By Bob Bakken
MaxPreps.com
Football: NFL Pro Bowler Takes Over at Regina
Opponents of the Iowa City Regina football team this season will be seeing a former NFL Pro Bowler directing things on the sideline, beginning Friday night when the Regals meet (Wellman) Mid-Prairie, a Class 2-A state quarterfinalist last season.
Former Iowa Hawkeye All-American (1988) and NFL player Marv Cook has taken the head coaching position for the program this year.
The expectations will be high for Cook at Regina, even without the pedigree. The Regals have won a state championship and a total of 41 contests since 2004.
Cook was in the Pro Bowl after the 1991 and 1992 seasons. He played five seasons with New England, and later with St. Louis and Chicago, before retiring in 1995.
Football: Durant Coaches Resign
Durant head football coach Tom McCleery and three assistants have resigned, just before the start of the season.
The reason is that the school district has wanted all of its coaches to also be teachers in the school system. McCleery is involved in industrial sales and told the Quad City Times newspaper he was aware the district was moving in that direction, but didn't expect it to happen "this week."
It could have had a crippling effect on the Wildcats, as many of the players on the team had considered quitting when the resignations were announced.
"Myself and the other coaches (who left - Greg White, Dave Kraklio and Guy Dierikx) have talked to all of them, and I think we've convinced them - all but two - to rejoin the team," McLeery told the Times.
Durant had 45 players out for football at the high school level, and 19 were on the varsity. Last year's team qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in school history and finished with a 6-4 record as district runner-up.
Athletic director Ryan Blahosky has reportedly taken over as head coach, but has not commented with local media.
Football: Tiger Standout Ineligible
Grades have gotten the best of a senior standout at West Des Moines Valley, at least for now.
Tigers' defensive end Jake McDonough will sit out the first four weeks of the season due to academic ineligibility. McDonough is a recruit of Iowa State and was believed to be one of the first Iowa in-state players to accept a scholarship offer for next season from the Cyclones' new coach, Gene Chizek.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound lineman had 63 tackles last season for the Tigers, including 40 solo tackles. McDonough and his family are planning to ask for a waiver to the eligibility rule, stating Jake was involved in two oral operations and the complications that happened after one of them last year affected his grades.
At least one other Valley starter will not play against crosstown-rival Dowling Catholic Friday night. Running back Joe Johnson isn't expected to play after an off-the-field incident over the summer. Johnson was an all-stater last season for Valley.
Activities Work Not a Boys-Only Club
When some Iowa high schools began their football seasons last Friday night, it was a first time out for some players, coaches, band members.and activities directors.
In the case of Remsen-Union's Heather Youde, she became the latest in a rare breed, as she is one of a hand-full of female activities/athletic directors in the Hawkeye State.
The 29-year old Youde is also a middle school teacher, softball coach, and wife of the Rockets' football coach Colin Youde. Heather Youde believes there are only five women activities directors in the state of Iowa, with another located down the road at Kingsley-Pierson (Nicole Goodwin).
They schedule the games, take care of game-night operations, assist in practice schedules, and oversee the entire athletic department.
Two things went wrong on her first night as an activities director at a football game, someone failed to find the flag for the Star Spangled Banner, and the Rockets lost to (Granville) Spalding Catholic, 22-14.