Iowa & Nebraska: Dowling Catholic, Bellevue West are more teams to watch

Don't forget Sioux City East and Grand Island

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Jul 4, 2010, 11:32am
In football-crazed states like Iowa and Nebraska, it’s never too early to look ahead to next season. After all, two-a-days begin in about a month. With that in mind, we continue our weekly look at some of the top teams to watch in both states for the upcoming season.
 
Dowling (West Des Moines, Iowa)
Coach: Tom Wilson (46-11, five seasons)
Last season: 12-1, lost in Iowa 4A semifinals
Key players: TE-LB Ben Boesen (6-4, 205, Sr.); DB Jason McMurray (6-0, 170, Sr.); WR Amara Darboh (6-2, 190, Jr.); OL Mitchell Woods (5-11, 235, Sr.); QB Connor Bravard (6-0, 185, Sr.)
 
Outlook: When preseason rankings are released next month, don’t be surprised if you see Dowling Catholic atop some of the lists. The Maroons return eight offensive and three defensive starters from a team that was No. 1 or No. 2 most of last season before losing in the semifinals in heartbreaking fashion to Marshalltown. “We return three starters on our offensive line and some good skill players,” said Wilson. That’s the good news. The bad news is all-state quarterback Mike Hudson – now at Army – must be replaced. On defense, there is an overall lack of experience. However, the unit has two very strong anchors in Boesen and McMurray, who were all-conference performers last season.
 
Prediction: Picking a 4A favorite this preseason is a bit of a crapshoot anyway, so it’s definitely not crazy to peg Dowling Catholic as the team to beat. The Maroons will match up with just about anyone in the state in terms of team speed and overall athleticism. It might be too much to expect another 12-win season but don’t be surprised if they at least make another trip to the UNI-Dome in the postseason.
 
Sioux City East (Sioux City, Iowa)
Coach: Bob Goodvin (5-5, one season)  
Last season: 5-5, lost in Iowa 4A playoffs first round
Key players: WR Quenton James (6-1, 170, Sr.); LB-FB Brad Stapleton (6-0, 190, Sr.); DL Mike Malek (6-2, 245, Sr.); DB Ryan Anderson (5-7, 175, Sr.); OL-DL Mike Soole (6-2, 265, Sr.); TE-DE Dillon Godfrey (6-6, 255, Jr.)
 
Outlook: Goodvin expects a bigger, stronger and more physical squad than his first season leading the Black Raiders. If the prediction comes to fruition and the team runs the ball better, this could be East’s best team in several years. “I think we could be a top 10 team (in the state),” said the coach. There are six starters back on each side of the ball. The top player is James, who caught 65 passes for 910 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior and is one of the state’s top college prospects. Stapleton (68 tackles) and Malek are the key players back from a defense that struggled at times last season.

Prediction: East is the only current member of the Missouri River Activities Conference to ever win a 4A football championship. That makes a seemingly impossible task appear at least plausible for Black Raiders faithful. Experience is an area of strength and putting points on the board is not a major concern. If the defense comes around and a consistent run game is developed, the Black Raiders will at the very least challenge Council Bluffs Lincoln for a conference championship.
 
Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 
Coach: John Faiman (record not available, 24 seasons)  
Last season: 4-6, lost in Nebraska Class A playoffs first round
Key players: DL-OL Taylor Sidzyik (6-3, 200, Sr.); RB Tim Neal (5-10, 185, Sr.); RB-DB Dennis Barfield (6-0, 180, Jr.); LB-RB Bo Liekhus (5-11, 185, Jr.); DE-WR Trevor Lapoint (6-3, 225, Sr.)
 
Outlook: This is one of the state’s most consistent Class A programs, qualifying for the postseason every year but one since 2001. Although Faiman – a former University of Nebraska quarterback and a college assistant – hasn’t lead a team past the second round of the playoffs, the last three teams to eliminate West reached the state championship game. The Thunderbirds return more than half their starters on both sides of the ball and might have one of the state’s top rushing attacks. Both Neal and Barfield are talented rushers who each earned honorable mention all-district accolades last season. Defensively, West is strong from the inside out. First team all-district honoree Sidzyik should have a big senior season as should athletic edge player Lapoint.
 
Prediction: Neither West nor crosstown rival Bellevue East has ever made a serious run at a state football title, so history cautions against tabbing the Thunderbirds as a championship contender despite their depth of talent and experience. If the defense improves and the offense produces more consistently than it did in 2009, look for West to at least be a top 10 team in the state.

Grand Island (Neb.)
Coach: Jeff Tomlin (44-29, eight seasons)
Last season: 7-4, lost in Nebraska Class A quarterfinals 
Key players: TE-LB Max Ayoub (6-2, 210, Sr.); QB Adam Werner (6-1, 180, Sr.); OL-LB Josh Wheeler (5-11, 220, Sr.); RB-DB Nolan Kawata (5-9, 180, Sr.); RB-DB Cody Foland (5-8, 175, Sr.)
 
Outlook: The Islanders don’t have a lot of star power but Tomlin says his roster is filled with hard working seniors. “The key for our squad will be building our offensive and defensive lines,” said the coach. “I feel by the end of the season, we will be a very good team.” Five starters return on offense including athletic signal caller Werner. Kawata and Foland also bring experience to the table as ball carriers. The Islanders lack greatly experience on defense, where no starters are back on that side of the ball.
 
Prediction: Grand Island seldom misses out on the postseason yet hasn’t made it past the state quarterfinals in 20 years. In order for that to happen in 2010, a lot of positive things will need to happen. The good news is there are 19 seniors on the team who already are two-time letterwinners.
 
Des Moines-based Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He is editor and founder of PrepNation.com. You can reach him at PrepNation@aol.com.

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