Honorable Mention
Dominik Kistler- South Central Calhoun- Sr
The senior averaged 6.1 yards per carry in the running game with 5 rushing touchdowns. He added 5 catches for 77-yards. Kistler added 18.5 tackles on defense with 12 of those solo along with 4.5 tackles for a loss.
Chance Roeder- South Central Calhoun- Sr
Roeder had another good year for the Titans, finishing with 38.5 tackles with 24 of those solo, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He recovered one fumble. Offensively he averaged 6-yards per carry on 6 carries.
Naylan Gulbranson- South Central Calhoun- Jr
Gulbranson was solid on defense, helping up front, finishing with 39.5 tackles with 19 solo and 5 tackles for loss. He helped the offense run for 1,168-yards and pass for 1,731-yards. The Titans scored 40 touchdowns this season.
Gavin Batta- South Central Calhoun- Jr
The junior passed for 13 touchdowns and 1,577-yards, completing 55.6% of his passes. He added 3 rushing touchdowns. Defensively Batta had 12.5 tackles with 11 solo tackles and 2 interceptions which he returned for 45-yards.
Ben Ramsey- IKM-Manning- Freshman
Ramsey was one of the top defenders for the Wolves this season, finishing with 43.5 tackles, with 25 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss and a sack. He recovered a fumble and made an interception, returning it for 30-yards. He scored 1 rushing touchdown on 5 carries this season.
Ben Langel- IKM-Manning- Sophomore
Langel was the leading rusher for the Wolves this season with 473-yards and 5 touchdowns, 2nd on the team. He averaged 5.1-yards per carry. Langel had 13.5 tackles with 7 solo with 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
Cooper Irlmeier- IKM-Manning- Senior
The senior led the Wolves with 470-yards rushing along with a team high 9 rushing touchdowns. He also led the team with 15 catches for 181-yards and a pair of touchdowns. Irlmeier was just as good on defense with 48 tackles, 28 solo and 3.5 tackles for a loss. He added 2 interceptions. He returned a kick 81-yards for a touchdown.
Emmett Snyder- Glidden Ralston- Jr
Snyder averaged 6-yards per carry, rushing with 1 rushing touchdown. He averaged 5 catches for 63-yards and a touchdown. Emmett finished with 38 tackles, 24 of them solo. He recovered 1 fumble and made 2 interceptions.
Alex Daniel- Glidden Ralston- Freshman
Daniel was tough running the ball, averaging 8.1-yards per carry, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns. He added a pair of catches for 36-yards. On defense he had 29.5 tackles, 18 solo with 4 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks.
Charlie Veit- East Sac- Junior
Veit was 2nd on the team in rushing touchdowns and was 3rd on the team in rushing yards. He had a team high 16 catches for 98-yards. Defensively he added 35 tackles with 31 solo tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Veit made a pair of interceptions, returned 18 kickoffs and had 4 punt returns.
Wyatt Oswald- Coon Rapids Bayard- Sophomore
Oswald was good on both sides of the ball, throwing for 577-yards with 7 touchdowns. He added 88 carries for 360-yards with 6 rushing touchdowns. Oswald added 34 tackles with 15 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He recovered one fumble.
Omarion Floyd- Coon Rapids Bayard- Junior
Floyd had 54 carries for 378-yards with 4 touchdowns, averaging 7-yards per carry. He caught 1 pass for 27-yards. Floyd added 40 tackles on defense with 25 solo tackles and 3 tackles for a loss. He recovered one fumble. He added a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and averaged 23.4-yards per punt return.
Jack White- Carroll- Senior
White was a big part of the Tigers success offensively, having the ability to make audibles at the line of scrimmage. He ran for 4 touchdowns while directing an offense that finished with 1,914-yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. He added 751-yards passing with 7 touchdowns. He had one interception in limited time on defense.
Evan Alt- Audubon- Junior
The junior had 7 rushing touchdowns while averaging 6.5-yards per carry. He caught 7 passes with 2 going for touchdowns. He made a huge impact on defense, finishing with 44.5 tackles, 30 of those solo with 4.5 tackles for a loss. Alt averaged 11.5-yards per kick return.
Emmett Neumann- Ar-We-Va- Junior
Ar-We-Va was explosive on offense and the offensive line was part of their success. Neumann was a main cog of the line that allowed the team to pass for 869-yards and rush for 1,055-yards and score 22 touchdowns total. He added 20 tackles with 4 tackles for a loss with 1 sack.
Devon Ehlers- Ar-We-Va- Freshman
He was 2nd on the team with 40 tackles including 21 solo, 8.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He added 5 catches as a tight end with 2 touchdowns. His blocking helped the team rush for 1,055-yards and pass for 869-yards. They scored 12 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns.
2nd Team Defense
Punter
Chris Mohr- Kuemper- Senior
The senior was one of the top punters in the area this season, averaging 35.8-yards per punt on 21 punting attempts.
Defensive Backs
Wyatt Ragaller- Ar-We-Va- Freshman
Wyatt had 31 tackles this season with 20 solo tackles. He added 3 interceptions for 99-yards and took one of them back for a touchdown. Ragaller was one of the hardest hitting defensive backs this season.
Manny Beisswenger- Audubon- Senior
Beisswenger had a great season on defense, ranking 2nd on the team with 57.5 tackles with 39 of them solo. He added 1.5 tackles for a loss. Manny was very good in coverage, making it tough for opposing receivers to get open.
Linebackers
Luke Wernimont- East Sac- Junior
He ranked 2nd on the Raiders with 48 tackles, with the most impressive number being 40 solo tackles. He added 9 tackles for a loss. Wernimont added a pair of interceptions.
Logan Sibenaller- Kuemper- Senior
Sibenallar played banged up for part of the season but was still effective. His presence on the field made the defense better. He ended the year with 34.5 tackles, 19 of those were solo along with 3 tackles for a loss.
Wade Ragaller- Ar-We-Va- Sophomore
Wade led the Rockets in tackles with 47, 20 of those were solo to go with 7 tackles for a loss and a sack. He had an interception which he returned 32-yards for a touchdown. Ragaller had one of the team’s 7 fumble recoveries.
Taidyn Peterson- Carroll- Sophomore
He stepped in as a linebacker for the Tigers and looked like he belonged right away. Peterson brought a physicality with his athleticism, helping him finish with 48.5 tackles, with 27 solo and 9 tackles for a loss.
Payton Wardell- Carroll- Junior
Wardell was part of the Tigers outstanding linebacking crew, finishing with 43 tackles, 27 solo tackles, 9 tackles for a loss and a pair of sacks. He also recovered a fumble.
Defensive Line
Lance Clayburg- Coon Rapids Bayard- Senior
Clayburg wrapped up a great career, battling through an injury at the end of the season that limited him. He finished the season with 44.5 tackles with 32 of them solo. He had 14 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He returned 2 of his 3 fumble recoveries for touchdowns with one going 45-yards. He added an interception.
Cooper Nielsen- Audubon- Senior
Nielsen played banged up most of the season and was still able to finish the season with 46 tackles. 24 of them were solo along with 11.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. He wrapped up a terrific career with an outstanding senior season, helping lead an inexperienced team.
Nolan Kerkhoff- IKM-Manning- Junior
Kerkhoff was one of the most consistent Wolves this season, finishing 2nd on the team in tackles with 44.5. He had 22 solo tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss and made 3 sacks. He will play a huge role for them next season.
Kyler Eischeid- Glidden Ralston- Senior
Eischeid did exactly what his job was this season for Glidden Ralston. He ate up blocks up front, allowing his teammates to make plays. Eischeid was a physical presence up front, finishing with 13.5 tackles, 8 solo with 4 tackles for a loss and a sack. He pounced on a pair of fumbles, returning 1 of them 20-yards for a touchdown.
2nd Team Offense
Kicker
Justin Hanks- South Central Calhoun- Senior
The senior finished off a very good career kicking the ball with another solid season. He kicked a pair of kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. Adding 30 extra points on 35 attempts.
Wide Receivers
Cal Heydon- Coon Rapids Bayard- Freshman
Heydon became a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses late in the season. He was very good using his length to go up and make catches, helping him turn 10 catches into 5 touchdowns while averaging 24.6-yards per catch. His longest touchdown was from 50-yards. He added 5.6-yards per carry with 1 rushing touchdown.
Ben Gerken- Kuemper- Junior
He was a touchdown making machine for most of the season, making 6 touchdown catches on his first 7 receptions. He finished the season with 15 catches for 7 touchdowns, averaging 20.9-yards per catch. He was good on the deep ball but could make catches in traffic as well.
Running Backs
Wade Ragaller- Ar-We-Va- Sophomore
Wade was a big weapon for the Rockets in the run and pass game. He missed time late in the season with an injury but was still able to run for 6.5 yards per carry. He finished the season with 512-yards rushing with 5 touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 291-yards and 5 more touchdowns.
Lance Clayburg- Coon Rapids Bayard- Senior
He did a little of everything for the Crusaders offense this season. Leading them in rushing with 763-yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He caught 11 passes for 187-yards and 3 more touchdowns. He added 87-yards passing and threw 2 touchdown passes in 8 attempts.
Cooper Ludwig- Carroll- Junior
Ludwig was part of an outstanding rushing attack for the Tigers, finishing with 552-yards and 7 touchdowns including a team leading 63-yard scamper. He averaged 5.3-yards per carry. He was very good as a lead blocker when he didn’t carry the ball and didn’t shy away from contact.
Quarterback
Aaron Olsen- Audubon- Sophomore
Olsen was a huge weapon for the Wheelers and at times carried their offense. He ran for 1,159 yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging 4.8-yards per carry. He threw for another 641-yards with 8 more touchdowns. He was 1,800 of the team’s 2,669-yards.
Offensive Line
Edward Miller- Audubon- Junior
Miller played tight end and helped the Wheelers have a solid running game, rushing for 1,998-yards as a team and passing for 671-yards. He was a solid blocker while also being a good receiver. He turned into a threat for them as the season went on, catching 13 passes for 230-yards and 6 touchdowns.
Luke Wernimont- East Sac- Junior
Wernimont was a bright spot up front for the Raiders, helping them rush for 715-yards this season. He will be a guy they can build around in the future and provided good leadership this season for a team that was young and still made the playoffs.
Jackson Sklenar- Glidden Ralston- Senior
Sklenar played a little bit of everywhere for the Wildcats offense, seeing time up front and in the backfield. He helped them average 4.8-yards per carry, finishing with 1,239-yards. The offense got better and more physical as the season went on. Jackson added 37 rushes for 142-yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Nolan Kerkhoff- Glidden Ralston- Junior
Kerkhoff became the leader of a young, inexperienced group up front, helping them grow as the season progressed. They would finish with 1,384-yards rushing for a 4.4 yards per carry average. They added 698-yards passing. Kerkhoff is a physical player that has good feet.
Tyler Mohr- Coon Rapids Bayard- Sophomore
Mohr was young but quickly became a leader up front, becoming a guy the Crusaders could run behind. With him blocking up front, they were able to average 6.0-yards per carry, finishing with 1,853-yards rushing. They added another 829-yards passing, thanks in part to the guy’s up front.
1st Team Defense
Punter
Bryan Steig- South Central Calhoun- Senior
Steig finished as the top punter in the local area for yards per punt, averaging 38.4-yards per punt on 19 punts this season. He helped the Titans have a solid punt unit.
Defensive Backs
DJ Vonnahme- Kuemper- Junior
DJ used his knowledge of the quarterback position to play a great safety position, oftentimes getting a better break on the pass than the intended receiver. He finished the season with 4 interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown. He had numerous pass deflections. He added 14 tackles in run support with 7 of them solo.
Ethan Olberding- Glidden Ralston- Senior
Olberding was as good as we had in the area this year in the defensive backfield. He led the area with 6 interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown. His 38 tackles tied for the team lead with 29 of them solo.
Linebackers
Gavin Larsen- Audubon- Senior
Larsen finished off an outstanding career with a great senior season, leading the Wheelers with 59.5 tackles with 37 of them solo. He added 2 tackles for a loss. Larsen was a physical presence at linebacker and offenses had to get to him quickly or he would make the tackle.
Karter Ludwig- East Sac- Junior
Ludwig continues to be one of the elite defensive players in the area, having another outstanding season. He led the area teams with 78.5 tackles with 65 of those solo. He is tough for offensive lineman to get to, using great instincts to garner 13.5 tackles for a loss and one sack.
Max Pietig- Kuemper- Senior
Pietig was part of a tough and deep Knights linebacking crew. He finished an outstanding season with 47 tackles with 25 of them solo. He added 8.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Pietig was a good physical presence, making it tough for teams to run the ball against the Knights this season.
Chris Mohr- Kuemper- Senior
As we mentioned with Pietig, the Knights were loaded with guys that were talented at linebacker. Mohr was part of that group, using great speed and physicality to make 48.5 tackles with 32 solo tackles and 8.5 tackles for a loss. He added a pair of sacks. He picked off 2 passes returning both for touchdowns and recovered a fumble.
Cooper Ludwig- Carroll- Junior
One of the surest tacklers in the area and finds ways to get to the ball carrier. Ludwig had 49 tackles this season with 34 of those solo. He added 8.5 tackles for a loss along with making 1.5 sacks. His aggressive play, fits the Tigers defensive mentality, helping Carroll have one of the best defenses in the area.
Defensive Line
Colton Wieland- Carroll- Senior
Wieland didn’t make a bunch of tackles this season, but that wasn’t his job. He ate up blockers at the line of scrimmage, allowing his 5 linebackers to find seams and make plays unblocked. Colton was exactly the physical presence Carroll needed up front. He had 15 tackles with 12 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks.
Dominick Sims- Carroll- Senior
Sims gave Carroll a great pressure player on the edge, helping the Tigers defense keep opposing running games from getting outside. He was good at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, finishing with 3 sacks and 6 tackles for a loss. Sims had 20.5 tackles with 15 of them solo.
Evan Adams- Kuemper- Junior
Adams continued a strong start to his career with another big campaign for the Knights, helping them reach the round of 16 this season. Adams had 38.5 tackles with 17 solo tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and 3 sacks. He played his best games in the Knights biggest games of the season. He recovered a pair of fumbles.
Defensive Line and Defensive Player of the Year
Will Healy- Kuemper- Senior
Healy was really good for Kuemper this season as the Knights defense made it really tough on opponents run and pass games. He was a physical guy up front, eating up blocks, while also making plays himself. Healy has 52.5 tackles with 32 of them solo. Healy lived in opponents’ backfields, making 16.5 tackles for a loss, along with having an area high 6.5 sacks.
1st Team Offense
Kicker
Tommy Fitzsimmons- Kuemper- Junior
He was perfect this season, making all 47 of his PAT’s. Fitzsimmons was nearly perfect on field goals, hitting 3 of his 4 attempts with a long of 34-yards. He wasn’t just good, kicking the ball over a goal post. He was a weapon in the kick game with 10 touchbacks on 64 attempts along with having a really strong bloop kick towards the sidelines.
Wide Receivers
Wyatt Ragaller- Ar-We-Va- Freshman
Wyatt broke onto the scene as a freshman, giving Ar-We-Va a lot of hope for the future. His speed and quickness, along with being able to make defenders miss makes him a threat on every play. He led the Rockets with 30 catches this season for 313-yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 74-yarder. He also carried the ball for 518-yards and 7 more touchdowns including a long of 65-yards. He scored on a 75-yard kick return this season while adding a 40-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Keegan Soard- South Central Calhoun- Junior
Soard had a fantastic season for the Titans, giving them a deep threat in the passing game. His ability to take the top of a defense will benefit them again next year. Soard caught 33 passes this season for 780-yards and 9 touchdowns including a 82-yard bomb. He averaged 23.6-yards per reception. He ran the ball one time for 16-yards.
Trevor Rial- Kuemper- Senior
Rial concluded an outstanding career with another great year catching the ball for the Knights. He runs routes so well that always seems to get open. That helped him finish the season with 22 catches for 307-yards and a team high 8 touchdowns. His longest this season was 33-yards. He knows how to work the sidelines but is also fearless going across the middle. He ran the ball twice, averaging 15-yards per carry.
Running Backs
Taye Vonnahme- Kuemper- Senior
The senior had maybe the best season of his career, after battling injuries last season, he came back to lead the Knights with 10 touchdowns this season. He averaged 8.6-yards per carry, giving them a physical runner inside but also having the ability to pop the ball to the outside. He had 527-yards rushing to go with 126-yards receiving on 9 catches. Taye was dangerous once he got into the secondary.
Reece Ziegmann- Carroll-Sophomore
What a year the sophomore had, leading a talented Tigers backfield in rushing with 122 carries and 846-yards rushing. He was outstanding getting to the edge and quickly turning it up field while growing as a runner between the tackles. Ziegmann ended the year with a team high 8 touchdowns with a long of 55-yards. He was a threat in the passing game as well with 14 catches, a team high for 176-yards and 2 more touchdowns including a 38-yarder.
Offensive Line
Colton Wieland- Carroll- Senior
Wieland came into the season as one of the elite linemen in the area and lived up to those expectations. He gave the Tigers a great leader on a line that started up to 3 freshmen at times this season. He was a force, helping them develop the run game they needed to be successful, finishing the year 5-4. Carroll relied on the run game, finishing with 1,914-yards and a 5.6-yard per carry average. They scored 23 rushing touchdowns. They added 751-yard through the air.
Bryan Steig- South Central Calhoun- Senior
Steig took his game to another level as a senior, providing great pass protection for a Titans offense that had good success throwing the ball. He was the leader on a line that entered the season without much experience and helped them grow as the season went on, playing their best at the end of the year. South Central Calhoun passed for 1,731 yards with 15 touchdowns this season while rushing for 1,168-yards and 25 more scores.
Cooper Nielsen- Audubon- Senior
The Wheelers knew they would need a big year from Nielsen with a young team this year and he did his job very well. He helped clear running lanes for the Wheelers run game that amassed 1,998-yards rushing, averaging 5.3-yards per carry. They scored 37 rushing touchdowns this season, seeming to get several big scoring plays every game. With the success of the guys blocking up front in the run game, the Wheelers didn’t have to throw much but finished with 671-yards and 9 touchdowns through the air.
Connor Hays- Kuemper- Senior
Hays was outstanding at center this season, helping an offensive line that became one of the very best in the area, allowing them to have big success on offense. The Knights were physical up front, establishing a run game while also giving them time to look down field in the passing game. The Knights finished the season throwing for 1,718-yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing the ball for 1,950-yards and another 24 touchdowns.
Evan Adams- Kuemper- Junior
Adams was really good on both sides of the ball this season and the Knights used his great footwork to get in behind for some of their biggest runs of the season. They averaged 7-yards per carry in the run game with their top 4 ball carriers all averaging over 6.5 yards per carry. They also averaged 16.4-yards per catch in the pass game, meaning they had time to attack downfield, thanks to the work of the guy’s up front.
Quarterback and Offensive Player of the Year
DJ Vonnahme- Kuemper- Junior
Opposing teams will be concerned next season after watching what this young man was able to accomplish this season. He helped their offense become next level, using great athleticism to go with his 6-4, 204-pound frame. He was tough for even defensive lineman to tackle, let alone the secondary when he decided to run. His ability to extend plays helped the Knights consistently attack down the field in the pass game and his accuracy led to 20 touchdown passes while only throwing 3 interceptions. Vonnhame finished with 1,339-yards passing, averaging 15.2-yards per reception. He added another 380-yards on the ground with 9 more touchdowns.
Coach of the Year
Ryan Steinkamp- Kuemper
Steinkamp returned the Knights to one of the powers in Western Iowa this season, in his 3rd year at the helm. The Knights started the season strong and got better every week, avenging several losses from last season. They swept through the non-district schedule beating LoMa, Atlantic and Greene County (who was ranked in the top 5 in Class 2A). All of those teams either made the playoffs or were in the hunt at the end of the season. They cruised through the district, moving up the rankings, getting as high as number 4, setting up a district title game with 3rd ranked Underwood. Kuemper led in the 3rd quarter, giving the Eagles their toughest game of the season heading into the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Kuemper picked up a win in the playoffs before ending their season 8-2.
