Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West Branch

Head coach: Matt Hughes (1^st season)

Assistant coaches: Jarod Tylee; Tyler Bailey; Taylor Larson; Jacob Graves; Drew Finnegan; Ronnie Hughes; Steven Grace; Drake Berry; Wyatt Fiderlein; Chet Wisniewski; Jodee Culver

Last season: 3-7 (Class 1A second round)

Returning starters: Brennen Dale, Sr., QB; Nolan Staker, Sr., QB; Connor Capper, Sr., RB/LB; Cooper Gates, Sr., RB/LB; Michael Montgomery, Sr., OL/DL; Bodee Morehead, Sr., OL/DL; Lincoln Naber, Sr., OL/DL; Brandon Pedersen, Sr., WR/DB; Finn McCollough, Sr., OL/DL; Oliver Trepanier, Sr., FB/OLB; Reece Gingerich, Sr., WR/DB; Keaton Gates, Jr., RB/OLB; Maddux Rushton, WR/DB

Newcomers to watch: Griffin Seydel, Sr.; Logan Christoffel, Sr., Jerrico Hobbs, Sr.; Carter Hetrick, Sr.; Wesley Strong, Sr.; Seth Hosier, Jr.; Connor Sexton, Jr.; Spencer Green, Jr.; Shay Kisinger, Jr.; Garrett Tisinger, Soph.; Arik Marsh, Soph.; Gabe Depoorter, Soph.; Jonah Halter, Fr.

Playoff history: 32 appearances (1988-1996, 1998, 2000, 2002-2005, 2008-2024). West Branch won Class 1A state titles in 1989, 1991 and 1992.

District: Class 2A, District 5 (Alburnett, Anamosa, Bellevue, Monticello, Tipton)

District favorite: West Branch. A newcomer to Class 2A, West Branch enters as the slightest of favorites in a district with three teams jumping up to 2A.  Top challengers for the Bears are Anamosa who went 9-2 a year ago in 2A and a pair of fellow 2A newcomers in Bellevue (7-3 in Class A last season) and Alburnett (5-4 in Class 1A).

Circle the date: September 5 at Regina. A week-two non-district showdown at Regina is the obvious choice here after the Regals snapped a two-game losing streak to West Branch with a 28-10 win in Iowa City last season.

Headliner: Senior linebacker/running back Cooper Gates (5-10, 180) is a big-time difference maker on both sides of the ball. The Class 1A, District 5 defensive player of the year last season, Gates led West Branch in total tackles (61.5), tackles for loss (13) and sacks (7) an also rushed for a team-high 492 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Ready for a breakthrough: Junior Keaton Gates (5-10, 165) was good last season, earning first-team all-district honors as a sophomore but should be in for a huge season with an expanded role especially on offense. Gates rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown while sharing time with his older brother at tailback but is expected to be a much bigger part of a revived West Branch run game this season.

Unsung hero: It’s often lineman that do the dirty work without much recognition but for West Branch that description also fits for senior linebacker/fullback Olivier Trepanier (6-1, 180) who was solid last season as a two-way starter. Trepanier ranked sixth on the team with 31 tackles including two for loss and caught 14 passes for 157 yards. Look for more steady production from Trepanier on both sides of the ball this fall.

Keep an eye on: Senior Michael Montgomery is hard to miss at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds and expects to stand out with his play on both sides of the ball this season. Montgomery is a three-year starter with impressive upside and picked up an offer from Northern Iowa over the summer. Last season Montgomery had 26.5 tackles with four for loss and two sacks and will be an anchor for the Bears on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Remember the name: Senior Lincoln Naber (6-2, 220) is poised for a big season after showing impressive potential last season as a junior when he had 10 tackles for loss and four sacks among his 38 tackles. Naber moved from tight end to the offensive line this season to bolster the Bear offensive front and will continue to be a key piece of an aggressive West Branch front seven.

Biggest strength: Experience. Of the 13 returning starters for West Branch, 12 are seniors many of whom saw action two seasons ago as sophomores. West Branch returns its top passer, rusher, receiver and top two tackles from last season all of which are seniors. The Bears have as much returning experience and production as anyone in its district, they key will be transitioning to a new coaching staff.

Biggest question: How does West Branch look under first year head coach Matt Hughes? The roster returns largely intact but the coaching staff underwent changes in the offseason as Hughes takes over for John Nestor who led the Bears to a 3-7 record in his only season. So, what does West Branch look like under its new coach?

Quotable: “These seniors have had four different head coaches, a lot of change so I came in with the thought process that kids are kids and this is going to be tough on them and I thought I would struggle with buy in but I haven’t, it’s been unbelievable,” West Branch coach Matt Hughes said. “These kids are so resilient, they come out every day and they work hard and they’ve built a family environment so I am ecstatic where we are at right now.”

2025 Schedule

Date/Opponent/Record in 2024

August 29: West Liberty (3-6)

September 5: at Regina (9-2)

September 12: Camanche (1-7)

September 19: Monticello (2-7)

September 26: at Alburnett (5-4)

October 3: at Tipton (3-5)

October 10: Anamosa (9-2)

October 17: at Bellevue (7-3)

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