Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Similar scripts have produced identical records for City High the past two seasons.

Each year season-opening wins led to solid starts before late-season skids resulted in back-to-back 2-7 campaigns for the Little Hawks.

Despite the recent rough stretch there is a different feel surrounding City High this season and it starts with the return of a talented duo in the offensive backfield.

Junior quarterback Raph Hamilton and senior running back Tonka Hickman return with a year of varsity experience under their belts as City High seeks its first winning season since 2016.

“We feel really good about those two guys in the backfield and what they can do,” City High coach Dan Sabers said. “Then you add Kolbe Schnoebelen at center and right down the middle we feel really good about what we’ve got.”

Hamilton and Hickman took turns flashing their massive potential last season in their varsity debut seasons.

Hickman rushed for 832 yards and seven touchdowns while Hamilton passed for 870 yards and four scores.

A year older and more experienced Hamilton and Hickman provide a dynamic offensive duo for a City High squad looking to put the memories of past two seasons in the rear-view mirror.

“We let last season motivate us,” Hamilton said. “We felt like last year we were working really hard and getting after it but we felt like we didn’t prepare as well so that’s one thing we are focusing on. We really have to go out and execute. We don’t have a lot of numbers so we have to be executing every play. We can’t be making silly mistakes. We are just trying to be the best possible versions of ourselves we can be.”

Perhaps no player better displays the difference in attitude this season than Hamilton.

Hamilton looked the part of a varsity quarterback a year ago but spent most of the season getting used to the speed of the game.

After spending last season learning Hamilton has a full grasp of the City High offense and is total control of the huddle.

“We started to see it as we went last year, he’s such a good kid and if you ask him to study something, he will study it and study it and study it. He will put in all the extra time there,” Sabers said. “He’s very athletic now, we ask him to do a lot and he is getting better every week.”

Hamilton showed tremendous growth during his first season.

After completing six of his first 26 varsity passes for 84 yards over the opening three games Hamilton finished the year going 55-of-114 for 786 in six games as the full-time starter.

“I felt like as the season went on, I improved and that was the big thing,” Hamilton said. “From week one to week nine I felt like I got so much better. My teammates really helped me with that and that experience was really huge.”

Hamilton has improved physically as well, adding nearly 25 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame pushing his weight to 225 pounds.

After rushing for 126 yards and two touchdowns last season a stronger, faster Hamilton figures to be a bigger factor in the run game as a junior.

“It really allows you to simplifying things when you have a big strong quarterback like that,” Sabers said. “We are going to run him some but when you have a quarterback that is a running threat as well as passing threat that reduces the playbook. You don’t need to have a bunch of plays to try to get different things done. He’s a smart kid and he always knows he can go out and run.”

Even as a junior Hamilton has established himself as a team leader.

He spent of offseason organizing throwing sessions with receivers and building a report with his offensive lineman.

That leadership showed up when Hamilton was voted as one of three City High captains along with Hickman and Schnoebelen.

“He has an arm on him, he’s a good role model for our team and he brings a lot of energy to our team,” Hamilton said. “He’s like our glue.”  

Hickman had his own strong debut season a year ago leading the Little Hawks in rushing while averaging nearly 4.8 yards per carry.

The speedy 186-pounder has added size to his frame in hopes of improving on his numbers from a year ago.

“I feel like I am in a better spot right now to have a great season this year,” Hickman said. “We’ve all worked really hard, we just have to keep striving and keep moving.”

Hickman had four 100-yard games last season and went over the 100-yard mark three times in the final five games.

“He has gotten bigger, stronger and faster and he just understands everything so well,” Sabers said. “He got a good taste of things last year so we are very excited about what he can do.”

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