Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Clear Creek Amana seniors Noah Collis and Ian Kelley share several similarities on the football field.

Both standing 5-foot-8 and powerfully built Collis and Kelley have a similar physical stature.

The two played the same positions, running back and linebacker, for much of their football careers.

During their time at the varsity level the past several seasons the two have even had a comparable jersey number, Collis wears number 32, Kelley number 31.

Early on in their careers those parallels led to some confusion moments.

“When coach (Pedersen) came in my sophomore year we did the split back with me and Ian and we always got mixed up as each other, people were always calling us the same name,” Collis explained. “I would hear Ian’s name getting yelled and they are pointing at me to come in. It’s gotten better now but they mixed us up a lot at first.”

Despite the numerous resemblances Collis and Kelley have each followed a unique football journey to their current roles as leaders on a Clear Creek Amana squad hungry to improve on its 4-5 record from last season.

Collis, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound running back/linebacker saw action early in his career, rushing for 283 yards and a touchdown and adding nine receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore.

Last season Collis was part of a running back rotation and ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns while splitting time at linebacker.

This season Collis will pair perfectly with Kelley in the Clipper backfield as a one-two punch as both backs bring a similar build but different running styles.

“I would say I am the more shifty of the two,” Collis said. “I think both of us are able to put the moves on somebody and not only being a running back that is able to put the shoulder down.”

The 5-foot-8, 195-pound Kelley started his career at running back and linebacker.

Kelley ranked second on the team in rushing last season with 263 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Late last season Kelley found a new position on defense when a mid-season shift to defensive line played immediate dividends.

“I used to play linebacker and they put me on scout team at nose guard one week before Pella and they liked what they saw and the next season I’m a lineman,” Kelley said. “It’s just contact every single play and I love it.”

Kelley made 26.5 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season.

He spent the offseason prepping for his new defensive role as a nose guard building strength in the weight room and physicality on the rugby field.

A member of the West High Rugby team that placed third at the state tournament, Kelley says the offseason sport has made him a better football player.

“I worked to get bigger and stronger and I played a lot of rugby this offseason and I got a lot of strength and speed,” Kelley said. “It’s a lot of running, it’s so much cardio, I didn’t know it was going to be that much cardio. It’s a lot of sprinting, tackling and getting up and continuing to go.”

This season both Kelley and Collis expect to be anchors up the middle on a Clear Creek Amana defense that will look to improve on the 23.3 points and 280 total yards per game it allowed last season.

“We have Ian Kelley and some guys up front that I can help us establish the line of scrimmage,” Clear Creek Amana coach Lance Pedersen said. “If you don’t win the line of scrimmage that’s a hard game to win.”

While Kelley and Collis have differences in their games now the one trait the duo has always shared is physicality.

That is what Collis believes makes the tandem the perfect backfield fit for a Clipper team that wants to run the football.

“Both of us being back there as powerhouses I think it just sets the tone,” Collis said. “When we are in there Ian leading up the middle, me leading up the middle it doesn’t matter we are getting three yards, five yards. We are getting it done.”

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