Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West Branch

Head coach: Butch Pedersen (39th season, 321-80)

Assistant coaches: John Hierseman, Tyler Bailey, Kevin Braddock, Jason Pedersen, Chet Wisniewski, Roger Suchomel, Bryan Rohrbach

Last season: 5-3 (Class 1A second round)

Returning starters: Andy Henson, Jr., RB/LB; Drake Berry, Sr., OL/DL; Carver Boelk, Jr., QB/DB; Kinnick Boelk, Jr., RB/S; Peyton Miller, Sr., WR/CB; Cole Bailey, Sr., OL/LB; Brady Hunger, Sr., TE/LB; Cash Woody, Sr., WR/S

Newcomers to watch: Holden Arnaman, Soph., WR/DB; Cale Seydel, Soph., WR/DB; Logan Wright, Soph., OL/DL; Wyatt Fiderlein, Jr., WR/LB; Aiden Dingbaum, Jr., OL/DL; Reese Trepanier, Soph., OL/LB; Seth Franzoni, Sr., OL/DL

Playoff history: 28 appearances (1988-1996, 1998, 2000, 2002-2005, 2008-2020). West Branch won Class 1A state titles in 1989, 1991 and 1992.

District: Class 1A, District 5

District favorite: Regina. The 2020 Class A champion, Regina moves up a class in the new alignment in 2021 and will be the favorite in a loaded District 5 that also features perennial 1A power Mediapolis.

Circle the date: October 8 at Regina. The District 5 title should be hotly contested with as many as four teams potentially in the mix but no district games is more anticipated than the first regular season meeting between these two rivals since 2013.

Headliner: One of the better all-around players in 1A junior Andy Henson averaged better than 100 yards per game on the ground last season rushing for 893 yards and eight touchdowns, caught 32 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown and ranked second on the team with 32 tackles and two interceptions.

Unsung hero: Lineman have a tendency to fly under the radar but that may be tough for Drake Berry to do this season. A strong offseason in the weight room has the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Berry looking like a different player and poised for a huge senior season on both sides of the ball.

Keep an eye on: Senior Peyton Miller led the Bears in receptions (34) and receiving yards (308) and also had two interceptions last season and will look to become an even bigger part of the equation on both sides of the ball this season. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Miller will be a factor on special teams as well after averaging 17.2 yards per punt return as a junior.

Biggest question: How does a young West Branch team weather a challenging regular season schedule? West Branch lost talented players at key spots from last year’s team that went 5-3 and has a long history of reloading as well as any small school program in the state. The Bears will be tested by a challenging schedule as it attempts to work players into some new roles and how West Branch responds to that challenge, especially early will be a key. Half of the eight teams on the regular season schedule won seven or more games a year ago. West Branch travels to Lisbon (7-3) for the season opener before hosting Waterloo Columbus (8-2) and also has road trips to Mediapolis (7-3) and Regina (11-1).

Quotable: “West Branch is always been a team where people seem to doubt us every year,” West Branch senior Peyton Miller said. “I feel like this year there is more doubt than other years just because we lost Gavin who was an amazing quarterback and Jeff Bowie who is one of the best lineman to ever come through West Branch but we want to show people they don’t have any reason to worry.”

2021 Schedule

August 27: at Lisbon

September 3: Waterloo Columbus

September 10: at Maquoketa Valley

September 17: Louisa-Muscatine*

September 24: at Mediapolis*

October 1: Durant*

October 8: at Regina*

October 15: Wilton*

*– District game

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