8-Man - District 1[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District One did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
CAL Latimer
0-5
0-9
Clarksville (A)
2-6
2-7
Janesville (A)
4-4
4-5
Nora Springs
4-1
6-3
Northeast Hamilton *
5-0
8-1
Rockwell-Swaledale (A)
1-7
1-7
Ventura
1-4
1-8
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 1 do in the playoffs?
Northeast Hamilton
Beat North Kossuth in the quarterfinals (40-36)
Lost to Glidden-Ralston in the semifinals (41-6)
Thoughts on District 1 for 2006:
CAL Latimer struggled through the 2005 season but will be hoping to turn
things around. And considering some of the teams in this district, it
could be a good year for the Cadets to do some damage. As far as athlete
goes, keep an eye on Tyson Warwick. He has made a name for himself in a
number of sports but was named All District last fall. Clarksville,
Rockwell-Swaledale, and Janesville will be making the jump down from Class A.
It is usually interesting to see how the teams do when they make the move over
to 8-man football. Some teams thrive and others don't. It really
just depends on the makeup of the team as well as the coaches being able to
adjust. Rockwell-Swaledale and Clarksville only were able to combine for
three wins and will be young and inexperienced this time around. For
Janesville, they finished with a better record at 4-4 in a solid district and
would have the best chance out of this trio to compete for a playoff berth.
One player from the Wildcats to keep an eye on is Wes Westmeyer. He is a
lengthy athlete who made a lot of plays at wide out last year. Nora
Springs fell one game short of the postseason as they couldn't take down
Northeast Hamilton into their head-to-head matchup. Running back Alex
Knapp proved last fall that he was among the best at his position last fall and
could fight for All State honors as a senior. Also keep an eye on
linebackers Tyler Behne and Cole Heimer. They will be a tough duo to block
with another year of experience under their belts. When looking at
Ventura, the one positive about them is that they have a chance to be much
improved over last year. The Vikings were a very young team and going to
battle at the varsity level last year will help this team a lot. And with
physical maturity, the freshman and sophomores will be bigger and accustomed to
varsity football. And last but not least, one of the top teams in 8-man
this season will be Northeast Hamilton. The Trojans went undefeated last
year in district play and return an impressive twelve All District players.
That amount of quality players is tough in any year, and considering they had a
tough summer of workouts, this team will be focused on taking home the State
title. Alex Renaud will be behind center for the team and it is going to
be tough to take them down in district play. And considering that this
team has been thinking about their 41-6 loss to the eventual champions from
Glidden-Ralston, that bitter taste in their mouths have helped them work harder.
Preseason District MVP: Alex Renaud
The quarterback on the best team in the district will be tough to hold down.
Sleeper Team: Ventura
Maybe I am jumping on the Ventura bandwagon a year early but with the amount of
younger players they have back, they could greatly increase their win total.
Sleeper Player: Wes Westmeyer
This senior caught 34 balls for nearly 500 last year.
District Champion: Northeast Hamilton
The amount of talent that Northeast Hamilton has coming back almost is not
fair.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 1 in
2006
Team
Northeast Hamilton *
Janesville
Nora Springs
Ventura
Clarksville
Rockwell-Swaledale
CAL Latimer
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 2[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Two did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Pomeroy-Palmer
2-3
4-5
C-W-L Corwith
2-3
2-7
Woden-Crystal Lake
3-2
4-5
North Kossuth *
4-1
7-2
Twin River Valley
4-1
7-2
Sentral Fenton
4-1
7-2
Armstrong-Ringsted
(A)
5-4
5-4
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 2 do in the playoffs?
North Kossuth
Lost to Northeast Hamilton in the quarterfinals (40-36)
Thoughts on District 2 for 2006:
Out of the seven teams in this district, only one made the playoffs.
That team, North Kossuth, was up and down during the year after receiving a lot
of preseason hype. But with athlete Joe Johnson back in the fold, this
team is going to be tough to beat every week. As a junior, Johnson rushed
for over 1,000 yards and totaled over 150 tackles. Those stats alone are
very impressive. And with quarterback Alex Fisher back leading the
offense, don't expect the Cougars to not fight for the district title.
There are obviously some holes to fill (Who is the go to wide receiver?) but
there is a lot of talent on the field for North Kossuth. Twin River Valley
tied at the top of the district with North Kossuth but still fell short of the
playoffs because of a tie breaker. And even though they pulled out a tight
one point win over the eventual district champions, they were shut out of the
postseason. As for their current team, the Thunder return quarterback
Daniel Foth who nearly combined for 1,000 yards on the ground and in the air.
But outside of Foth, the team was hit hard with graduation in the Class of 2006.
And what that means is that they will have to rely on younger, less experienced
players when they do battle with some of the top district teams every week.
Year in and year out, Sentral Fenton is one of the toughest teams in 8-man
football. Although they fell short of the postseason last fall, they were
a very difficult team to beat. North Kossuth can even thank them for
helping them receive a playoff berth. Quarterback Shaun McGuire will be
back for his junior year but there are a lot of places where younger players
will have to step in. And how they do in that role will determine the
success of this team. Armstrong-Ringsted played some of the best teams in
Class A every week last year and will be making the jump down to 8-man football.
But they must adjust quickly with some talented teams in this district.
The Mustangs return one very talented linebacker in Joel Godfredsen who will
anchor the defense. He will also see time on offense and will be someone
the opposition keys on when game planning. Pomeroy Palmer gave Northeast
Hamilton all they could handle in a non-district game early in the year and
eventually struggled after week four. Their passing attack gave team fits
at times but when the weather was acting up and they were not completing passes,
it was an uphill battle every week. Leading receiver Bret Francis is back
in the fold this year but needs someone to step up and throw him the ball.
Two other players to keep a close eye on are Chet and Tanner Freimuth.
These sophomores combined for over 200 tackles and will get a chance to showcase
their skills on the offensive side of the ball. C-W-L Corwith finished
with the exact same record as Pomeroy-Palmer in district but were unable to win
any other games. The Panthers bring back some solid athletes that will be
hoping to turn things around. Joe Studer, Michael Hefty, and Kaleb Wolf
proved their worth last fall and will be even better this time around. Woden-Crystal Lake
brings back junior quaterback Tyler Menhusen. He threw for over 700 yards
and eleven touchdowns last fall and will likely put up bigger numbers this year.
Who will be his main targets?
Preseason District MVP: Joe Johnson
The numbers Johnson put up last year are very, very impressive.
Sleeper Team: Armstrong-Ringsted
If they can adjust to 8-man football quickly, this team is talented and could
make a run at the top spot.
Sleeper Player: Joel Godfredsen
This talented linebacker will be tough to block this year.
District Champion: North Kossuth
This was one of the hardest district to pick from top to bottom and things
could change easily. But for the top spot, I thought North Kossuth and Joe
Johnson and are going to be a handful to stop.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 2 in
2006
Team
North Kossuth *
Sentral Fenton
Armstrong-Ringsted
Twin River Valley
Pomeroy-Palmer
Woden-Crystal Lake
C-W-L Corwith
*Denotes playoff predictions
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 3[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Three did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Aurelia
2-3
6-3
Remsen-Union
3-2
6-3
Harris-Lake Park
1-4
5-4
Ruthven-Ayshire
0-5
3-6
Whiting *
5-0
8-1
St. Mary's Remsen
4-1
7-2
Spalding Catholic
0-5
1-8
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 3 do in the playoffs?
Whiting
Lost to Glidden-Ralston in the quarterfinals (39-12)
Thoughts on District 3 for 2006:
Last year this ended up coming down to a battle with Whiting and St. Mary's
Remsen. And in the end, Whiting had enough in their head-to-head matchup
to win by two touchdowns. This season the Warriors will be hoping for a
similar amount of success. Running back Drew Hanson will be back for his
senior season and hoping to fight for All State honors. Hanson was an All
District selection last year and has a chance to be among the best running backs
in 8-man. But with the way Whiting uses their quarterback, they must have
someone step up and play this position to the highest level. Calvin
Christophersen, who has graduated, tormented teams last year with his ability to
pass and run the ball. And if the Warriors can fight for another district
title, they need a player similar to his ability behind center. St. Mary's
Remsen was unable to return to the postseason after an exciting 2004 season but
they still did better than many expected. And considering the amount of
talent that the Hawks have returning this fall expect them to compete for a
district title. Jon Klein, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, will
be heading into his junior season and will likely be able to improve on those
numbers. Athlete and second leading wide receiver Justin Ruden should be
returning as well and his role will grow within the offense. Defensively,
Andy Steichen will likely anchor the defense and he is a man among boys on the
field. He compiled over 100 tackles and is flying under the radar.
Remsen-Union had a solid year at 6-3 but could not compete with the big dogs in
district play. Although those three losses came to very good teams, they
ended up by very ugly scores. But if anything, that might help have helped
the Rockets stay focused this off-season. This team was hit hard by
graduation, which included all six of their All District selections. They
are now graduated and that will open a lot of spots for some of the
underclassmen. Craig Ahlers is probably the top returning player as he
rushed for over 500 yards. He must prove early in the year that he can
adjust to being the man this season. Aurelia also had a problem in beating
the teams above them in the standings as all three of their losses came to the
teams that finished better than them in district play. But with Jacob and
Jared Bruce back in the fold, this team might have what it takes to compete in
this district. They will have an uphill battle but those two are very
talented athletes. Harris-Lake Park had a favorable non-district schedule
and ended up going 4-0 in those game. The problem was that they could only
muster a 1-4 record in district play. Running back Travis Nissen was a
very versatile player for the Wolves and will be needed to step up even more
this fall. With Harris-Lake Park, Ruthven-Ayshire will be making the move
over from District 3. This means that both teams will get to face off
against teams they are not as accustomed to playing against. But with
Ruthven-Ayshire, they will be hoping for a complete turn around this fall.
The Raiders put up big numbers through the air and will really miss wide
receiver Joe Knoer. This graduated senior caught 99 balls for 1,195 yards.
As for the returners, leading rusher Louis Faulstich is back and could rush for
over 1,000 yards if he put the time in this off-season. Things really did
not go as well as Spalding Catholic had hoped last year. They were only
able to win one game and were beaten rather badly in a number of others.
Although they did struggle, this team returns a lot of their players after going
young last season. It may take a while before that pays off but it will
help rebuild a team down the road.
Preseason District MVP: Drew Hanson
With a district full of talented running backs, Hanson may be the best.
Sleeper Team: Whiting
So even though they made the playoffs last year, they are being overlooked this
time around.
Sleeper Player: Andy Steichen
Steichen may not get the type of attention that he deserves but trust me in
saying that he is talented.
District Champion: St. Mary's Remsen
Although they missed the playoffs last fall, St. Mary's Remsen has the
pieces to make the trip back.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 3 in
2006
Team
St. Mary's Remsen
*
Whiting
Aurelia
Remsen-Union
Harris-Lake Park
Spalding Catholic
Ruthven-Ayshire
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 4[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Four did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Coon Rapids-Bayard
2-3
3-6
Ar-We-Va
4-1
6-3
Glidden-Ralston *
5-0
9-0
East Greene
0-5
0-9
Elk Horn-Kimballton
2-3
2-8
Charter Oak-Ute
1-4
4-5
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 4 do in the playoffs?
Glidden-Ralston
Defeated Whiting in the quarterfinals (39-12)
Defeated Northeast Hamilton in the semifinals (41-6)
Defeated Lenox in the championship game (35-26)
Thoughts on District 4 for 2006:
With the defending State champions in your district, it is obvious that
there could be some good battles doing on this season. Glidden-Ralston
completed their magical season going undefeated and beating a talented Lenox
team in the title game, 35-26. But after winning a State title, a number
of teams fall short of returning to the postseason. That obviously is
something that the Wildcats will be trying their hardest to avoid. It is
always a good thing when you can return your quarterback and that is the case
with Seth Johnson. This senior led a team that primarily rushed the ball
but his returning leadership will be invaluable. For their ground game,
Glidden-Ralston did have to say goodbye to their top two rushers but have Zach
Stork and Alex Feilmeier as players who are next in line to make an impact.
Defensively, someone must replace T.J. Lensch but the team has some talented
athletes who can help take part of the load. Look for All District
defensive lineman JJ Vanderheiden to step up his game and have a great year.
Ar-We-Va finished second in the district and their game with the champions was
not pretty. But with the quarterback-receiver combination of Michael
Hoffman and Jace Hawley returning, this team will be tough to stop through the
air. Hoffman, who is heading into his senior year, threw for nearly 2,000
yards and 32 touchdowns. Hawley caught 12 of those touchdown passes and
finished the year with 652 receiving yards. Ben Nobling also returns at
linebacker after totaling 90 tackles. Coon Rapids-Bayard has a number of
question marks about their team this year. Lineman Taylor Halstead put on
a number of impressive performances last fall and should be better this time
around. Elk Horn-Kimballton has a chance to quickly turn things around.
After only winning two games all of last year, the Danes have some talented
players back for another year. Logan Smith and Ryan Parker return after
being named All District last season. Parker did just about everything for
his team and will be valuable once again. And although quarterback Devon
Archibald needs to cut down his interceptions, his return will be a help to the
offense. Charter Oak-Ute did a nice job out district with a 3-1 record but
that success did not carry over. They will be making the move to a new
district and have athlete Kyle Savery back for another season. He will
need to find a new quarterback but this kid is talented. East Greene had
some serious struggles last year. They were shutout in six games and only
scored 46 points all year.
Preseason District MVP: Michael Hoffman
If Hoffman can stay healthy, Ar-We-Va has a chance in every game this play.
Sleeper Team: Elk Horn-Kimballton
Yes, they had a bad season in 2005 but things can change quickly with the talent
they have back.
Sleeper Player: Ryan Parker
This athlete did everything for his team last year and could easily get All
State honors as a senior.
District Champion: Ar-We-Va
I see this district coming down to a two-team race and the winner of Ar-We-Va
vs. Glidden Ralston takes home the district title.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 4 in
2006
Team
Ar-We-Va *
Glidden-Ralston
Elk Horn-Kimballton
Charter Oak-Ute
Coon Rapids-Bayard
East Greene
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 5[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Five did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Nishna Valley
2-2
5-3
Essex *
5-0
9-0
Malvern
1-3
2-6
Fremont-Mills
2-3
2-7
Sidney
1-4
2-7
Hamburg
4-1
7-2
Farragut
0-5
2-7
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 5 do in the playoffs?
Essex
Defeated Walnut in the quarterfinals (48-40)
Lost to Lenox in the semifinals (56-6)
Thoughts on District 5 for 2006:
With nine All District performers returning for Essex, it is going to be
tough for teams in this district to knock them off of the top of the standings.
The Trojans won there first ten games of the season before being beaten up by
Lenox in the postseason. And with thoughts of that game in the back of
their mind all off-season, this team will be ready to go. Quarterback John
King threw for 14 touchdowns last year and combined to pass and run for over
1,000 yards. As for the running game, Essex graduated their top two
rushers but have some talented athletes waiting in the wings. King's top
target, Adam Almquist, is heading into his senior year and will easily improve
on his 463 receiving yards from last fall. Manning the offense line are
two talented blockers in Tyler Burns and Cliff Holmes. Defensively, Cody
Burns will lead this team as he finished with an fifteen sacks. Also keep
an eye on Wyatt Setterberg. Honestly, this team has too many players
coming back to list all of them. Hamburg finished second in the district
and that contest was not exactly close when they played. Ryan Haupt was
basically 90% of the offense and he will be gone. He finished the year
with a mind blowing 2,279 yards rushing. Aaron Lang is back on defense and
he finished the year with 100 tackles. He also was a second team All
District selection at running back. Nishna Valley will be hoping to make
the jump from a middle of the pack team to competing for the district title.
Along the offensive line, Murphy Mastin is a load
of a player and will be plowing open holes for running back Austin Duysen.
Also having Bryan Bowen at quarterback and wide receiver Kyle Dornburgh will
make the offense even more potent. If the Blackhawks can prove they can
stop people, they could make a run at Essex for the playoff berth. It
appears that the strong side of Malvern will be their defense. Back from
last year is lineman Jack Donnelly, linebacker Nick Greiner, and linebacker
Bryce Tornquist. All three earned All District honors a year ago and will
provide a definite strong point early in the season for this team. The
only two games that Fremont-Mills could win were in-district. But with a
very young team this year, the table could turn very easily. Quarterback
Ryan Pickens is back and although he really needs to reduce his interceptions,
he is a talented athlete. Seth Blackburn was his leading target a year ago
and he will be back for one more year of prep football. Sidney was a very
young team last year and that will really start to pay off this time around.
If they can be more consistent on both sides of the ball, which comes with age,
the Cowboys could surprise some people. One of the top returning athletes
for Farragut is Luk Miller. This
two-way player made a name for himself defensively but also helped on the
offensive side of things. He will be a vital cog on both sides of the ball
for his team.
Preseason District MVP: John King
If he can lead Essex to another district title, John King deserves some love as
District MVP.
Sleeper Team: Fremont-Mills
Don't be surprised if the Knights shock some people this fall.
Sleeper Player: Austin Duysen
Duysen is a talented running back who put up big numbers as a junior.
District Champion: Essex
The easy pick is Essex on top, even though Nishna Valley will give them a run
for their money. The question marks are how will the other teams finish?
It really could get interesting.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 5 in
2006
Team
Essex *
Nishna Valley
Fremont-Mills
Hamburg
Malvern
Sidney
Farragut
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 6[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Six did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Adair-Casey
1-4
3-6
CAM, Anita (A)
2-7
2-7
Exira
2-3
2-7
South Page
3-2
4-5
Stanton
3-1
7-1
Villisca
0-4
1-7
Walnut *
4-0
7-2
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 6 do in the playoffs?
Walnut
Lost to Essex in the quarterfinals (48-40)
Thoughts on District 6 for 2006:
After losing current Iowa Hawkeye Tyler Blum after the 2004 season, Walnut
still was able to win the district and get back into the playoffs this past
fall. That was somewhat of a shocker with the amount of talent that the
Warriors had but shows that they are starting to develop a solid football
program. But on paper, this appears that there is a chance that this is
their rebuilding year. Gone is their quarterback, top three rushers, and
top two receivers. Defensive lineman Ryan Frahm is the only returning All
District player and he will need to anchor the defensive attack. There are
a lot of question marks that will need to be answered early in the year.
Stanton was in a similar situation because they had a loaded senior class that
graduated a number of starters. And in similar fashion to Walnut, the only
All District player returning for the Vikings is defensive lineman Janssen
Ludwigs. The biggest question mark that needs to be answered for Stanton
is quarterback. Drew Whigham has put up monster numbers over the past few
years and will be greatly missed. And with an offense that primarily
passed the ball, a talented quarterback is needed for the offense to go.
Junior Ben Snyder saw time in a variety of roles last fall and will get a chance
to play more on both sides of the ball. South Page will be extremely
strong along the lines. Returning players Jacob Bryant and Lowell Maxwell
will need to plow open holes for the skill players. Quarterback Tyler
Stevens and leading rusher Zach Stevens will definitely help bolster the
offensive attack for the Rebels. Exira will be making the move over after
playing in district four the past two years. But with leading rusher Adam
Ratzlaff and linebacker Travis Nelson back for another year, that will really
help ease the transition. What is impressive is that Ratzlaff finished the
year with over 1,000 yards combined rushing and receiving. That just shows
his versatility. One big question that went through the minds of 8-man
fans last year was what happened to Adair-Casey? They may have had the
most impressive history in 8-man football and yet they finished last year 3-6.
That just shows that even the best teams have to rebuild every once in a while.
And considering what they have accomplished, there is no way that this program
can stay down for an extended period of time. Both of their All District
selections, Andrew Leeper and Brandon Bowman, are back and they won't want to
end their career with two straight non-playoff appearances. If the Bombers
want to turn things around, they most come to play every week and be a lot more
consistent. Villisca was only able to win one game last season but it
appeared that they played their best football at the end of the season.
Dustin Haffner was the team's leading rusher and he accomplished that as a
freshman. It is obvious that he has a bright future but with another year
of experience, he will be hoping to lead his team to more wins. CAM, Anita
is a new team to 8-man football and will be transitioning from Class A.
This will be a different team that went 2-7 last year because all four of their
All District selections will be graduated.
Preseason District MVP: Andrew Leeper
Talented athlete does a lot for Adair-Casey.
Sleeper Team: Walnut
On paper they lost everyone. But that didn't stop them from doing the same
thing last fall.
Sleeper Player: Adam Ratzlaff
Very versatile athlete who does a lot for Exira.
District Champion: Adair-Casey
This district really is a mess. I wouldn't be shocked to see just about
any team in here take the title.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 6 in
2006
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Adair-Casey *
1-4
3-6
Walnut
4-0
7-2
South Page
3-2
4-5
CAM, Anita (A)
2-7
2-7
Exira
2-3
2-7
Stanton
3-1
7-1
Villisca
0-4
1-7
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 7[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Seven did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
East Union (A)
2-7
2-7
Grandview Park
Baptist
3-2
5-4
Lamoni
4-1
8-1
Lenox *
5-0
9-0
Martensdale-St.
Marys (A) *
8-1
8-1
Mormon Trail
0-5
1-8
Murray
2-3
5-4
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 7 do in the playoffs?
Martensdale-St. Marys
Lost to AHST in the quarterfinals (37-0)
Lenox
Defeated Melcher-Dallas in the quarterfinals (50-12)
Defeated Essex in the semifinals (56-6)
Lost to Glidden-Ralston in the championship game (35-26)
Thoughts on District 7 for 2006:
There appears to be a great three team race in district seven.
Obviously the other four teams want to say different but there is a lot of
talent that will be competing with one another. Starting with Lenox, the
8-man runner ups in 2005. They gave it their all and although they came up
short, that does not take away from what they accomplished during the season.
But the Tigers graduated five All District players and there will be a lot of
holes to fill. But with Kalab Evans back in the fold, look for Lenox to
come to play every game. Evans is an outstanding athlete who is getting by
the year. Lamoni's only loss all of last season was to Lenox in district
play. And that lost was enough to send the Demons home for the playoffs.
And that thought has been on their mind all off-season as the work for the fall.
All District selections Keegan Smith, Zach Kotz, and Cody Rowland bolster a team
that will compete for a district title. Smith's top receiver, Tim Carr,
also is back after totaling over 300 receiving yards. One of the biggest
mysteries in 8-man is why did Martensdale-St. Marys make the move down?
They ended last year 8-1 and made the playoffs in Class A. And although
they were hit hard by graduation, this team will be tough to beat. John
Bunch returns and he will be needed to anchor both sides of the line. He
is the only returning all district selection for the Blue Devils and his
leadership will be needed this year. Look for Josh Catron to get more
attempts in the ground game. He has waited his turn patiently and has
earned a chance. Athlete Jacob Perkins was second on the team in
interceptions and he makes it tough for opponents to throw the ball. East
Union will also be making the trip down from Class A but they only won two games
last year. The two games that they did win were by a big margin but their
closest game all year was twenty six points. So it was either big win or
blowout loss. The Eagles must change that this season. Grandview
Park Baptist returns two All District selections in Eric
Nilius and Dan Burkhart but the team must prove
they can play with the big boys. Their two losses in district were to the
top two teams. And in both games, the contests were not close. So if
the Defenders want to compete for a district title, they must be able to play
with the top teams. Murray ended the year with a record that was over .500
but was only 2-3 in district. Back for the Mustangs are Patrick Flaherty
and Ryan Robins. Both made an impact for the team and should be improved
this fall. Mormon Trail struggled mightily last season and will need a
complete turn around if they want to win some games.
Preseason District MVP: Keegan Smith
If he can lead his team to the district title, Smith would earn this honor.
Sleeper Team: Lenox
They are a team that I personally wouldn't sleep on for very long.
Sleeper Player: Kalab Evans
I would say the only reason people are overlooking him is his age. He is a
fantastic athlete.
District Champion: Lamoni
I really see this being a three team race but Lamoni has enough experience to
come out on top.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 7 in
2006
Team
Lamoni *
Martensdale-St.
Marys
Lenox
Grandview Park
Baptist
East Union
Murray
Mormon Trail
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 8[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Melcher-Dallas *
5-0
8-1
Tri-County (A)
3-6
3-6
Moravia
0-5
1-8
Russell
3-2
3-6
Seymour
1-4
1-8
Harmony
2-3
3-6
Twin Cedars,
Bussey
4-1
7-2
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 8 do in the playoffs?
Melcher-Dallas
Lost to Lenox in the quarterfinals (50-12)
Thoughts on District 8 for 2006:
With the success recently of Melcher-Dallas, they have proven that they can
fight for a playoff berth almost every year. But with the talent that
graduated last year, the Saints may have a very difficult road. Gone are
all of their All District selections as well as most of their skilled athletes.
If Melcher-Dallas wants to compete for a district title like they have grown
accustomed to, they will need a number of their younger players to step up.
Twin Cedars, Bussey was unable to make the postseason and also had a very
talented senior class. Jesse DeGeest was one of most underrated athletes
in Iowa and he has since graduated. Junior running back Brent Goemaat
returns after finishing the year the second leading rusher. He will get a
chance to see more carries in the offense. Defensively, the team will need
to pick up their play to be able to stop the opposition. Tri-County will
be making the jump down from Class A and hopes to use that to their advantage.
The Trojans had some stiff competition against the likes of North Mahaska and
others but was still able to win three games. And with the talent they
have back, Tri-County could be the team to beat. Quarterback Ryan Schmidt
is back as well as his top two targets. They will need to find a
consistent runner to get the ground game going but the pieces are there for a
run at the postseason. The biggest question mark is how quickly they
adjust to 8-man football but they are a team to watch this year. Russell
lost their first four games of the year by a very bad margin but was able to win
three of their last five and finish the year with a win. Hopefully for
them, that momentum can help propel them into a solid season in 2006.
Harmony did most of their damage offensively on the ground and had to say
goodbye to their leading rusher. But with Cody Denly back for his senior
year, the rushing attack will be in good hands. Denly finished the year
with 630 yards and went over the 100 yard mark in three contests. Denly is
also a vital cog to the Rocket defensive attack as well. Seymour was only
able to win one game all year and that was in district play. This was also
the same team that lost 116-0 to Melcher-Dallas so they have a long ways to go.
Moravia's only win of the year came against Mormon Trail, who struggled as well.
It could be another interesting game between Moravia and Seymour.
Preseason District MVP: Ryan Schmidt
Schmidt will need his A game if he can help the team to a playoff berth.
Sleeper Team: Melcher-Dallas
On paper, they are not very strong but that has not stopped them from the
playoffs before.
Sleeper Player: Cody Denly
Although he is an undersized athlete, he knows how to make plays.
District Champion: Tri-County
Tri-County has talent, speed, and size while coming down from Class A.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 8 in
2006
Team
Tri-County *
Melcher-Dallas
Twin Cedars,
Bussey
Russell
Harmony
Moravia
Seymour
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
This post was edited on 7/25 9:18 AM by LukeFeddersenif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District One did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
CAL Latimer
0-5
0-9
Clarksville (A)
2-6
2-7
Janesville (A)
4-4
4-5
Nora Springs
4-1
6-3
Northeast Hamilton *
5-0
8-1
Rockwell-Swaledale (A)
1-7
1-7
Ventura
1-4
1-8
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 1 do in the playoffs?
Northeast Hamilton
Beat North Kossuth in the quarterfinals (40-36)
Lost to Glidden-Ralston in the semifinals (41-6)
Thoughts on District 1 for 2006:
things around. And considering some of the teams in this district, it
could be a good year for the Cadets to do some damage. As far as athlete
goes, keep an eye on Tyson Warwick. He has made a name for himself in a
number of sports but was named All District last fall. Clarksville,
Rockwell-Swaledale, and Janesville will be making the jump down from Class A.
It is usually interesting to see how the teams do when they make the move over
to 8-man football. Some teams thrive and others don't. It really
just depends on the makeup of the team as well as the coaches being able to
adjust. Rockwell-Swaledale and Clarksville only were able to combine for
three wins and will be young and inexperienced this time around. For
Janesville, they finished with a better record at 4-4 in a solid district and
would have the best chance out of this trio to compete for a playoff berth.
One player from the Wildcats to keep an eye on is Wes Westmeyer. He is a
lengthy athlete who made a lot of plays at wide out last year. Nora
Springs fell one game short of the postseason as they couldn't take down
Northeast Hamilton into their head-to-head matchup. Running back Alex
Knapp proved last fall that he was among the best at his position last fall and
could fight for All State honors as a senior. Also keep an eye on
linebackers Tyler Behne and Cole Heimer. They will be a tough duo to block
with another year of experience under their belts. When looking at
Ventura, the one positive about them is that they have a chance to be much
improved over last year. The Vikings were a very young team and going to
battle at the varsity level last year will help this team a lot. And with
physical maturity, the freshman and sophomores will be bigger and accustomed to
varsity football. And last but not least, one of the top teams in 8-man
this season will be Northeast Hamilton. The Trojans went undefeated last
year in district play and return an impressive twelve All District players.
That amount of quality players is tough in any year, and considering they had a
tough summer of workouts, this team will be focused on taking home the State
title. Alex Renaud will be behind center for the team and it is going to
be tough to take them down in district play. And considering that this
team has been thinking about their 41-6 loss to the eventual champions from
Glidden-Ralston, that bitter taste in their mouths have helped them work harder.
Preseason District MVP: Alex Renaud
The quarterback on the best team in the district will be tough to hold down.
Sleeper Team: Ventura
Maybe I am jumping on the Ventura bandwagon a year early but with the amount of
younger players they have back, they could greatly increase their win total.
Sleeper Player: Wes Westmeyer
This senior caught 34 balls for nearly 500 last year.
District Champion: Northeast Hamilton
The amount of talent that Northeast Hamilton has coming back almost is not
fair.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 1 in
2006
Team
Northeast Hamilton *
Janesville
Nora Springs
Ventura
Clarksville
Rockwell-Swaledale
CAL Latimer
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 2[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Two did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Pomeroy-Palmer
2-3
4-5
C-W-L Corwith
2-3
2-7
Woden-Crystal Lake
3-2
4-5
North Kossuth *
4-1
7-2
Twin River Valley
4-1
7-2
Sentral Fenton
4-1
7-2
Armstrong-Ringsted
(A)
5-4
5-4
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 2 do in the playoffs?
North Kossuth
Lost to Northeast Hamilton in the quarterfinals (40-36)
Thoughts on District 2 for 2006:
Out of the seven teams in this district, only one made the playoffs.
That team, North Kossuth, was up and down during the year after receiving a lot
of preseason hype. But with athlete Joe Johnson back in the fold, this
team is going to be tough to beat every week. As a junior, Johnson rushed
for over 1,000 yards and totaled over 150 tackles. Those stats alone are
very impressive. And with quarterback Alex Fisher back leading the
offense, don't expect the Cougars to not fight for the district title.
There are obviously some holes to fill (Who is the go to wide receiver?) but
there is a lot of talent on the field for North Kossuth. Twin River Valley
tied at the top of the district with North Kossuth but still fell short of the
playoffs because of a tie breaker. And even though they pulled out a tight
one point win over the eventual district champions, they were shut out of the
postseason. As for their current team, the Thunder return quarterback
Daniel Foth who nearly combined for 1,000 yards on the ground and in the air.
But outside of Foth, the team was hit hard with graduation in the Class of 2006.
And what that means is that they will have to rely on younger, less experienced
players when they do battle with some of the top district teams every week.
Year in and year out, Sentral Fenton is one of the toughest teams in 8-man
football. Although they fell short of the postseason last fall, they were
a very difficult team to beat. North Kossuth can even thank them for
helping them receive a playoff berth. Quarterback Shaun McGuire will be
back for his junior year but there are a lot of places where younger players
will have to step in. And how they do in that role will determine the
success of this team. Armstrong-Ringsted played some of the best teams in
Class A every week last year and will be making the jump down to 8-man football.
But they must adjust quickly with some talented teams in this district.
The Mustangs return one very talented linebacker in Joel Godfredsen who will
anchor the defense. He will also see time on offense and will be someone
the opposition keys on when game planning. Pomeroy Palmer gave Northeast
Hamilton all they could handle in a non-district game early in the year and
eventually struggled after week four. Their passing attack gave team fits
at times but when the weather was acting up and they were not completing passes,
it was an uphill battle every week. Leading receiver Bret Francis is back
in the fold this year but needs someone to step up and throw him the ball.
Two other players to keep a close eye on are Chet and Tanner Freimuth.
These sophomores combined for over 200 tackles and will get a chance to showcase
their skills on the offensive side of the ball. C-W-L Corwith finished
with the exact same record as Pomeroy-Palmer in district but were unable to win
any other games. The Panthers bring back some solid athletes that will be
hoping to turn things around. Joe Studer, Michael Hefty, and Kaleb Wolf
proved their worth last fall and will be even better this time around. Woden-Crystal Lake
brings back junior quaterback Tyler Menhusen. He threw for over 700 yards
and eleven touchdowns last fall and will likely put up bigger numbers this year.
Who will be his main targets?
Preseason District MVP: Joe Johnson
The numbers Johnson put up last year are very, very impressive.
Sleeper Team: Armstrong-Ringsted
If they can adjust to 8-man football quickly, this team is talented and could
make a run at the top spot.
Sleeper Player: Joel Godfredsen
This talented linebacker will be tough to block this year.
District Champion: North Kossuth
This was one of the hardest district to pick from top to bottom and things
could change easily. But for the top spot, I thought North Kossuth and Joe
Johnson and are going to be a handful to stop.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 2 in
2006
Team
North Kossuth *
Sentral Fenton
Armstrong-Ringsted
Twin River Valley
Pomeroy-Palmer
Woden-Crystal Lake
C-W-L Corwith
*Denotes playoff predictions
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 3[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Three did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Aurelia
2-3
6-3
Remsen-Union
3-2
6-3
Harris-Lake Park
1-4
5-4
Ruthven-Ayshire
0-5
3-6
Whiting *
5-0
8-1
St. Mary's Remsen
4-1
7-2
Spalding Catholic
0-5
1-8
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 3 do in the playoffs?
Whiting
Lost to Glidden-Ralston in the quarterfinals (39-12)
Thoughts on District 3 for 2006:
Last year this ended up coming down to a battle with Whiting and St. Mary's
Remsen. And in the end, Whiting had enough in their head-to-head matchup
to win by two touchdowns. This season the Warriors will be hoping for a
similar amount of success. Running back Drew Hanson will be back for his
senior season and hoping to fight for All State honors. Hanson was an All
District selection last year and has a chance to be among the best running backs
in 8-man. But with the way Whiting uses their quarterback, they must have
someone step up and play this position to the highest level. Calvin
Christophersen, who has graduated, tormented teams last year with his ability to
pass and run the ball. And if the Warriors can fight for another district
title, they need a player similar to his ability behind center. St. Mary's
Remsen was unable to return to the postseason after an exciting 2004 season but
they still did better than many expected. And considering the amount of
talent that the Hawks have returning this fall expect them to compete for a
district title. Jon Klein, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, will
be heading into his junior season and will likely be able to improve on those
numbers. Athlete and second leading wide receiver Justin Ruden should be
returning as well and his role will grow within the offense. Defensively,
Andy Steichen will likely anchor the defense and he is a man among boys on the
field. He compiled over 100 tackles and is flying under the radar.
Remsen-Union had a solid year at 6-3 but could not compete with the big dogs in
district play. Although those three losses came to very good teams, they
ended up by very ugly scores. But if anything, that might help have helped
the Rockets stay focused this off-season. This team was hit hard by
graduation, which included all six of their All District selections. They
are now graduated and that will open a lot of spots for some of the
underclassmen. Craig Ahlers is probably the top returning player as he
rushed for over 500 yards. He must prove early in the year that he can
adjust to being the man this season. Aurelia also had a problem in beating
the teams above them in the standings as all three of their losses came to the
teams that finished better than them in district play. But with Jacob and
Jared Bruce back in the fold, this team might have what it takes to compete in
this district. They will have an uphill battle but those two are very
talented athletes. Harris-Lake Park had a favorable non-district schedule
and ended up going 4-0 in those game. The problem was that they could only
muster a 1-4 record in district play. Running back Travis Nissen was a
very versatile player for the Wolves and will be needed to step up even more
this fall. With Harris-Lake Park, Ruthven-Ayshire will be making the move
over from District 3. This means that both teams will get to face off
against teams they are not as accustomed to playing against. But with
Ruthven-Ayshire, they will be hoping for a complete turn around this fall.
The Raiders put up big numbers through the air and will really miss wide
receiver Joe Knoer. This graduated senior caught 99 balls for 1,195 yards.
As for the returners, leading rusher Louis Faulstich is back and could rush for
over 1,000 yards if he put the time in this off-season. Things really did
not go as well as Spalding Catholic had hoped last year. They were only
able to win one game and were beaten rather badly in a number of others.
Although they did struggle, this team returns a lot of their players after going
young last season. It may take a while before that pays off but it will
help rebuild a team down the road.
Preseason District MVP: Drew Hanson
With a district full of talented running backs, Hanson may be the best.
Sleeper Team: Whiting
So even though they made the playoffs last year, they are being overlooked this
time around.
Sleeper Player: Andy Steichen
Steichen may not get the type of attention that he deserves but trust me in
saying that he is talented.
District Champion: St. Mary's Remsen
Although they missed the playoffs last fall, St. Mary's Remsen has the
pieces to make the trip back.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 3 in
2006
Team
St. Mary's Remsen
*
Whiting
Aurelia
Remsen-Union
Harris-Lake Park
Spalding Catholic
Ruthven-Ayshire
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 4[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Four did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Coon Rapids-Bayard
2-3
3-6
Ar-We-Va
4-1
6-3
Glidden-Ralston *
5-0
9-0
East Greene
0-5
0-9
Elk Horn-Kimballton
2-3
2-8
Charter Oak-Ute
1-4
4-5
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 4 do in the playoffs?
Glidden-Ralston
Defeated Whiting in the quarterfinals (39-12)
Defeated Northeast Hamilton in the semifinals (41-6)
Defeated Lenox in the championship game (35-26)
Thoughts on District 4 for 2006:
With the defending State champions in your district, it is obvious that
there could be some good battles doing on this season. Glidden-Ralston
completed their magical season going undefeated and beating a talented Lenox
team in the title game, 35-26. But after winning a State title, a number
of teams fall short of returning to the postseason. That obviously is
something that the Wildcats will be trying their hardest to avoid. It is
always a good thing when you can return your quarterback and that is the case
with Seth Johnson. This senior led a team that primarily rushed the ball
but his returning leadership will be invaluable. For their ground game,
Glidden-Ralston did have to say goodbye to their top two rushers but have Zach
Stork and Alex Feilmeier as players who are next in line to make an impact.
Defensively, someone must replace T.J. Lensch but the team has some talented
athletes who can help take part of the load. Look for All District
defensive lineman JJ Vanderheiden to step up his game and have a great year.
Ar-We-Va finished second in the district and their game with the champions was
not pretty. But with the quarterback-receiver combination of Michael
Hoffman and Jace Hawley returning, this team will be tough to stop through the
air. Hoffman, who is heading into his senior year, threw for nearly 2,000
yards and 32 touchdowns. Hawley caught 12 of those touchdown passes and
finished the year with 652 receiving yards. Ben Nobling also returns at
linebacker after totaling 90 tackles. Coon Rapids-Bayard has a number of
question marks about their team this year. Lineman Taylor Halstead put on
a number of impressive performances last fall and should be better this time
around. Elk Horn-Kimballton has a chance to quickly turn things around.
After only winning two games all of last year, the Danes have some talented
players back for another year. Logan Smith and Ryan Parker return after
being named All District last season. Parker did just about everything for
his team and will be valuable once again. And although quarterback Devon
Archibald needs to cut down his interceptions, his return will be a help to the
offense. Charter Oak-Ute did a nice job out district with a 3-1 record but
that success did not carry over. They will be making the move to a new
district and have athlete Kyle Savery back for another season. He will
need to find a new quarterback but this kid is talented. East Greene had
some serious struggles last year. They were shutout in six games and only
scored 46 points all year.
Preseason District MVP: Michael Hoffman
If Hoffman can stay healthy, Ar-We-Va has a chance in every game this play.
Sleeper Team: Elk Horn-Kimballton
Yes, they had a bad season in 2005 but things can change quickly with the talent
they have back.
Sleeper Player: Ryan Parker
This athlete did everything for his team last year and could easily get All
State honors as a senior.
District Champion: Ar-We-Va
I see this district coming down to a two-team race and the winner of Ar-We-Va
vs. Glidden Ralston takes home the district title.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 4 in
2006
Team
Ar-We-Va *
Glidden-Ralston
Elk Horn-Kimballton
Charter Oak-Ute
Coon Rapids-Bayard
East Greene
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 5[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Five did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Nishna Valley
2-2
5-3
Essex *
5-0
9-0
Malvern
1-3
2-6
Fremont-Mills
2-3
2-7
Sidney
1-4
2-7
Hamburg
4-1
7-2
Farragut
0-5
2-7
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 5 do in the playoffs?
Essex
Defeated Walnut in the quarterfinals (48-40)
Lost to Lenox in the semifinals (56-6)
With nine All District performers returning for Essex, it is going to be
tough for teams in this district to knock them off of the top of the standings.
The Trojans won there first ten games of the season before being beaten up by
Lenox in the postseason. And with thoughts of that game in the back of
their mind all off-season, this team will be ready to go. Quarterback John
King threw for 14 touchdowns last year and combined to pass and run for over
1,000 yards. As for the running game, Essex graduated their top two
rushers but have some talented athletes waiting in the wings. King's top
target, Adam Almquist, is heading into his senior year and will easily improve
on his 463 receiving yards from last fall. Manning the offense line are
two talented blockers in Tyler Burns and Cliff Holmes. Defensively, Cody
Burns will lead this team as he finished with an fifteen sacks. Also keep
an eye on Wyatt Setterberg. Honestly, this team has too many players
coming back to list all of them. Hamburg finished second in the district
and that contest was not exactly close when they played. Ryan Haupt was
basically 90% of the offense and he will be gone. He finished the year
with a mind blowing 2,279 yards rushing. Aaron Lang is back on defense and
he finished the year with 100 tackles. He also was a second team All
District selection at running back. Nishna Valley will be hoping to make
the jump from a middle of the pack team to competing for the district title.
Along the offensive line, Murphy Mastin is a load
of a player and will be plowing open holes for running back Austin Duysen.
Also having Bryan Bowen at quarterback and wide receiver Kyle Dornburgh will
make the offense even more potent. If the Blackhawks can prove they can
stop people, they could make a run at Essex for the playoff berth. It
appears that the strong side of Malvern will be their defense. Back from
last year is lineman Jack Donnelly, linebacker Nick Greiner, and linebacker
Bryce Tornquist. All three earned All District honors a year ago and will
provide a definite strong point early in the season for this team. The
only two games that Fremont-Mills could win were in-district. But with a
very young team this year, the table could turn very easily. Quarterback
Ryan Pickens is back and although he really needs to reduce his interceptions,
he is a talented athlete. Seth Blackburn was his leading target a year ago
and he will be back for one more year of prep football. Sidney was a very
young team last year and that will really start to pay off this time around.
If they can be more consistent on both sides of the ball, which comes with age,
the Cowboys could surprise some people. One of the top returning athletes
for Farragut is Luk Miller. This
two-way player made a name for himself defensively but also helped on the
offensive side of things. He will be a vital cog on both sides of the ball
for his team.
Preseason District MVP: John King
If he can lead Essex to another district title, John King deserves some love as
District MVP.
Sleeper Team: Fremont-Mills
Don't be surprised if the Knights shock some people this fall.
Sleeper Player: Austin Duysen
Duysen is a talented running back who put up big numbers as a junior.
District Champion: Essex
The easy pick is Essex on top, even though Nishna Valley will give them a run
for their money. The question marks are how will the other teams finish?
It really could get interesting.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 5 in
2006
Team
Essex *
Nishna Valley
Fremont-Mills
Hamburg
Malvern
Sidney
Farragut
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 6[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Six did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Adair-Casey
1-4
3-6
CAM, Anita (A)
2-7
2-7
Exira
2-3
2-7
South Page
3-2
4-5
Stanton
3-1
7-1
Villisca
0-4
1-7
Walnut *
4-0
7-2
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 6 do in the playoffs?
Walnut
Lost to Essex in the quarterfinals (48-40)
Thoughts on District 6 for 2006:
After losing current Iowa Hawkeye Tyler Blum after the 2004 season, Walnut
still was able to win the district and get back into the playoffs this past
fall. That was somewhat of a shocker with the amount of talent that the
Warriors had but shows that they are starting to develop a solid football
program. But on paper, this appears that there is a chance that this is
their rebuilding year. Gone is their quarterback, top three rushers, and
top two receivers. Defensive lineman Ryan Frahm is the only returning All
District player and he will need to anchor the defensive attack. There are
a lot of question marks that will need to be answered early in the year.
Stanton was in a similar situation because they had a loaded senior class that
graduated a number of starters. And in similar fashion to Walnut, the only
All District player returning for the Vikings is defensive lineman Janssen
Ludwigs. The biggest question mark that needs to be answered for Stanton
is quarterback. Drew Whigham has put up monster numbers over the past few
years and will be greatly missed. And with an offense that primarily
passed the ball, a talented quarterback is needed for the offense to go.
Junior Ben Snyder saw time in a variety of roles last fall and will get a chance
to play more on both sides of the ball. South Page will be extremely
strong along the lines. Returning players Jacob Bryant and Lowell Maxwell
will need to plow open holes for the skill players. Quarterback Tyler
Stevens and leading rusher Zach Stevens will definitely help bolster the
offensive attack for the Rebels. Exira will be making the move over after
playing in district four the past two years. But with leading rusher Adam
Ratzlaff and linebacker Travis Nelson back for another year, that will really
help ease the transition. What is impressive is that Ratzlaff finished the
year with over 1,000 yards combined rushing and receiving. That just shows
his versatility. One big question that went through the minds of 8-man
fans last year was what happened to Adair-Casey? They may have had the
most impressive history in 8-man football and yet they finished last year 3-6.
That just shows that even the best teams have to rebuild every once in a while.
And considering what they have accomplished, there is no way that this program
can stay down for an extended period of time. Both of their All District
selections, Andrew Leeper and Brandon Bowman, are back and they won't want to
end their career with two straight non-playoff appearances. If the Bombers
want to turn things around, they most come to play every week and be a lot more
consistent. Villisca was only able to win one game last season but it
appeared that they played their best football at the end of the season.
Dustin Haffner was the team's leading rusher and he accomplished that as a
freshman. It is obvious that he has a bright future but with another year
of experience, he will be hoping to lead his team to more wins. CAM, Anita
is a new team to 8-man football and will be transitioning from Class A.
This will be a different team that went 2-7 last year because all four of their
All District selections will be graduated.
Preseason District MVP: Andrew Leeper
Talented athlete does a lot for Adair-Casey.
Sleeper Team: Walnut
On paper they lost everyone. But that didn't stop them from doing the same
thing last fall.
Sleeper Player: Adam Ratzlaff
Very versatile athlete who does a lot for Exira.
District Champion: Adair-Casey
This district really is a mess. I wouldn't be shocked to see just about
any team in here take the title.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 6 in
2006
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Adair-Casey *
1-4
3-6
Walnut
4-0
7-2
South Page
3-2
4-5
CAM, Anita (A)
2-7
2-7
Exira
2-3
2-7
Stanton
3-1
7-1
Villisca
0-4
1-7
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 7[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Seven did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
East Union (A)
2-7
2-7
Grandview Park
Baptist
3-2
5-4
Lamoni
4-1
8-1
Lenox *
5-0
9-0
Martensdale-St.
Marys (A) *
8-1
8-1
Mormon Trail
0-5
1-8
Murray
2-3
5-4
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 7 do in the playoffs?
Martensdale-St. Marys
Lost to AHST in the quarterfinals (37-0)
Lenox
Defeated Melcher-Dallas in the quarterfinals (50-12)
Defeated Essex in the semifinals (56-6)
Lost to Glidden-Ralston in the championship game (35-26)
There appears to be a great three team race in district seven.
Obviously the other four teams want to say different but there is a lot of
talent that will be competing with one another. Starting with Lenox, the
8-man runner ups in 2005. They gave it their all and although they came up
short, that does not take away from what they accomplished during the season.
But the Tigers graduated five All District players and there will be a lot of
holes to fill. But with Kalab Evans back in the fold, look for Lenox to
come to play every game. Evans is an outstanding athlete who is getting by
the year. Lamoni's only loss all of last season was to Lenox in district
play. And that lost was enough to send the Demons home for the playoffs.
And that thought has been on their mind all off-season as the work for the fall.
All District selections Keegan Smith, Zach Kotz, and Cody Rowland bolster a team
that will compete for a district title. Smith's top receiver, Tim Carr,
also is back after totaling over 300 receiving yards. One of the biggest
mysteries in 8-man is why did Martensdale-St. Marys make the move down?
They ended last year 8-1 and made the playoffs in Class A. And although
they were hit hard by graduation, this team will be tough to beat. John
Bunch returns and he will be needed to anchor both sides of the line. He
is the only returning all district selection for the Blue Devils and his
leadership will be needed this year. Look for Josh Catron to get more
attempts in the ground game. He has waited his turn patiently and has
earned a chance. Athlete Jacob Perkins was second on the team in
interceptions and he makes it tough for opponents to throw the ball. East
Union will also be making the trip down from Class A but they only won two games
last year. The two games that they did win were by a big margin but their
closest game all year was twenty six points. So it was either big win or
blowout loss. The Eagles must change that this season. Grandview
Park Baptist returns two All District selections in Eric
Nilius and Dan Burkhart but the team must prove
they can play with the big boys. Their two losses in district were to the
top two teams. And in both games, the contests were not close. So if
the Defenders want to compete for a district title, they must be able to play
with the top teams. Murray ended the year with a record that was over .500
but was only 2-3 in district. Back for the Mustangs are Patrick Flaherty
and Ryan Robins. Both made an impact for the team and should be improved
this fall. Mormon Trail struggled mightily last season and will need a
complete turn around if they want to win some games.
Preseason District MVP: Keegan Smith
If he can lead his team to the district title, Smith would earn this honor.
Sleeper Team: Lenox
They are a team that I personally wouldn't sleep on for very long.
Sleeper Player: Kalab Evans
I would say the only reason people are overlooking him is his age. He is a
fantastic athlete.
District Champion: Lamoni
I really see this being a three team race but Lamoni has enough experience to
come out on top.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 7 in
2006
Team
Lamoni *
Martensdale-St.
Marys
Lenox
Grandview Park
Baptist
East Union
Murray
Mormon Trail
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
8-Man - District 8[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight did during the 2005 season:
Team
District Record
Regular Season Record
Melcher-Dallas *
5-0
8-1
Tri-County (A)
3-6
3-6
Moravia
0-5
1-8
Russell
3-2
3-6
Seymour
1-4
1-8
Harmony
2-3
3-6
Twin Cedars,
Bussey
4-1
7-2
*Denotes playoff berth
How
did District 8 do in the playoffs?
Melcher-Dallas
Lost to Lenox in the quarterfinals (50-12)
Thoughts on District 8 for 2006:
With the success recently of Melcher-Dallas, they have proven that they can
fight for a playoff berth almost every year. But with the talent that
graduated last year, the Saints may have a very difficult road. Gone are
all of their All District selections as well as most of their skilled athletes.
If Melcher-Dallas wants to compete for a district title like they have grown
accustomed to, they will need a number of their younger players to step up.
Twin Cedars, Bussey was unable to make the postseason and also had a very
talented senior class. Jesse DeGeest was one of most underrated athletes
in Iowa and he has since graduated. Junior running back Brent Goemaat
returns after finishing the year the second leading rusher. He will get a
chance to see more carries in the offense. Defensively, the team will need
to pick up their play to be able to stop the opposition. Tri-County will
be making the jump down from Class A and hopes to use that to their advantage.
The Trojans had some stiff competition against the likes of North Mahaska and
others but was still able to win three games. And with the talent they
have back, Tri-County could be the team to beat. Quarterback Ryan Schmidt
is back as well as his top two targets. They will need to find a
consistent runner to get the ground game going but the pieces are there for a
run at the postseason. The biggest question mark is how quickly they
adjust to 8-man football but they are a team to watch this year. Russell
lost their first four games of the year by a very bad margin but was able to win
three of their last five and finish the year with a win. Hopefully for
them, that momentum can help propel them into a solid season in 2006.
Harmony did most of their damage offensively on the ground and had to say
goodbye to their leading rusher. But with Cody Denly back for his senior
year, the rushing attack will be in good hands. Denly finished the year
with 630 yards and went over the 100 yard mark in three contests. Denly is
also a vital cog to the Rocket defensive attack as well. Seymour was only
able to win one game all year and that was in district play. This was also
the same team that lost 116-0 to Melcher-Dallas so they have a long ways to go.
Moravia's only win of the year came against Mormon Trail, who struggled as well.
It could be another interesting game between Moravia and Seymour.
Preseason District MVP: Ryan Schmidt
Schmidt will need his A game if he can help the team to a playoff berth.
Sleeper Team: Melcher-Dallas
On paper, they are not very strong but that has not stopped them from the
playoffs before.
Sleeper Player: Cody Denly
Although he is an undersized athlete, he knows how to make plays.
District Champion: Tri-County
Tri-County has talent, speed, and size while coming down from Class A.
IowaPreps.com Predictions for District 8 in
2006
Team
Tri-County *
Melcher-Dallas
Twin Cedars,
Bussey
Russell
Harmony
Moravia
Seymour
*Denotes playoff prediction
Agree/disagree? Talk about it right now!
This post was edited on 7/25 9:18 AM by LukeFeddersenif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
