#Liiveblog 2 of IC West @ WDM Valley

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Start of 2nd Quarter: Valley 7 IC West 0

ICW will have the ball on their own 46, 3rd and 8. Bleil pass to Koch is complete. Gain of 13 for 1st down.

1/10, V43: Bleil handoff to Dowell. Tackle by Vertin. Gain of 5.

2/5, V38: Delay of game on ICW, will be 2/10, ball on V43

2/10, V43: Bleil pass to Doyle, gain of 19.

1/10, V24, ICW fumbles ball, Valley recovers. Valley start drive on own 21.

1/10, V21, Gray run, gain of 11, for first down.

1/10, V35: Gray run, fumbled, recovered by Valley. maintain possession.

2/8, V37: Lombardi sacked by Milani, loss of 7.

3/15, V30: Lombardi scrambles up field, gain of 14.

4/1, V44: Gray run picks up 1st down, gain of 4

1/10, V48: Gray run, cuts up field, Milani trips him up, gain of 19.

1/10, W29: Lombardi fakes handoff and runs for a first down, tackle by Adcock, gain of 20.

1/G, W9, Valley run, gain of 3

2/G, W6: Gray run, tackled by Yoerger, gain of 2

3/G, W4: Lombardi pass to Carlo Marble for 4-yd TD. PAT good. Valley 14  IC West 0, 5:47 left in 2Q. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yds

KICKOFF – VALLEY

City West ball to start drive on own 16.

1/10, W16: Bleil pass to Martin, tackle by Huinker, gain of 6

2/4, W20:

2/11, W25: Bleil pass intercepted by Dan McCoy. McCoy tackled at W17. Valley ball

1/10, W17: Drew Gray run for 17-yd TD. PAT good, Valley 21  IC West 0, 4:00 left in 2Q.  Drive: 1 play, 17 yds

KICKOFF – VALLEY

Tyler Eads KO return, tackled at W27.

1/10, W27: Bleil pass overthrown, incomplete

2/10, W27: Dowell run, loss of 1

3/11, W26: Bleil pass incomplete. Penalty on play.

4/11, W26: City West punts to Valley. Ball on W30

1/10, W30: Lombardi pass intercepted by Oliver Martin of ICW. Ball on W20, Trojans ball. 2:52 left in 2Q

1/10, W20: Timeout, ICW. Eads run, tackled out of bounds. PF-Valley. Gain of 5, tack on 15.

1/10, W40:  Illegal procedure on ICW. 5 yd penalty

1/15, W35: Dowell run, gain of 1.

2/13, W37: Bleil pass to Martin complete, gain of 21.

1/10, V42: Bleil sacked by Walsh. Loss of 6.

2/16, V48: pass incomplete

3/18, V49: Bleil pass caught by Eads, but out of bounds. Incomplete.

4/18, V49: ICW punts. Dafney with punt ret. Penalty on play. Holding against Valley.

1/10, V13: Drew Gray run, tackled by Martin. Gain of 28, 1:15 left in 2Q

1/10, V42, Lombardi pass to Dafney incomplete

2/10, V42: Penalty on play. Penalty on Tigers.

2/15, V37: Lombardi pass incomplete, broken up by Conner Greene

3/15, V37: Gray run, tackle by Koch, gain of 19. Timeout Valley. :50 left before halftime.

1/10, w44: Lombardi pass to Salsbury incomplete

2/10, W44: pass inc. Penalty, illegal receiver down field on Valley.

3/18, V48: Lombadi sacked.

4/8, W42: Lombardi pass to Dafney complete. Ball on 14, gain of 29

1/10, W14: Gain of 5 for Gray

2/5, W9: Hahn FG attempt from 26 yds is good. Valley 24  IC West 0, :03 left before halftime.  Drive: 

HALFTIME: VALLEY TIGERS 24  IC WEST TROJANS 0

START OF THE 2ND HALF. CITY WEST BALL ON OWN 22.

1/10 w23: Bleil pass to Martin, gain of 6

2/4, W29: Bleil pass to Martin, gain of 4 for 1st down

1/10 W33: Bleil pass to Eads incomplete

2/10 W33: Bleil tucks it and run, gain of 5

3/5 W38:

2/13 V43: Bleil to Martin complete, gain of 2

3/11, V41: Bleil scrambles down sideline. Penalty on ICW.

3/29 W39: Bleil pass intercepted by Keller Prien. Valley ball on V39

1/10 V39: Gray tackled behind line of scrimmage. Penalty on play. Offsetting PFs.

2/12 V41: Lombardi pass to Hronich incomplete

3/12 V41: Lombardi pass for Salsbury incomplete

4/12 V41: Valley punts. City West downs ball at own 16

1/10 W16: Bleil pass to Xavier Koch complete, gain of 5

2/15 W21: Penalty, defensive offsides, Valley.

1/10, W26: Dowell run, tackled in backfield, no gain

2/10, W26: Bleil scrambles and tackled by Prien, gain of 1

3/9, W27: Bleil run, tackled by Turner Scott. Gain of 1

4/8 W29: City West punts.

1/10 V37: Lombardi pass to Glinecki complete, gain of

1/10 W30: Lombardi to Dafney complete, gain of 21

1/G W9: Lombardi pass to Dafney incomplete

2/G W9: Gray run, tackled by Milani, loss of 2

3/G, W11: Lombardi pass to Quinton Curry incomplete.

4/G W11: Cole Hahn 29-yd FG is good. Valley 27  IC West 0 3:39 left in 3Q. Drive: 

 

Start of 4th Quarter: City West ball on own 46.

4/8 W46: City West punts. Ball downed by Prien. Penalty on Valley, illegal use of hands. Tigers start drive at own 10

1/10 V10: Gray run, gain of 9

2/1 V19: Salsbury run, tackled by Hicks, gain of

_________________________________________

Carlo Marble 48-yd reception from Lombardi

1/10 W16 : Gray run, gain of 6

2/4 W10: Lombardi pass intercepted by Tyler Eads of ICW

3/5 W6: Bleil pass to Conner Greene complete, gain of 63

1/10 V32: Eads run, gain of 2

2/8 V30: Bleil to Martin pass incomplete, out of bounds

3/8 V30: Bleil pass to Martin complete, gain of 5.

4/3 V25: Bleil to Martin pass complete, gain of 9

1/10 V16: Hicks run, gain of 7

2/3 V9: Bleil pass incomplete, penalty on Valley – DPI.

1/G V5: Koch run up middle, gain of 3

2/G V2: Bleil sneak, tackled, gain of 1

3/G V1: Bleil 1 yd TD sneak. PAT no good. Valley 27 IC West 6, 2:55 left in 4Q. Drive:  97 yds

 

FINAL: VALLEY 27 IC WEST 6

#Liveblog of IC West @ Valley

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Chronological order from top to bottom (most recent will be at the bottom).

7:34pm

Hello everyone!  It’s a cool Friday night across the land between two rivers (Iowa).

The warmups have been completed, final instructions are being given. Kickoff is in a few minutes, as a tunnel has been formed to welcome Valley out of their locker rooms.

7:39 pm

Valley will receive and will start 1-10 at their own 20. Rocky Lombardi is the starting QB.

Handoff to Drew Gray and he’s stopped by Dowell for no gain.

7: 40pm

2-10 at the V20, Lombardi pass complete for gain of 7.

3-and-3 at V27, Handoff to Gray. Tackle by Koch. Pickup of 3 for the first down.

7:42pm

1-and-10 at V30 for Valley, handoff to Gray for +18. 1st down Tigers, ball on V48.

7:43 Gray handoff for a 1st down run. Ball now on CW48. Valley runs again for a 1st down, ball on CW30.

2-nd-1 from V21: Gray run, Yoerger with the tackle, gain of 8, ball on CW13.

1-10 on CW13: Gray run, gain of 5.

2-5 CW8, Gray run, gain of 1

3-1 CW4, Gray run for a 4-yd TD run. 6:56 remaining in 1Q. PAT by Hahn is good. Valley 7  City West 0 Drive: 11 plays, 80 yds

__________________________

City West ball on V34, 2-and-10, Bleil pass complete, gain of 5.

3-and-5, V29, Bleil is tackled for a loss, penalty on play. Chop block on Trojans, penalty declined, City West goes for it on 4th.

4-and-8, V32: Bleil pass to Martin incomplete. Trojans turn ball over on downs.

Week 2: CenturyLink Game of the Week: Iowa City West @ WDM Valley

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Valley_Tigers_logo ICWest_Trojans_logo

Last week, one team got a last-minute win…the other team was outplayed. On Friday, one team looks to shrug off a slow start, and one team looks to even up their record with some home cooking.

Your Century Link Game of the Week this Friday returns to Valley Stadium as Iowa City West (1-0) faces West Des Moines Valley (0-1) in another big Class 4A east vs. west non-district showdown.

Valley opened the season at Waukee. Though both teams mirrored each other statistically, two Tigers interceptions and mustering two field goals proved to be Valley’s undoing, falling to the Warriors, 28-6. In his first start at quarterback, Rocky Lombardi completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 154 yards and was picked off once. Returning starting running back Drew Gray shouldered the rushing game load for 16 carries for 117 yards, and wide receiver Dominique Dafney hauled in 8 catches for 86 yards, even after an awkward landing after a catch on his neck.

The Trojans of Iowa City West, on the other hand, were on their way to losing their home opener to Cedar Rapids Kennedy. With 1:59 left in regulation, West quarterback Aaron Bleil’s 4th-and-15 pass to Gabe Huniker for a 33-yard touchdown gave the Trojans a 12-9 win over the Cougars. Bleil was 15-31 for 201 yards and had a rushing touchdown in the Trojans first score of the night. Oliver Martin caught 7 receptions for 106 yards to spark the West offense, as the rushing game sputtered.

Who: Iowa City West (1-0) at West Des Moines Valley (0-1)

Where: Valley Stadium, West Des Moines

When: Friday, September 5th, 7:30pm kickoff

The Facts: Iowa City West escaped with a 12-9 win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy, after a 4th down touchdown pass from Aaron Bleil to Gabe Huniker. Valley fell to Waukee, 28-6, only mustering two field goals and having two passes intercepted by Waukee’s defense.

Things to watch:

  • Will West mix up their defense to confuse Valley QB Rocky Lombardi?
  • Can the Trojans play all 4 quarters?
  • Will Valley’s sophomores step up and make a difference?
  • Will the injuries hamper the Tigers?

Valley – Project Starting Lineups

Offensive starters – QB Rocky Lombardi, RB Drew Gray and Austin Koch, WR Dominique Dafney and Austin Hronich, TE John Gliniecki, T Cody Genzen and Sam Rogers, G John Rairdon and Zachary Matt, C Brady Smith

Defensive starters – NG Trey Walsh, DT Dan McCoy, Caleb Herrick, and JC Yates, RE Austin Turner, CB Matt Vertin and Noah Barr, LB Zach Downs and Ben Campos, S Gabe Honnold and Keller Prien

Special Teams – P Zach Downs, K Cole Hahn

Iowa City West – Projected Lineups

Offensive starters – QB Aaron Bleil, FB Mason Koch, TB, Kevin Dowell, WR Oliver Martin and Tyler Eads, TE Conner Greene, T Alex Kleinow and Carter Parker, G Blake Moser and Logan Stevens, C Mitch Boxwell

Defensive starters – DL Kevin Dowell, Blake Moser, Mitch Yoerger, and Chase Blatz, LB Conner Greene, Mason Koch, and Xavier Koch, C Tyler Eads and Gabe Huinker, SS John Milani, FS Oliver Martin

We will have a live blog of the game (Twitter hashtag #CISNliveblog). Check in to see any story lines develop and stats as they become available, and we’ll keep you updated on other happenings as the night progresses.

Paul Yeager, Keith Borness, and Jim Kirby will have the call of the game. Follow us on Twitter @CISportsNet

Our Audio Game of the Week, presented by Scheels, will be Des Moines Roosevelt (1-0) @ Ankeny Centennial (1-0), with Dar Danielson doing the play-by-play on CISN.  As an added bonus, our partners at High School Cube will have the live online stream of  #2 Waukee (1-0) at Southeast Polk (0-1).

 

Scheels_logo CenturyLink_logo

 

CISN Game Plan – September 5, 2014

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Another East/West match up leads our coverage on Central Iowa Sports Network and again Valley Stadium is the host for this new twist on 4A football in Iowa.

The 1-0 Iowa City West Trojans head west on I-80 for a battle with 0-1 West Des Moines Valley. The Tigers dropped their opener to Waukee Friday night in our inaugural CISN Audio Game of the Week, 28-6. The Trojans topped Cedar Rapids Kennedy 12-9.

Paul Yeager will have the play-by-play with Keith Borness on color commentary. Jim Kirby will patrol the sidelines for the webcast that begins at 7p on CentralIowaSportsNetwork.com.

Our audio game will be at Ankeny Stadium as Centennial plays host to Des Moines Roosevelt. Dar Danielsen has the call beginning at 7. Both teams enter the game with a 1-0 record.

As an added bonus, our partners at High School Cube will have the live online stream of  #2 Waukee (1-0) at Southeast Polk (0-1).

Follow along on Twitter @CISportsNet for a live blog of the game.

Getting to Know You: West Des Moines Valley Tigers

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Things don’t usually change at West Des Moines Valley, but don’t tell that to long time coach Gary Swenson. There are plenty of changes to expect, along with a few returning starters for the Tigers’ 2014 campaign. Running back Drew Gray, Wide Receiver Dominic Daffney, and highly touted junior OL John Rairdon headline a group of returning starters on offense. Gray will be asked to carry the workload after all-stater Tyus Mason’s graduation. Mason racked up 2,099 yards for the Tigers.

Sophomore Rocky Lombardi and junior Will Lounsberry will compete for the quarterback spot (Lombardi was named the starter vs. Waukee).

LB/P Zach Downs and CB Zach Grasso return to the defense from 2013, along with S Gabe Honnold patrolling the defensive backfield, that will

Valley Stats

2013 Record: 10-3 overall, 5-0 division

2014 Class, District: Class 4A, District 3

Coach: Gary Swenson, 39th year (20 at Valley), 311-100 overall (186-41 at Valley)

Returning Starters – Offense

Drew Gray, RB, 12, 5-10, 180

Trevor Bell, RB, 12, 5-7, 153

Dominique Dafney, WR, 12, 6-1, 200

Brady Smith, C, 12, 5-11, 220

Returning Starters – Defense

Zach Downs, LB/P, 12, 6-0, 215

Zach Grasso, CB, 12, 5-10, 170

Gabe Honnold, S, 12, 5-10, 165

Returning Letterwinners – 9

Coaching Staff: Randy Ripperger, Travis Young, Ryan Cooley, Dave Cochran

Interesting stories about the squad, players, or upcoming season: Swenson’s concern is solidifying the defensive and offensive line. Depth is a big issue, but Swenson feel confident that the junior class will help fill in some of the gaps. Sophomore quarterback Rocky Lombardi’s father is Tony Lombardi, who coached at Cedar Rapids Washington from 2006 to 2013. Lombardi guided the Warriors to four post-season berths, including two quarterfinal appearances and one semi-final appearance.

2014 Schedule (district games in bold)

Aug. 29 @ Waukee

Sept. 5 Iowa City West

Sept. 12 @ Southeast Polk

Sept. 19 Dowling Catholic

Sept. 26 @ Des Moines Hoover

Oct. 3 @ Council Bluffs Lincoln

Oct. 10 Sioux City West

Oct. 17 @ Ankeny Centennial

Oct. 24 Des Moines Lincoln

Maroons Take Rematch in Odd Opener

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Dowling Huddle JPEG

The Dowling Catholic Maroons won the rematch with C.R. Xavier, 24-2 on August, 31, 2014.

by Paul Yeager and Romelle Slaughter

The highly anticipated rematch between Dowling Catholic and Cedar Rapids Xavier did not become another blowout, but Mother Nature nearly washed everything out.

The defending champions in Class 4A, Dowling, defeated the Saints, 24-2, here at a wet-soaked Valley Stadium in West Des Moines Friday night.

The old adage of offenses being behind defenses to start the season played true to form as neither team found points in the first quarter.

The Maroons struck first with a 29 yard field goal for Nick McLellan. Just two minutes later, sophomore Cole Deskin scored his first varsity touchdown on a 14-yard scamper. The score was set-up after Xavier Bryce Schulte’s pass was intercepted by Dante Campero.

Then Mother Nature took center stage with a bolt of lightning that drove fans out of the stands. Forty-five minutes later, the game would resume, but it was more of the same for Dowling Catholic. Ryan Boyle would find his childhood teammate Charlie Schulte for a 42 yard touchdown pass to put the Maroons up 17-0.

Lightning suspended play between Cedar Rapids Xavier and Dowling Catholic on Friday, August 31, 2014.

Lightning suspended play between Cedar Rapids Xavier and Dowling Catholic on Friday, August 31, 2014.

A shortened halftime just added to the oddity of the evening. The Saints offense would spend a lot of time on the field, but it was the defense that put the only points on the board on a safety to make it 17-2.

“We got outplayed tonight,” Ryan Boyle told the Central Iowa Sports Network after the game. “We had it taken to us tonight.” The Iowa Hawkeye recruit would finish 12 of 17 passing for 150 yards and 1 TD.

Isaiah Patton would cap the scoring late in the 3rd quarter on a 3 yard run to make it 24-2. The senior in his first start at tailback finished with 8 carries and 33 yards. Rushing yards were hard to come by for the Maroons, as they tallied 35 rushes for 81 yards. Xavier ‘s running game mirrored Dowling’s, gaining 74 yards on 34 rushing attempts.

“It is always nice to beat a team like Xavier, but didn’t play well,” Dowling Catholic Head Coach Tom Wilson told CISN reporter Jim Kirby after the game. “We had a lack of discipline,” added Wilson. The coach was referring to the 11 penalties worth 120 yards. Three of them were unsportsmanlike calls on plays headed out of bounds.

The Maroon defense held Xavier to 122 yards on 60 plays. The Saints were 8 of 26 passing for 48 yards behind sophomore quarterback Bryce Schulte in his first varsity start.

The Maroons head to Urbandale for a match up with the J-Hawks who escaped a resurging Hoover Huskies team, 35-28.

Xavier plays Thursday night on a short turnaround for another long road trip to Davenport to play Assumption at Brady Street Stadium.

The video team of Central Iowa Sports Network will be back at Valley Stadium as the 0-1 Tigers come home for another east-west match up as Iowa City West comes to West Des Moines.

 

Week 1 Preview: Cedar Rapids Xavier @ Dowling Catholic

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xavier-saints-ia dsm-dowling-ia

They ended 2013 in the UNI-Dome.

They will begin 2014 at Valley Stadium.

And, to add, this will be your Century Link Game of Week here on CISN.

How’s that to kick off Week 1 of the Iowa prep football season?

For Cedar Rapids Xavier, the Saints has a score to settle with the Maroons. Dowling Catholic turned a highly anticipated title game into a rout en route to their second state title in four years. Could Dowling do it again? Many pundits have predicted that this could be Tom Wilson’s best squad…even better than last year’s title team.  Xavier has now dropped down to 3A, and are in a rebuilding mode. Head Coach Duane Schulte expects his seniors to lead and for his juniors to follow suit as they begin the season in West Des Moines.

Who: Cedar Rapids Xavier (0-0) at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic (0-0)

Where: Valley Stadium, West Des Moines

When: Friday, August 29th, 7:30pm kickoff

The Facts: Dowling defeated Xavier in the 2013 Class 4A championship game, 44-13.  The Maroons return All-State QB Ryan Boyle, FS Nick Wilson, and K Nick McClelland, among 30+ letterwinners. Xavier returns three starters, RB/LB Nik Ekland, RB/LB Jay Kortemeyer, and RG/DE Louis Hasley.

Things to watch:

  • How can Xavier stop Iowa recruit Ryan Boyle?
  • How will the Saints respond to their farthest road trip in years?
  • Xavier coach Schulte says stopping the big plays is key to winning.
  • Dowling’s Tom Wilson says this game will be determined at the line of scrimmage.
  • Xavier starts a sophomore QB in Bryan Schulte, but his genetics tell you to not let age determine his effectiveness.
  • Who will be the most “dependable” in the Maroon offense?

Dowling Catholic – Projected Starting Lineups

Off. Backfield: QB Ryan Boyle, TB Isaiah Patton, FB Gray Gochenour, SE Eric Fardal, FL Charlie Schulte

Offensive Line: C Cole Wymore, G Joe Brett and Kevin Vaughn-Carber, T Elijah Swehla and Conner McPhee, TE Ben McNeal

Def. Backfield: FS Nick Wilson, CB Dante Campero and Michael Zachary, Rover Kevin McMurray, WLB Jordan Theis, MLB, Rodney Harris, Bandit Gray Gochenour

Defensive Line: Stud Max Morris, T Ross Carpenter, NG Steven Johnson, Whip Jo Jo Jok,

Special Teams: P/K Nick McLellan, Holder Frankie Mauro, LS Quinn Sonntag, PR Michael Zachary, KR Joe Gorsche

CR Xavier – Projected Lineups

Off. Backfield: QB Bryce Schulte, RB Jay Kortemeyer and Nic Ekland, FL Nick Stark, SE, Joe Welch

Offensive Line: C Ben Fahnle, G Logan Brown (or Sanders Ferring) and Louis Hasley, T Joe Constant and Tim Ottig, TE Noah Clasen

Def. Backfield: LB Jay Kortemeyer Thomas Eckes and Nic Ekland, DB Camden Stovie and Matt Downey, S Dylan Eller and Sean Murphy

Defensive Line: DE Noah Clasen and Louis Hasley, DT Nick Kellen and Mike Maher

Special Teams: K Dallas Klein and Connor Vogl, P Connor Foley

We will have a live blog of the game. Check in to see any story lines develop and stats as they become available.

Paul Yeager, Mark Kenkel and Jim Kirby will have the call of the game. Follow us on Twitter @CISportsNet

We also will have a live blog to keep you updated on other happenings as the nigh progresses.

Our other game on the website will be  Valley at Waukee, and that game will be on the audio cast, with Dar Danielson doing the play-by-play on the Central Iowa Sports Network.

 

The CISN Game of the Week is proudly presented by CenturyLink.

 

 

CISN Game Plan – August 29, 2014

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IMG_1996Here is our plan of attack for Week 1 of the 2014 Iowa High School Football campaign.

The debut of the Central Iowa Sports Network webstream will happen at 7p Friday night. We’ll have a video feed of the Cedar Rapids Xavier and West Des Moines Dowling Catholic game from Valley Stadium. These teams played 280 days ago in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls for the Class 4A championship.

Paul Yeager, former Dowling Catholic center Mark Kenkel and Father Jim Kirby will be your announcing team for the game.

Romelle Slaughter will update you on a live blog during the game and also on Twitter at our handle of @CISportsNet.

Our other game is an audio feed from Waukee where the Warriors host the Valley Tigers. Dar Danielson will have the call. Kickoff is slated for 7pm.

What is the background information on Dowling? Read Romelle’s story here.

How about those Saints? @RHS76’s post is here. Check out the website for all sorts of previews from teams we’ll be featuring on Central Iowa Sports Network this season.

Look for our game preview Thursday night in primetime.

Getting to Know You: Cedar Rapids Xavier Saints

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The Saints of Cedar Rapids Xavier have been a force in the Mississippi Valley Conference. Xavier were runner-ups in two consecutive Class 4A championship games, losing to both Ankeny (2012) and Dowling Catholic (2013). A month after the season ended, Xavier, along with Dubuque Wahlert and Davenport Assumption, opted to move down to Class 3A.

So, as Xavier prepares for a new era in 3A, they have some unfinished business to take care of first:  exact revenge against Dowling Catholic to kick off the 2014 season. Coach Duane Schulte’s bunch, never one to shy away from big games, have some questions to answer. Will their seniors lead, and will their juniors follow suit? Returning starters Jay Kortemeyer will take over at RB, as Tim Otting and Louis Hasley will anchor the offensive line. On defense, LB Nic Ekland is the only returning defensive starter.

Johnston Stats

2013 Record: 12-2 overall, 5-1 Mississippi Valley Conference (Valley Division)

2014 Class, District:  Class 3A, District 4

Coach: Duane Schulte, 21st season, 136-73 overall (111-59 at Xavier)

Returning Starters – Offense

Jay Kortemeyer, RB

Tim Ottig, OL

Louis Hasley, OL

Returning Starters – Defense

Nic Ekland, LB

Returning Letterwinners: 3

Coaching Staff: Jim O’Connell, Dave Sullivan, Craig Jelinek, John Tursi, Eric Gilmour, Nick Garland, Stu Ballinger, Tom Ekland, Michael Freeman

Interesting stories about the squad, players, or upcoming season: After 16 years as members of the Mississippi Valley Conference, Xavier is moving down to Class 3A and will play in District 4, with Wahlert and perennial power Solon. The Saints will also play Davenport Assumption and 4-time Class 1A state champions Iowa City Regina in non-district games.

Schulte coached Cedar Rapids LaSalle before the Lancers and Cedar Rapids Regis merged to become Xavier. Assistant coach Craig Jelinek was the head coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie for 25 seasons, with a 106-96 career record for the Hawks.

2014 Schedule (District games in bold)

Aug. 29 @ West Des Moines Dowling Catholic

Sept. 4 (Thurs.) @ Davenport Assumption

Sept. 12 Solon

Sept. 19 @ Dewitt Central (Clinton)

Sept. 26 Maquoketa

Oct. 3 Western Dubuque (Epworth)

Oct. 10 @ Dubuque Wahlert

Oct. 17 Iowa City Regina

Oct. 24 Marion

Getting to Know You: Southeast Polk Rams

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They may be installing a new turf at their stadium, but it’s the same winning tradition over on the east side of Polk County, when it comes to the Southeast Polk Rams. Coach Denny Muller is no rookie when it comes to playing the traditional powerhouses in the Des Moines area. He’s not alone, as RB Caleb Pavon returns to lead the Rams on offense with a veteran offense line anchored by C Zack Hamilton and OL Jake Marnin.

The defense brings back five starters with LBs Deion Mikesell and JJ Cole, and SS Brady Buchheit. Treye Spencer is back, as he’ll handle the place-kicking duties for the Rams. The Rams are favored to win Class 4A District 1, but they will have a challenging non-district schedule against Johnston, WDM Valley, Waukee, and Ankeny Centennial.

Southeast Polk Stats

2013 Record:  7-4 overall, 4-1 Division 4

2014 Class, District:  Class 4A, District 1

Coach: Denny Muller, 41st season, 240-149 overall (86-45 at SE Polk)

Returning Starters – Offense

Caleb Pavon, RB, 12, 6-0, 185

Jake Marnin, OL, 12, 6-2, 300

Kyle Wallace, OL, 12, 6-0, 250

Sam Bakeris, OL, 12, 6-4, 270

Sam Henry, WR, 12, 5-10, 150

Zack Hamilton, C, 12, 6-0, 215

Returning Starters – Defense

Deion Mikesell, LB, 12, 6-0, 220

Brady Buchheit, SS, 12, 5-8, 155

Cameron Shannon, S, 12, 6-0, 170

Treye Spencer, K, 12, 6-1, 160

JJ Cole, LB, 12, 6-0, 190

Ben Bakeris, DL, 12, 6-1, 205

Returning Letterwinners: 17

Coaching Staff (new additions): Jesse Smith and James Clark (both volunteers)

Offensive scheme: No huddle – zone read

Defensive scheme: 4-3 

Interesting stories about the squad, players, or upcoming season: After years of utilizing a prolific passing game, SE Polk will be installing a new offense…the zone read. The pressing concern Muller has is inexperience at QB with the graduation of Nick Arnold. There is lack of depth in several positions, but the Rams will be senior-heavy. Outside of their non-district and district games, SE Polk will not face Dowling Catholic this season or next season. The Maroons and Rams have built a budding rivalry over the last several years.

2014 Schedule (District games in bold)

Aug. 29 @ Johnston

Sept. 5 Waukee

Sept. 12 West Des Moines Valley

Sept. 19 @ Ankeny Centennial

Sept. 26 Des Moines East

Oct. 3 Council Bluffs Jefferson

Oct. 10 @ Ames

Oct. 17 @ Sioux City North

Oct. 24  @ Ankeny