MaxPreps 2015 Iowa preseason high school football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Nathan Henry's highlights vs. Bishop Heelan Catholic
See the Pella High running back in action last season.


1. Pella
Coach: Jay McKinstrey
2014 finish: 14-0
Team preview

Entering the season as the reigning Class 3A state champion, coach McKinstrey's squad may be even better than last year's. An effort to repeat will be led by possibly the state's most dynamic one-two punches in Noah Clayberg and Nathan Henry. Clayberg cracked the 1,000-yard mark in both the passing and rushing categories a season ago while accounting for 35 scores. Having backfield mate Henry only makes the offense that much more dangerous. Look for Austin Schulte to be the highlighted name on defense, as he will work in the trenches and be a bruiser.

Stopping the Dutch offense will be quite the task for opposing defenses, and coach McKinstrey should have his team in position to repeat when all is said and done.

See the Top 12 teams with the most all-time Iowa state titles

2. Valley (West Des Moines)
Coach: Gary Swenson
2014 finish: 10-2
Team preview

For a team that has claimed four state championships since 2003, the Tigers haven't been in a title game since 2011, when they last won a state championship. This year has all the makings to break that streak and could see coach Swenson's team sitting atop Class 4A when the last whistle blows.

Expectations will be high for the Tigers, who welcome back a trio of Rocky Lombardi, John Raridon and Nick Yencer. Lombardi lines up under center after a solid sophomore season and he will be protected by one of the state's top offensive lineman in Raridon. The defensive unit will be led by Yencer, who checks in at linebacker and will provide some thump for the team.

If this team stays healthy and starts firing on all cylinders, it will be a difficult train to stop.

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3. Waukee
Coach: Scott Carlson
2014 finish: 11-2
Team preview

Coach Carlson's bunch comes into 2015 hungry for redemption after a loss in the state semifinals a year ago. The charge will be led by senior quarterback Ben Ferkin, who is back for his final try after a productive junior season.

The Warriors should be a balanced group with some key pieces coming back on both sides of the ball. Ferkin's top option will likely be receiver Adam Rose, in which could be a nice combo for coach Carlson's offense.

Look for Cedric Dobbins, Nick Anderson and Drew Lienemann to be playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.

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4. Dowling (West Des Moines)
Coach: Tom Wilson
2014 finish: 13-1
Team preview

Big changes are in order for a team that comes off back-to-back Class 4A state championship victories. The era of quarterback Ryan Boyle has come to a close, though. Over the past two seasons at Dowling, Boyle had proven that we was arguably the most dominant player in the state, and he will not be easy to replace.

Coach Wilson will be auditioning a handful of players vying to be next in line at the quarterback position. In the mix, and maybe the top option, will be JT Brown, who served as Boyle's backup in 2014. Running back Cole Deskin should help ease the jitters for whoever wins the quarterback battle.

An experienced team will have some learning to do, but coach Wilson's expectations haven't changed and the same goes for the players.

See last season's Iowa football computer rankings

5. Regina (Iowa City)
Coach: Marv Cook
2014 finish: 13-1
Team preview

The Regals will look to make it a sixth-consecutive state title victory in 2015. The loss of quarterback Drew Cook, who has taken his talents to the University of Iowa, will be a significant one. Coach Cook loses some other key contributors from a season ago, but teams don't win five consecutive state titles by accident.

Some important returnees from last season include Justin Hunter, Nathan Stenger and Nick Phillips. Hunter was the team's leading tackler on defense a season ago and will be the anchor for the Regals' defense this fall. Both Stenger and Phillips were top receiving targets last year and should be reliable options on offense.

Coach Cook finds a way to win, and this season should be no different.