strides with its move down to Class A. Schedule

Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17 Oct. 24

Thomas Jefferson Treynor at Logan-Magnolia Riverside at Tri-Center Griswold at Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto Westwood at Audubon

FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

St. Albert offensive lineman Jackson ScottBrown was one of the few Falcons who eluded injury last season. The 6-foot-5, 287-pound offensive lineman will be a critical piece of the Falcons’ offense again this season as St. Albert shifts down to Class A.

Isam Marar, MD

Have you ever seen anything like the myriad of injuries this team sustained last year?

I’ve never been a part of anything like that. Never seen anything in the past years, either. It was a freak year.

But the team still finished 10-1. How do you reflect on a year like that?

You can say that we still went 10-1, but the way I look at it is, we may not have had the same players, but we still had the same type of players. It’s still a little disappointing.

But also, you can say that it was good what we did.

What did you do after football ended to stay in shape?

I played basketball and threw in track. I was still lifting hard after practice four days a week to stay in shape. I went to a lot of football camps this summer. I was at Iowa Western, Northwest Missouri State, Iowa State, UNI and North Dakota State.

You have a scholarship offer in hand from Northern Iowa. What’s the recruiting process been like?

It’s been pretty eye-opening. I’ve been getting recruited a lot since the end of my sophomore year.

I’d get a few letters or emails, and now just today, I received like five letters. Two of them were handwritten. I receive numerous emails a day. It can be a little overwhelming.

Finish this sentence. Practice in August is …

Hard. Very hard. Every year, it’s gotten a little harder.

Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten bigger every year. It’s the mentality we have. You’ve got to be mentally focused about what we do as a program and how hard we work.

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haven’t had a lot of playing time.”

ISD will have just over three weeks of practice before the season begins Sept. 11 at Kansas Deaf. Murray hopes to see roles defined in that time.

“I’ll pretty much adjust the offense this season for what we have personnelwise,” he said. “Certain kids can do certain things, and we’ll need to reinvent our offense, more or less, to fit our skill positions.

“I’m really looking forward to the season.”

St. Albert

FALCONS/From Page 7F good,” Meyerring said. “I’ve seen him at camp, and he’s been throwing the ball well.

He’ll be good again this year.”

Miller’s coach also had high praise.

“No. 1, he’s a tremendous athlete. No. 2, he has a great mind,” Culjat said. “He’s a smart kid. I thought he got better and better. At the end of the season at the playoff game, he played exceptionally well. That’s a springboard for us offensively. We feel comfortable about what we want to do this fall.”

Mark Murray can’t wait for practice to start Monday.

It’s not only because football is back but also because he’s eager to learn about his roster at Iowa School for the Deaf.

Murray knows of only 14 players who will participate this year. He knows his team will lack experience, and he knows it will be tough to improve on the Bobcats’ 3-4 record from last season.

And he also knows that any good results the Bobcats yield will likely come from a trio of players. Murray has high expectations for senior Marcos Ibarra and juniors Dalton Rosch and Austin Jaines.

Ibarra is a do-everything

athlete who will play quarterback and running back.

He finished his junior season with 442 rushing yards, 259 receiving and 11 touchdowns.

Rosch will be the primary fullback while Jaines will play tight end, linebacker and, at times, center to spell Ibarra.

But beyond that, Murray has plenty of youth and uncertainty on his roster.

“We’ll run out of the (Wildcat) formation and just try to spread the ball around,” Murray said. “We’re down on numbers, big time.

“We’ll be kind of limited because we won’t have a lot of time to throw. We’ll struggle early, but hopefully the kids will mature as the season goes. We’ll just go from there. I have a lot of kids that

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Jackson Scott-Brown and the Falcons have high hopes again this fall.

After a couple years, you start to understand it. You’ve just got to get over it.

If Iowa, Iowa State and Nebraska are on TV at the same time, which game are you watching?

Iowa State. Last year I went down for a couple gameday visits. I like their culture, and I’ve been more of a Cyclones fan anyway.

If you have a free evening, what are you watching on TV? There’s a lot of SportsNation. There’s a lot of ESPN. What player would you like to model yourself after?

Probably Jake Matthews. The (former) offensive lineman from Texas A&M (and current Atlanta Falcon). I’ve watched him the past couple years in college, and this year he’s breaking through as a top draft pick.

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Thomas Jefferson

The Daily Nonpareil

Sunday, August 17, 2014

9F

PULLING TOGETHER

T.J. hopes better team unity leads to a better record Patrick Donohue

pat.donohue@nonpareilonline.com

The early theme of Thomas Jefferson’s season seems to be change, and to coach Mark Puev, that’s a good thing.

It started immediately.

Instead of participating in a standard preseason camp at the school, the Jackets instead headed to the National Guard’s Camp Dodge in Johnston for an intense three-day, twonight binge on football.

The opportunity allowed the team to get proper instruction in a new setting while bonding on the gridiron.

“It rained pretty much the entire time out there,” Puev said. “It was neat. I think it was a great opportunity for our kids. You really get a perspective of the kids you’ll be coaching and teaching for the next four years. I would hope to do it as many times as I possibly can. The military did a great job of allowing us to do that.”

The coaching staff’s top priority in August wasn’t instructing players. Instead, it was to show the benefits of camaraderie, having each roster member buy into a common goal while having each other’s back.

Puev feels that the camp visit has had nothing but a positive impact on the squad. It learned that handling adversity isn’t something one player has to do on his own.

“Their primary focus is the task at hand,” Puev said. “I really liked that idea. You’re going to have to play road games and play elsewhere.

And you’ve got to have that us-against-the-world mentality every now and again.

“Especially now. With the lack of tradition that we’ve had here, they have to learn how to win and do it together. Nothing is going to be given to them.

Nobody gets any breaks, and there are a lot of similar parallels to life with that.”

After winning the season

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Thomas Jefferson seniors Jason Wallace, left, and Bobby Daley will be key parts of the Jackets’ offense. Wallace will be the team’s starting quarterback, and Daley, who moved to Council Bluffs from Georgia in July, will play wide receiver and defensive back. opener last fall, the Jackets dropped their final eight games. The defense struggled in those losses, allowing an average of 57 points.

Puev knows he needs his team to buy into the team-first approach.

And a good candidate to preach that message is senior Jason Wallace. He returns a year after throwing for 958 yards and eight touchdowns at quarterback.

“My expectation for the year is to make sure we play as a team,” Wallace said. “I feel like we haven’t been doing that in years past. I feel like if we play as a team, we have a lot of potential and can shock a lot of people.”

If Wallace is to improve those numbers, T.J.’s offensive line needs a big year. Senior Devon Kermoade leads a group that includes Tucker Schultz, Kody Lee, Zach Flaharty and Juan Guillen.

A senior transfer should also figure prominently in the lineup. Bobby Daley joins the roster after moving to Council Bluffs from Adairsville, Ga. Puev raves about Daley’s leadership ability and athleticism. He’s expected to play receiver and defensive back.

The newest member of the team has already bonded with his teammates, and he’s excited about the new season.

“These guys are accepting,” Daley said. “I haven’t felt like

these guys didn’t want me around or anything. They’ve all worked hard. We’ve all done what we needed to do this summer. I feel great about the team.”

Puev hopes that mentality quickly translates to success, but he knows it will be a process.

“This will take baby steps,” Puev said. “There isn’t an A to B. There’s a lot of subtle levels in between. It’s just that you’ve got to be willing to do everything for the kids. All the coaches are completely committed to wanting to change this. We want the kids to see the message in what we’re telling them and what we’re doing is the exact same thing.”

Thomas Jefferson Coach: Mark Puev, 5th year (7-28) 2013 record: 1-8 Key returners: Seniors: Jason Wallace, Devon Kermoade, Tucker Schultz, Kody Lee, Zach Flaharty, Alex Powders, Isaac Hansen, Gage Fisher. Juniors: Juan Guillen, Griffin Koletsky.

The Word: It starts with a collective effort. If the Jackets buy into the teamfirst approach that was preached in preseason camp by Puev and his staff, more wins could be in sight. It’ll help if T.J.’s defense can get stops and if an experienced offensive line can protect second-year quarterback Jason Wallace.

Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17 Oct. 24

Schedule

At St. Albert Glenwood Abraham Lincoln At Lewis Central Sioux City North At Southeast Polk Des Moines East Ankeny At Ames

Puev

Catching up with ... Devon Kermoade At 6-foot-4½ inches and 310 pounds, Devon Kermoade will anchor Thomas Jefferson’s offensive line for his senior year. He’ll be a key piece for the Jackets this season. They open Aug. 29 at St. Albert.

What do you like most about being your size?

It’s fun. Obviously, it would be a lot harder if I was smaller.

It’s a lot easier for me to push around other people, but it’s not just pushing people; it’s getting out there and working. Using technique.

How have other sports helped you with football?

If I could go back to my freshman year and push myself as much as I am now in every sport I play, it would be so much different. A lot of it comes from my coaches pushing me. A lot of it is my grandpa (Ed). He makes sure I get here on time. He makes sure I get what I need done. He’s kind of my backbone.

How big were you when you first started playing?

My freshman year, I came into high school weighing about 390.

How would you like your senior year to end?

We could have a losing season and win one game again, but if we could get the freshmen and change something in them to push harder and achieve more, everything is worth it. We’ve got a new coaching staff pushing people harder. Everyone is working hard, and people want to be here now.

How did you shed the weight?

I changed a lot of my lifestyle. I stopped eating a lot. I started working out more. Wrestling helped a lot because I had to be 285. Once I got to football, I lost about 30 pounds, and wrestling helped me get to 285.

What goals have you set for yourself?

I want a winning season. I want to beat A.L. My biggest goal is to beat A.L. My uncle is a coach there (Chris Moore).

I just want to go to one Thanksgiving and say, ‘Hey, Chris!’ If that’s the one game we win, I’ll be happy.”

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

T.J. senior Devon Kermoade says his biggest goal this year is a win over A.L.

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Abraham Lincoln

10F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

A NEW ERA COMMENCES

2006 graduate John Wolfe returns as coach Patrick Donohue

pat.donohue@nonpareilonline.com

John Wolfe is back in a familiar place at Abraham Lincoln.

It’s where the first-year coach excelled for the Lynx before graduating in 2006.

But much has changed since he was last at the school. He played college ball at Simpson College and assisted for four years at Adair-Casey.

Now he’s back, again donning the red and blue, but more than a few upgrades have changed the school during his eight-year absence.

“I joked with the kids when I first got here and said, ‘This place is $30 million nicer than when I was here,’” Wolfe said. “I think sometimes you hope that they don’t take that for granted. One of the first things I talked about when I got here was taking care of the things you have and learning that character and respect.”

Abraham Lincoln activities director Jeff Novotny said Wolfe’s hiring is good for the program.

“Throughout the interview process, his passion and his wanting to be at A.L. were huge,” Novotny said. “His heart is here, and he wants to get us to that next level, so that was a big key.

“Any time you have a former alum that wants to coach at your school, that’s always a positive.

Our kids look up to him, they know he went to school in our building and had success in college.

That was a big part of it.”

Wolfe replaced Justin Kammrad, who is now an assistant on the Lewis Central staff. Wolfe takes over a team that finished 5-5 last season, again being denied the school’s first postseason victory.

That lingering cloud over the program is something Wolfe hopes to address quickly. But he knows in order to make it happen, he first needs to build consistency in August and September.

That means molding players that are tough between the ears.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to establish right now is mental toughness and finishing,” Wolfe said. “We want to focus and finish. We’ve been talking about how it matters what the score is at the end of the fourth quarter, not the end of the third. We’re talking about finishing and how we’ve got to play all four quarters, if not more.”

One individual likely to figure prominently into such key situations is senior Payton Hiffernan. He gained 867 yards rushing and scored nine touchdowns while splitting carries with the

graduated Dylan Garner.

“He’s going to be big for us,” Wolfe said. “We’re going to need him, and we’re trying to get him in shape so that he can play both ways. He’s somebody that you want on the field as often as possible.”

Hiffernan likely will shoulder most of the rushing load this year, and he likes the philosophies Wolfe has established.

“I like him a lot,” Hiffernan said. “I like how the program is turning. I think it’s going for the best. He trains the offense, and he’s really focused on a lot of explosive workouts, and that’s some of what we needed to work on was our speed.”

Wolfe will turn to junior Josh Krabbe to be his quarterback. Krabbe attempted only seven passes last season in a backup role.

Defensively, seniors Tony Outlaw, Hiffernan and Robert Peters are expected to step up.

The new A.L. coach likes the makeup of his roster, especially his upperclassmen. Wolfe expects anywhere from 15 to 20 seniors on the squad.

Wolfe has been pleased with his players’ performance thus far, but he admits he’s ready for the season to arrive.

“I’m just excited to get started,” he said. “I’m having a great time running camp and practices and all that stuff, but I’m ready for the games. I’m ready to see what we can do.”

Abraham Lincoln Coach: John Wolfe, 1st year 2013 record: 5-5 (lost to Ankeny Centennial 49-28 in first round of playoffs) Key returners: Seniors: Payton Hiffernan (RB/S), Robert Peters, Tony Outlaw (DE), Andrew Ryan (DE, OL), Payton Scheinost (WR/DB), Billy Harrenburg (CB), Brett Egner (OL).

Juniors: Josh Krabbe (QB), Jared Garner (S).

The Word: Players and coach have meshed well together, but the biggest questions are how quickly everyone can adapt to the new game plans and philosophies in place. Should A.L. come together and finish games with consistency, they just may have what it takes to finally find success in the postseason.

Schedule

Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 16 Oct. 24

Sioux City North At Lewis Central At Thomas Jefferson Sioux City East At Des Moines Lincoln WDM Valley At Des Moines Hoover At Sioux City West Ankeny Centennial

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Krabbe

After spending four years as an assistant coach at Adair-Casey, John Wolfe returns to his alma mater as head coach.

Time out with ... Payton Hiffernan The Abraham Lincoln senior stayed busy this summer, attending football camps at Iowa State, Northwest Missouri State, Simpson, South Dakota and South Dakota State. He has big expectations for himself entering his final prep season.

What’s been your best memory so far at C.B. Stadium?

Just playing under the lights every Friday night. That’s really the best feeling. It’s just about being out there with my team playing my favorite sport.

Any pregame meals that you routinely eat?

There could be something new this year, but usually it’s just Quiznos or something.

Did one camp stand out more than others?

I think Iowa State stood out. I thought it was the best out of all of them. I’m thinking about Iowa State (for college), but it all depends on how my season goes.

What’s on your iPod right now?

A lot of rap. That gets me going. Sometimes I like to listen to some tunes that will focus my mind.

What position would you ideally like to play?

Running back, fullback or receiver. It really doesn’t matter.

What are you looking forward to most about your senior year?

Just giving my all when I go out there. Really, football season is the biggest thing about my senior year. Of course, I’ve got to do good in school, but I’m just ready to go.

You’ve played a prominent role on the team the last two years. Now you’re the presumed starting running back. Are you excited about the responsibility?

It feels awesome. I’ve been waiting for it for two years now. I’ve worked my hardest this year, and I’m ready to go.

What personal goals have you set for yourself this season?

I want to get a 3.0 grade-point average and stick with it, and I want at least 2,000 all-purpose yards this year and lots of touchdowns. At least three or four touchdowns a game.

Have you ever done as much preseason conditioning before?

No. I had never been to any camps or anything before this summer.

Have you noticed any differences in the offense?

(Coach Wolfe) changed it based on the talent we have. It’s more spread. He works well with what we’ve got.

What would it mean to be part of the first A.L. team to win a postseason game?

It’d be awesome. It would be the best feeling ever because it’s never happened.

Even for that 9-0 team. We thought they were going to go all the way, and they ended up losing. No one has confidence in us.

I looked at (the 9-0 season), and wow. They worked so hard and they just let it go.

You can’t take a game off, that’s for sure.

Is there a sense of comfort knowing your role entering a new season?

It’s been like that before, but this year, I really have to step up and run with my role.

I feel confident about it.

You had knee surgery after last season. What was that like?

I had (pieces of) bone in my knee that were making it swollen. They took all the bone pieces out. It took a couple months to recover.

What kind of weight training went into the summer?

A lot of cardio. There were also a lot of explosive workouts.

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Abraham Lincoln senior Payton Hiffernan says he’s confident he’ll be up for a bigger role this fall.

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Xxxx Lewis Central

The Daily Nonpareil

Sunday, August 17, 2014

11F

A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD L.C. embraces challenge of move to 4-A Patrick Donohue

pat.donohue@nonpareilonline.com

Count Conner Hanafan as a proponent of the unknown.

The Lewis Central wide receiver and defensive back is eager to start his senior year, and he’s intrigued by the new opponents appearing on L.C.’s schedule as the Titans move up to Class 4-A this fall.

“We’re very excited,” he said.

“None of these teams know us, and we don’t know any of these teams. Going out there in our senior year and showing that we can play with the big guys is exciting.”

The move is yet another new test for L.C. fifth-year coach Jim Duggan. He coached in 1-A and 2-A at St. Albert, 3-A his first four years at Lewis Central and now moves up to 4-A. He and his squad will be tested with the move. L.C. has defending 4-A state champion West Des Moines Dowling in its district, along with Sioux City East, Johnston, Des Moines Roosevelt and Des Moines North.

“It’s kind of like, ready or not, here we come,” Duggan said. “I think it’s a motivational tool for us. We’re moving, obviously, to the highest level in Iowa high school football, but we’ve played a number of those teams before. Just the fact that we get to play the Dowlings and the Johnstons and some of the big dogs now, it makes our kids motivated.”

One positive Duggan will benefit from is having a seasoned quarterback returning in senior Austin Simmons, who’s entering his third year as the starter. The South Dakota recruit finished sixth in 3-A as a junior with 1,821 passing yards and 20 touchdowns.

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Conner Hanafan says he and his L.C. teammates are “very excited” about the move to Class 4-A. Helping Simmons this year will be new assistant coach Justin Kammrad, the former Abraham Lincoln head man who’s now part of the L.C. staff. The move is already paying dividends.

“It’s been nice having him around, definitely,” Simmons said. “I’m glad he came over here and decided to coach here because he’s helped me with a lot of things. He’s helped me with my footwork and throwing form, some read work. All kinds of stuff.”

The Titans also have stability returning on defense with senior all-state lineman Chris Thomas. Other key contributors back in the lineup include

Caleb Shudak, Luke Sutherland, Payton Mehsling, Jordan Nielsen and Hanafan, who’s now fully healthy after suffering a hip flexor injury and missing time last season.

“We return a number of kids that played last year as sophomores,” Duggan said. “We’re still going to be young this year with only seven seniors on the team. We’ll still play a number of underclassmen.”

Perhaps the most pressing element the Titans must fix is their consistency in closing out games. They lost their first three contests of the 2013 season by a combined 15 points.

L.C. finished the regular

season at 4-5 before suffering a season-ending loss to Spencer in the first round of the playoffs. That mark could have been better if a possession or two had ended differently a year ago.

Last season’s losses will drive the team this fall. So will the move up to 4-A, a transition the entire Lewis Central community is embracing.

“It’s definitely something that people are excited about,” Duggan said. “We’re the little fish in the big pond now. But again, that’s something that motivates us as a team. They’ll perform at the level they need to perform at to win.”

Lewis Central

Coach: Jim Duggan, 5th year (118-36, 14th season) 2013 record: 4-6 (lost to Spencer 35-25 in first round of playoffs) Key returners: Seniors: Austin Simmons, Chris Thomas, Luke Sutherland, Jordan Nielsen, Conner Hanafan, Payton Mehsling. Juniors: Caleb Shudak, Mitchell Brinkman.

The Word: Familiar foes appear early on the Titans’ schedule, but that changes in Week 5 once Class 4-A district play arrives. L.C. will face a great test immediately with a clash at defending state champion West Des Moines Dowling on Sept. 26. If L.C.’s seven-man senior class can keep the team focused all season, this could be successful transition.

Aug. 29: Sept. 5: Sept. 12: Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3: Oct. 10: Oct. 17 Oct. 24

Schedule At Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

St. Albert At Harlan Thomas Jefferson At WDM Dowling Des Moines North At Sioux City East Johnston At Des Moines Roosevelt

Duggan

Simmons

Catching up with ... Chris Thomas The Lewis Central senior defensive end is coming off a strong junior campaign in which he earned second-team all-state honors in Class 3-A after finishing with 77 tackles and 10 sacks.

What are your thoughts on the school moving up to Class 4-A? It’s a little bit different. There are a bunch of young guys on our team, so we’re going to see where it goes from there. It’ll be different from 3-A, that’s for sure. There are big teams.

Do you lead more with your voice or by example?

Probably lead by example. I don’t really talk too much out on the field.

You had a huge junior season. How do you get better this year?

Just playing the same game I did last year.

There are a few areas where I need to improve.

We’ll go from there and just improve.

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And for the team?

To improve. Going up to 4-A, we’ve got a bunch of young guys coming in learning. We need to improve and get back to where we were.

What’s the best part about being a senior?

It is my last year. It’s kind of bittersweet. You’re a leader, the top dog.

What are you looking forward to most about the change?

Honestly, playing the bigger-named teams.

Going up to Des Moines and everything.

What expectations do you have for yourself this fall?

I’d like to make one of the all-state teams for Class 4-A, get back to where I was last year.

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Any Friday night routines?

Not really. For home games, we just come back to the athletic buildings, listen to music. A lot of people listen to music, but I really don’t. I eat a banana and drink a water.

What’s your favorite TV show?

I go on Netflix a lot. I rummage through there. I watch a lot of Tosh.0.

What’s been the best on-field moment in your prep career?

Probably beating Creston last year on senior night. That was my favorite throughout the whole season, regardless of stats and all that. We were the underdog, I believe, going into that game, and we wiped them out pretty well.

What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen

What’s on your iPod? I go off YouTube. I don’t have a lot of music on my iPod. I just listen to basic playlists. I have a bunch of pump-up songs, like Eminem.

How would you like to be remembered at Lewis Central?

Hard work and effort, that’s for sure.

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on a football field?

Last year, I believe against Creston, Mason Brinkman picking off the quarterback as a defensive tackle. The funniest thing I’ve ever seen. He made a dive for it, and it was a turning moment in the game.

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Big 10/Big 12

12F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

With no title game, Big 12 to have ‘One True Champion’ STEPHEN HAWKINS The Associated Press

AP

Coach Mark Dantonio’s teams are a combined 42-12 over the past four seasons.

Spartans an underdog?

The ring says different ERIC OLSON

The Associated Press

Michigan State has played in two of the three Big Ten title games, is the defending Rose Bowl champion and is enjoying the best run in program history with 42 wins in four years.

Yet the Spartans cling to an underdog mentality, the product of being overshadowed historically by Michigan and Ohio State. Coach Mark Dantonio never wants his team to stop playing with that edge.

“Respectability can fly right out the window on us,” he said. “So it’s what we’ve done lately that you’re basically judged on, and we continue to build our future.”

The task gets tougher this year. The Spartans host the Buckeyes in a November night game that could decide the new East Division.

Of more immediate concern is a trip to Oregon the first week of September.

That game could loom large in determining whether the Spartans land a spot in the inaugural four-team College Football Playoff.

“We’re coming with at least a bona fide big game under our belts as we move forward,” Dantonio said. “One way or the other, win or lose, we need to gain experience from that game and be able to push through and into the conference.”

The Big Ten goes from 12 to 14 teams with the additions of Maryland and Rutgers. Another big story line is the debut of new Penn State coach James Franklin.

Ten things to watch in the Big Ten: SPARTY PARTY: Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has a track record of rolling out some of the nation’s best units, and don’t expect anything different even though he lost six starters. The offense should keep rolling along, returning 97 percent of its production from a year ago, including QB Connor Cook and RB Jeremy Langford.

RISING IOWA: The Hawkeyes won four games in 2012, eight in 2013, and more could be in store in 2014. They have experience in QB Jake Rudock, a dependable RB corps and an offensive line featuring NFL prospect Brandon Scherff. Yes, they lost three LBs who combined for almost 1,000 career tackles. But they have the softest schedule in the league, with West opponents Northwestern, Wisconsin and Nebraska coming to Iowa City.

BUCKEYE BOUNCEAP BACK? Ohio State, coming Jake Rudock gives off two straight losses, is a Iowa experience at trendy pick to win the East quarterback. even though Urban Meyer must replace four offensive linemen and QB Braxton Miller is coming off right (throwing) shoulder surgery. The losses of RB Carlos Hyde and backup

QB Kenny Guiton shouldn’t be underestimated.

WELCOME ABOARD: Newcomers Maryland and Rutgers will get the full flavor of the Big Ten by playing in the East. With Stefon Diggs and ex-IWCC standout Deon Long, the Terrapins have one of the conference’s most dangerous receiving corps.

Rutgers should be competent offensively with new coordinator Ralph Friedgen; the defense could be a problem.

LIONS’ DEN: Penn State’s AP Franklin has James Franklin must shore up his hands full Penn State’s offensive line and until NCAA receiver positions. sanctions end in a couple of years. His most pressing issue is figuring out how to keep QB Christian Hackenberg upright. The offensive line and receivers are the biggest weaknesses.

MICHIGAN SHUFFLE: Coach Brady Hoke is looking to re-energize his program after a narrow win over Akron and losses in six of the last eight games. He brought in a new offensive coordinator, Doug Nussmeier from Alabama, and gave each of his defensive assistants new positions to coach.

BEST BACKS: Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah (1,690 yards) and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (1,609) are the nation’s top two returning rushers, and both are in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

ON WISCONSIN: A year after setting school records for rushing and total offense, the Badgers started practice having to decide between QBs Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy and figure out how to replace prodigious WR Jared Abbrederis.

The Badgers also lost six of the defense’s front seven.

LOOKING FOR MOJO: Northwestern, Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue in the West and Indiana in the East are teams looking to move up. Northwestern missed a bowl for the first time since 2007, Minnesota lost three straight after an 8-2 star. If Indiana’s explosive offense can ever get help from the defense, the Hoosiers might make a AP bowl.

Brady Hoke’s Michigan program HOT has slipped since his 11-2 debut SEATS: season in 2011.

Michigan’s Hoke has the program trending downward since going 11-2 in 2011, his first season. Nebraska hasn’t won a conference title since 1999, and fans are antsy after watching Bo Pelini lose no fewer than four games each of his six seasons. Tim Beckman is 6-18 in two years at Illinois, 1-15 in Big Ten games.

With 10 teams playing a round-robin schedule and no championship game, the Big 12 is emphasizing its unique standing in the new playoff era.

The mantra “One True Champion” is part of the conference’s new branding effort, complete with television ads and its own website.

“The only thing that you really have to do after adopting ‘One True Champion’ as your moniker is you have to go out and win some games,” commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. “We want to win national championships.”

The Big 12 is the only one of the five power conferences in which every team plays each other. The Big 12 ends its regular season the first weekend of December, when the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 are playing championship games.

Texas was the Big 12’s last national champion, during the 2005 season, and got back into the title game four years after that. Eight-time Big 12 champ Oklahoma won the 2000 national title.

Baylor is coming off its first Big 12 title, and like all the champions since Texas in 2009, the Bears didn’t win all their league games.

So would a Big 12 champion with a blemished record get one of the coveted four spots in the first College Football Playoff semifinal games?

‘With what you do going through this league, no, I don’t see that as a problem at all,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “But who knows? I mean, that’s why they formed the committee. We’ll see how the committee thinks.”

Here are 10 things to watch in the Big 12’s fourth year as a 10-team league: BEAR MARKET: Baylor moves into its new campus stadium with returning quarterback Bryce Petty, the Big 12’s top offensive player, and receiver Antwan Goodley (13 touchdowns). The Bears set an NCAA record with 52.4 points a game last season.

BELL RINGER: Blake Bell was Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for eight games last season, and ran for 24 TDs in short-yardage situations the previous two years. He is now a 6-foot-6, 260pound senior starting tight end, his dad’s NFL position.

The quarterback is sophomore Trevor Knight (348 yards, four TDs passing in Sugar Bowl victory over AlaAP bama).

Oklahoma’s Blake Bell is STRONG moving from quarterback MESSAGE: to tight end this fall.

New Texas coach Charlie Strong has suspended three potential starters for at least the season opener, and maybe more games, while four other players

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have been dismissed for rules violations. The Longhorns are without a Big 12 title since 2009.

EARLY NEUTRAL TESTS: Oklahoma State plays its opener Aug. 30 against defending national champ Florida State and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston in Arlington, Texas. West Virginia plays Alabama in Atlanta the same day. It’s UCLA vs. Texas in Arlington for Week 3.

K-STATE COMEBACK: Kansas State was the defending Big 12 champ last year when it opened with a loss to FCS champion North Dakota State, part of a 2-4 start. The Wildcats then won six of their last seven games, including a bowl over Michigan.

DECADE IN CHARGE: Mike Gundy goes into his 10th season as Oklahoma State’s head coach, and 24th in Stillwater as a player or coach. “From a personal standpoint, I couldn’t be any more proud of who we are and the direction that we’re going,” said Gundy, 77-38 as head coach, including the 2011 Big 12 title and a second-place AP finish last year.

THIRD-TIME Oklahoma State coach CHARM?: TCU Mike Gundy says he likes (Mountain West) and his program’s direction.

West Virginia (Big East) were coming off consecutive conference titles when they joined the Big 12 in 2012. Both are since 11-14 overall and 6-12 in Big 12 games.

BOWL BOOST: Texas Tech was 7-0 under new coach and former QB Kliff Kingsbury before losing five in a row to the Big 12’s top five teams. “Our team learned how to handle adversity,” Kingsbury said. The Red Raiders then beat Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl.

WEIS WOES: Kansas has won only three Big 12 games the past five seasons, and is 4-20 overall (1-17 Big 12) under coach Charlie Weis. “We haven’t done a thing in the two years I’ve been here,” said Weis.

BISON VS. BIG 12: North Dakota State won its third FCS title in a row last season and opens this year at Iowa State, which lost its 2013 opener to FCS team Northern Iowa.

Let’s Go,

Let’s go, VIKINGS! Double S

AP

Defending champion Baylor and coach Art Briles will host home games in a new campus stadium.

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Football Preview

The Daily Nonpareil

Sunday, August 17, 2014

13F

Area schools getting ready for kickoff A-H-S-T-W

Coach: Davis Pattee, 3rd year Class, district: Class 1-A, District 1 Key returners: Seniors: Dylan Robinson, Lee Whyte. Juniors: Nate Herbst, Dustin Engel, Terry Shannon, Tameron McGurren.

2013 record: 12-1 (beat Guthrie Center 56-13 in first round of playoffs; beat Madrid 24-16 in second round; beat Audubon 38-14 in quarterfinals; lost to West Lyon 63-21 in semifinals) The Word: The Vikings turned in a terrific 2013 campaign, winHerbst ning three playoff games and reaching the UNI-Dome before bowing out to eventual champion West Lyon.

A-H-S-T-W moves up a class this year, into 1-A. Underwood and West Monona are the only district opponents which remain the same this season for the Vikings, as IKM-Manning, OA-BCIG, Missouri Valley and Treynor are all new.

Pattee graduated some talented seniors, but returns junior quarterback Nate Herbst, who completed 54 of 102 passes for 896 yards and 12 TDs with just two interceptions a year ago. Herbst also carried 138 times for 921 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also made 54 tackles and intercepted a team-high five passes.

Senior Dylan Robinson is the top returning tackler. He finished second on the team a year ago with 114 stops, including seven solo tackles for losses.

Boyer Valley

Coach: Jay Peterson, 13th year Class, district: Eight-Man, District 1 2013 record: 7-4 (beat Southwest Valley 44-25 in first round of playoffs; lost to Glidden-Ralston 38-14 in second round) Key returners: Seniors: Cody Thoreson, Calvan Wood, Reed Block.

The Word: It was a successful 2013 for the Bulldog program.

Boyer Valley made its fourth playoff appearance – all in the last six seasons – and won its second playoff game in school hisThoreson tory before bowing out in the second round.

Optimism is high again in Dunlap, as senior standouts Cody Thoreson, Calvan Wood and Reed Block return.

Thoreson accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense last year at quarterback. He completed 101 of 212 attempts for 1,482 yards and 19 TDs, and ran for another 527 and nine scores.

Thoreson’s top two targets were Wood and Block. Wood caught 46 passes for 774 yards and eight touchdowns. In terms of yardage, Wood is the second-leading returning Eight-Man receiver in the state.

Block caught 34 passes for 532 yards and 10 touchdowns, which makes him the 10th-leading returning receiver in Eight-Man. Defensively, the trio was Boyer Valley’s top three tacklers in 2013. Wood led the way with 131, followed by Block (119) and Thoreson (113). Block also had seven interceptions, with Thoreson and Wood grabbing four each.

The Bulldogs open at home on Aug. 29 with East Mills.

East Mills

Coach: Andy Irwin, 6th year Class, district: Eight-Man, District 8 2013 record: 8-3 (beat WoodwardGranger 20-0 in first round of Class A playoffs; lost to Audubon 24-0 in second round) Key returners: Seniors: Logan Currin, QB; Colton Story, OL/DL. Juniors: Daniel Smith, OL; Josh Hopkins, RB; Noah Richter, LB.

Pitt, OL-DE. Juniors: Riley Wohlers, RB. The Word: Aided by returning starting running backs Brady Charbonneau (651 rushing yards) and Riley Wohlers (477), Logan-Magnolia has experience on its side this season.

“This year we’re a veteran team, and when you have a veteran Charbonneau team it’s easier to coach,’’ Straight said. The Lo-Ma coach said he hopes that translates into getting more accomplished early in the year.

Straight said he hopes some of the older players will accept the challenge of being strong leaders.

Senior quarterback Colton Fisher could fill some of that leadership void. He was a part-time starter last year, throwing for 231 yards and three scores.

Straight said he thinks St. Albert, the opponent in the district opener in week three, will again be a contender. He said it could come down to which teams stay healthy.

Missouri Valley

File photo

A-H-S-T-W’s Dustin Engel, left, and the rest of the Vikings will try to make a return trip to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls in November. The Vikings fell in the Class A semifinals in 2013 but will move up to Class 1-A this fall.

The Word: After a short two-year stay in 11-man football, the Wolverines move back down to Eight-Man competition from Class A. “We’re pretty confident and we feel good about the move,” Irwin said.

Senior Logan Currin is back at quarterback, where he threw for 945 yards and 10 Currin scores last season.

Junior Josh Hopkins returns after rushing for 581 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Defensively, Hopkins is the top returning tackler after making 81 stops a year ago, including 13 solo stops for losses. Senior defensive lineman Colton Story ranked fourth in tackles a year ago with 73, including a whopping 20 solo tackles for losses.

East Mills has a big challenge in its season-opener, traveling on Aug. 29 to Boyer Valley, which returns several key players from last year’s squad that made the Eight-Man second round.

Fremont-Mills

Coach: Jeremy Christiansen, 11th year Class, district: Eight-Man, District 8 2013 record: 7-3 (lost to Coon Rapids-Bayard 32-24 in first round of playoffs) Key returners: Seniors: Spencer Phillips, Mackenzy Lang, Chris Goodman, Brandon Meston. Juniors: Colton Dodson, Tristan Melgoza The Word: The Knights are the rare high school football team that graduated no seniors Phillips from a highly successful team. Junior Jason Rusten is back at quarterback after throwing for 22 touchdowns with two INTs last year. Senior Spencer Phillips is back after rushing for 1,687 yards on 9.0 yards per carry and 17 TDs last year. On the defensive side, the Knights return top-three tacklers Spencer Phillips, Colton Dodson and Mackenzy Lang.

Phillips led the way with 143 tackles, including 58 solos. The Knights enjoy three of the first five contests from the comfort of home, but end the regular season on the road for three of the last four.

Glenwood

Coach: Cory Faust, 3rd year Class, district: Class 3-A, District 8 2013 record: 5-4 Key returners: Seniors: Dru Little, OL/DL; Brogan Weddum, WR/DB; Dane Kruse, WR/DB; Andrew Tilley, WR/ DB. Juniors: Quin Baker, OL/DL; Dan Schmitt, OL/DL; Carter VonEssen, LB/QB/RB. The Word: Glenwood is looking to continue the program’s forward momentum after a 5-4 season last year to follow Faust’s 3-6 camKruse paign in his first year. The Rams will build around four returning starters on both sides of the ball, and return some offensive line pieces. Junior guard Quin Baker started every game as a sophomore, while junior Dan Schmitt was a part-time starter at guard.

Faust likes his team’s improvement so far.

“The work ethic and commitment is improving,’’ he said. “I think we have more depth this year.”

Junior Carter VonEssen returns at linebacker, where he finished third on the team with 66 tackles last year. Senior safeties Andrew Tilley and Dane Kruse ranked fourth and fifth in tackles last year with 59 and 56, respectively, and 250-pound senior Dru Little, who started some both ways in the interior lines, was right behind with 39. They’ll be counted on heavily again.

Harlan

Coach: Curt Bladt, 37th year Class, district: Class 3-A, District 8 2013 record: 10-2 (beat Le Mars 20-14 in first round of playoffs; beat Carroll 21-18 in second round; lost to Sioux City Heelan 31-0 in quarterfinals) Key returners: Senior: Michael Sorfonden RB/LB. Juniors: Max Langenfeld OT, Will Lansman WR/DB, Sam McLaughlin TE, Travis Crees WR. The Word: The Cyclones are hoping that quality overcomes quantity this season, when it comes to their veterans. Only eight seniors are on this year’s squad, but legendary coach Bladt believes this could be another solid Harlan club.

“We have a lot of sophomores and juniors on this team. The eight seniors we have are quality seniors who have played a lot of minutes for us,” Bladt said.

On the offensive side of the ball, receivers Will Lansman and Travis Crees

are expected to get a heavy load of the passes, with tight end Sam McLaughlin also getting his share.

“Will and Sam were solid for us last year, and Travis has really improved this summer,” Bladt said.

Junior center Max Langenfeld Sorfonden will be the “QB of the offensive line,” according to the coaching staff. Defensively, only one of the top eight tacklers returns. Senior Michael Sorfonden is back after a standout 2013 season in which he compiled 134 tackles (31 solo) and a sack.

Logan-Magnolia

Coach: Matt Straight, 14th year Class, district: Class A, District 1 2013 record: 5-4 Key returners: Seniors: Colton Fisher, QB; Dillon Bonham, OL; Brady Charbonneau, RB; Drake Cohrs, LB; Ty

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Coach: Ryan Victor, 5th year Class, district: Class 1-A, District 1 2013 record: 0-9 Key returners: Seniors: Zane Harvey, LB; Reid Kirlin, OT/DL. Juniors: Justin Miller, S; Cody Weiskircher, OG/ DL; Marshall Stirtz, C/LB; Seth Jimmerson, OG/DL; Logan King, OT/DL; Garrett Mace, WR/CB; Jamey Ford, WR/CB; Winston Veatch, LB. The Word: Returning eight starters on offense and seven on defense, with only two of them being seniors, Missouri Valley will lean on its junior class for heavy production this year.

“The players have put in a tremendous amount of time and effort preparing for this Harvey season,” Victor said. “We bring back a lot of kids that played a lot of snaps for us.”

First-team all-district senior linebacker Zane Harvey, who has 142 career tackles, will return to lead the Big Reds. Leading rusher and receiver Justin Miller will also be back for his junior year after totaling 265 rushing yards and 415 receiving yards, including six touchdowns last year.

Victor said Missouri Valley will need to develop depth but adds there is great leadership on the team to help others improve.

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Football Preview

14F Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

SWI teams ready to open championship quest AREA/From Page 13F Riverside

Coach: Mitch Rice, 2nd year Class, district: Class A, District 1 2013 record: 5-5 (lost to Audubon 39-0 in first round of playoffs) Key returners: Seniors: Brad McGinnis, QB; Michael Pracht, OL. Juniors: Jonathan Gehrmann, OL; Brock Bentley, LB/FB. The Word: Riverside faces a big challenge after graduating 18 of its 22 starters. The young team’s sophomores and juniors will see significant playing time this season, including returning starter Brock Bentley, who will fill a void as a two-way starter at linebacker and fullback.

Quarterback Brad McGinnis shared snaps with graduated senior Tanner Ford last season as a junior, throwing for 294 yards and three TDs. McGinnis will take over the leadership role on offense as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs this year.

“We are young… a big weakness for us McGinnis is just experience,” Rice said. “We’ve got a group of kids that are really committed, though, and I think a big strength for us is going to be the fact that the young kids we have are going to be there and be willing to work and have bought into our system, which has helped us get back to where we need to be for this season.”

Rice said the realignment has placed the Bulldogs in a tough district, and said St. Albert is always a team to watch. He thinks Westwood, which returns 15 starters, could also make a move this year.

Treynor

Coach: Steve Owens, 21st year Class, district: Class 1-A, District 1 2013 record: 5-5 (lost to Van Meter 41-0 in first round of playoffs) Key returners: Seniors: Trey Robinson; Luke Schnepel; Mike Godfrey; Brody Hanson; Jakob Honig; Ben Laux.

The Word: The Cardinals look to veteran offensive and defensive linemen like Brody Hanson, Jakob Honig and Ben Laux this season to lead the way. Mike Godfrey, a returning starter at nose tackle, will be asked to step up and play on both sides of the ball this year.

Robinson “We are going

to have to be a team that really executes.

We’ll have to be able to sustain long drives because we don’t have that explosive (offense) that we’ve had in the past,” Owens said. “But I think I’m going to have really smart kids, kids that are going to give their whole heart and soul into the effort.”

Trey Robinson returns as starting quarterback for Treynor after battling back from a broken ankle that hindered him for a good portion of the season. He threw for 572 yards and ran for another 393.

Owens said he’s looking forward to watching his team mature and seeing who’s going to develop into the leaders.

Tri-Center

Coach: John Tiarks, 4th year Class, district: Class A, District 1 2013 record: 3-6 Key returners: Seniors: Nick Schnitker, WR/FS; Trey Whitfield, WB/CB; Brandon Jensen, OT/DT; Derek Nelson, TE/DE. Juniors: Adam McDermott, C/DT; Clayton Davis, OG/DT; Brody Barrier, OG/ LB; Matt Wellman, QB/FS. The Word: Several backs will be asked to fill all-stater Ben Wellman’s shoes, including Trey Whitfield, a 5-foot-8 senior who averaged over five yards per carry in limited action. Another player with some big-play potential is senior Nick Schnitker.

“I feel as though we will be overlooked this season with Wellman’s graduation,” Tiarks said. The Trojans return three offensive players out of the Wing-T, while the defense brings back four in the 5-3 scheme.

Junior Dillon Manhart and Schnitker will return to help the defense after combining for Schnitker 84 tackles.

“We are a big team in the lines, and I think if we stay healthy, we will be a playoff team,” Tiarks said.

The Trojans will play five home games, including the first two weeks against nondistrict rivals Underwood and A-H-S-T-W.

Underwood

Coach: Nate Mechaelsen, 1st year Class, district: Class 1-A, District 1 2013 record: 2-7 Key returners: Seniors: Justin Wilkins, OL/LB; Alex Wade, RB/DB; Greg Roush, OL. Juniors: John Schnack, RB/LB; Caleb Anderson, OL/DL; Jarrett Waters, RB/LB. The Word: The Eagle program will switch gears at the helm after elevating former assistant Mechaelsen. The 30-year-old Mechaelsen, a former Iowa State quarterback and three-sport standout at Northeast Hamilton, is excited for the challenge, especially with the young

File photo

Treynor senior Trey Robinson, shown throwing against pressure from St. Albert’s Jackson Scott-Brown, passed for 572 yards and ran for 393 last season. team he inherits.

“We have a lot of inexperience and youth on this year’s club, but with that, we also have a lot of athleticism and speed,” he said. “We graduated some beef from this past senior class, but that will give other kids opportunities to step up.”

The Eagles have a pair of candidates to run the ball in senior Alex Wade and junior John Schnack.

They combined for nearly 500 yards in spot duty.

On the defensive end, senior Justin Wilkins and junior Jarrett Waters Wilkins look to improve from last year’s success. Wilkins finished third on the team with 64 tackles, while Waters was fifth with 41.

The Eagles’ district was shaken up a bit this season, with IKM-Manning and OA-BCIG joining the fray, but they will still play traditional foes Tri-Center and

Logan-Magnolia to start the season in non-district action.

West Harrison

Coach: Craig Birdsall 6th year Class, district: Eight-Man, District 1 2013 record: 5-4 Key returners: Gavin Armstrong, RB/ LB; Dustin Peasley, OL/DL; Dalton Pospisil, RB/LB; Cody Niewohner, OL/DL. The Word: Though West Harrison just missed out on its first playoff appearance last year, the scenery has changed a bit this season. The Hawkeyes are now in District 1, with new foes Newell-Fonda, River Valley and Kingsley-Pierson, along with standbys Exira-EHK, Boyer Valley, Ar-We-Va and Woodbine.

“Going into a new district, everything is up in the air,” Birdsall said.

West Harrison graduated a talented senior class. Birdsall is looking for new players to step into those voids.

“Guys need to step it up and fill up some holes from last year,” he said.

With 26 or 27 players in the program, maintaining overall team health is at a

premium.

“We can’t afford to lose anybody,” Birdsall said.

Offensively, two of the leaders are expected to be junior running backs Gavin Armstrong and Dalton Pospisil. Pospisil ran for 281 yards last year. The Peasley offensive line will be anchored by seniors Dustin Peasley and Cody Niewohner.

Armstrong at linebacker and Peasley in the interior line are expected to be two of the defensive leaders. They both had 83 tackles last season. Niewohner also gained valuable experience in the defensive line last year.

West Harrison opens at home on Aug. 29th against Sidney.

“We have some talent,’’ Birdsall said.

“It’s just all about improving week to

week.”

Woodbine

Coach: Dustin Crook, 1st year Class, district: Eight-Man, District 1 2013 record: 0-9 Key returners: Senior Gabe Shafer.

Juniors: Kevin Lee, Mike Barrett.

The Word: Crook begins his first year with some challenges. With only 15 boys out for football this year, the Tigers will have little to no depth. The key this season seems to be keeping everybody healthy.

Despite the lack of numbers, Woodbine looks to make some progress.

“We hope to get a win in this tough district,” Crook said.

Woodbine will also be entering District 7 in Eight-Man football. They have new opponents in Newell-Fonda, River Valley and Kingsley-Pierson, to go with holdovers Exira-EHK, Boyer Valley, ArWe-Va and West Harrison.

The Tigers will look to senior running back Gabe Shafer this season. He rushed for 451 yards last season on 90 carries.

Another key returner will be junior Kevin Lee, who had 64 tackles last year.

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