Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – West High hasn’t been to the top of Class 5A football mountain the past two seasons.

In back-to-back climbs to the 5A quarterfinals the Trojans have gotten a look at what the team in that position looks like.

West High has had consecutive seasons end with quarterfinal losses to the 5A state champion.

First it was a 42-15 loss to eventual 2024 champ Southeast Polk.

Last season it was a 35-0 loss to perennial power West Des Moines Dowling on the Maroon’s way to their first title since 2019.

“We’ve been knocked out of the playoffs two years in a row by the eventual state champion so we know what the best looks like,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “When you have that picture in your head it gives you something to work for.”

With 11 starters returning from last year’s team that finished 8-3 the Trojans will look to continue that ascent toward the top of 5.

The Trojans return a talented core seeking to build on the success of last season as West High posted its highest win total since 2019.

Senior quarterback Reece Wheeler (6-0, 175) returns to lead the Trojan offense after ranking fourth in 4A in passing yards (2,280) and passing touchdowns (22) last season.

Four starting offensive linemen return led by junior Iowa commit James Barnett (6-2, 275) and the Trojans return six starters on a defense that held opponents to 282 total yards and 21.3 points per game.

“It was definitely a sour taste the way it ended,” West High senior Cade Towler said. “We just got destroyed in the quarterfinals and when you get to that point you don’t want to stop there, you want to get to the Dome and win your last game and it’s tough when you lose that. It’s something we’ve thought about pretty much every day.”

If West High is to make good on its goal of advancing past the quarterfinals the Trojans will rely heavily on its veteran offensive line and senior quarter.

A three-year starter James Barnett joins seniors Jordi Zioka (6-1, 305) and Lucas Benitez (5-9, 260) and junior Alex Sterba (5-11, 225) as returning starters from an offensive line that helped West High average 39.4 points and 405 total yards last season.

Wheeler was a big part of that offensive success, completing 61 percent of his passes while posting a 22-5 touchdown to interception ratio and also rushing for 213 yards and four touchdowns.

“We are going to have to rely on those guys up front, they are tough kids and they know the offense, it’s their third year in the system so they have good understanding of it,” Hartwig said. “For them it’s just a matter of putting it together. It always takes a little bit of time but it’s a good group and they have a good leader in James Barnett and we are going to have to rely on them and then Reece’s experience will help too and they are going to make the other guys around them better.”

West High has holes to fill at the offensive skill positions around Wheeler.

The Trojans must replace a 1,000-yard rusher in Campbell Janis and a 1,000-yard receiver in Ethan Headings along with veteran playmaker Julian Manson who all graduated.

Hartwig likes the players poised to step up in those spots.

That includes veterans like Towler (5-11, 170) who caught 11 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown last season and senior Neil James (6-2, 180) who had six receptions for 74 yards.

that.”

“We’ve got really good athletes there,” Hartwig said. “Cade Towler was a state championship hurdler so he is a good athlete and he’s a really smart kid and he was a part of that receiving group last year he was just number four with three division one guys around him. He’s going to be able to do some really good things and we have some young guys that have really stepped up.”

James, Towler and fellow senior AJ Hodge (6-1, 175) return to anchor a secondary that will be the strength of the West High defense.

Hodge ranked fifth on the team with 32.5 tackles last season and will move into a hybrid role on the West High defense that will allow him to play in the box more this season.

“A big thing on my mind is stopping the run,” Hodge said. “This is Iowa football, once you stop the run nine times out of 10 the game is over. I’ve been a cornerback and that’s my first nature, so I’ve worked a lot on stopping the run and then focusing on the pass. If we can make a team one dimensional the game is over.”

Jack McLaskey (5-11, 185), Kingstone Ross (5-11, 210) and Graham Towler (5-11, 190) all returning with starting experience on the defensive line along with junior Ashten Holmes (5-11, 200).

Ross had 24 tackles with 3.5 for loss last season, Graham Towler had 19.5 tackles with 5.5 for loss and Holmes had 19 tackles with 4.5 for loss including 3.5 sacks.

Seniors Moses DeWaard (5-10, 195) and Jack Caylor (5-10, 190) and junior Khylin Brink (5-10, 205) are all back at linebacker after combining for 42 tackles a year ago.

“For us it’s just about being aggressive,” Cade Towler said. “Our coaches have set it up so we can be aggressive and not leave holes in the defense. It’s a lot of having trust in your teammates so if we can do that and use your technique well it’s going to go well.”

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