Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – With 12 career touchdown receptions Trey Eagle is no stranger to coming up with big plays.

Even with his previous penchant for production Eagle had never put on a performance quite like the one he had last week.

In fact, no West Branch receiver had ever had a game like Eagle did in the district opener against Bellevue.

Eagle set a school record with 213 receiving yards on seven receptions and tied the school record with three touchdown passes in a 52-28 win over Bellevue on Thursday at the Little Rose Bowl.

It was the second three-touchdown game for Eagle who had three of his team-high seven touchdown grabs a season ago in a week nine win over Dyersville Beckman.  

“That’s a great honor when you know how many great football players have come through here,” Eagle said of the records. “My teammates opened that up for me and it could be anyone of us. Any of us could have a night like that and it just happened to be me.”

Eagle emerged as a big part of the Bear passing attack last season catching 28 passes for a team-high 487 yards and seven touchdown as a junior.

As a senior Eagle has ascending into one of the most dangerous receivers in Class 1A.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Eagle has nearly matched his season numbers from a year ago through five games ranking fifth in 1A in both receiving yards (473) and touchdowns (eight).

“I’m comfortable with him and I know I can just throw it up to him and know he’s going to make a play,” West Branch junior quarterback Gavin Hierseman said. “It opens up a whole lot of offense for us.”  

Eagle spent the offseason in the weight room adding strength to his 6-foot-4 frame.

He entered fall camp full of confidence following an all-state baseball season that ended at the state tournament in Des Moines.

Eagle has turned that confidence into action, becoming one of the most valuable players on both sides of the ball for fifth-ranked West Branch (5-0).  

In addition to his explosive playmaking on offense, Eagle leads West Branch with two interceptions, including one in the win over Bellevue last week, and has 12.5 tackles from his defensive back spot.

“I think it really just built a lot of confidence seeing how well baseball went,” Eagle said. “Coming into football I had to be a leader and having this kind of start to the season is a real confidence boost for me and for everybody.”

Eagle is a matchup up nightmare for defenses with his ability to stretch the field as well as go up over smaller defenders for catches.

He has also become a security blanket for Gavin Hierseman in his first season as the starting quarter.

“It’s just such a comfort level with him,” West Branch offensive coordinator John Hierseman said. “You can throw it anywhere. He’s really our security blanket.”

Eagle has been as consistent as he has been explosive.

He has at least three receptions and 33 yards receiving in every game this season and has caught a touchdown in four consecutive games.

The production from Eagle has helped West Branch average 33.4 points and 340 total yards per game.

“Obviously its really fun for me being a receiver in our offense but that’s no discredit to our line or Tanner (Lukavsky),” Eagle said. “We can still run the ball, Tanner is still the best back in 1A in my opinion and that just makes our offense really powerful and I think the fact that we can open up and still run the ball is really important.”

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