Editors note: This is the final article in the eight-part “YPS Top 50” series from Your Prep Sports highlighting 50 of the top returning football players for the 2025 season.

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

 The YPS Top 50 is an eight-story series that highlights 50 of the top returning football players in the Your Prep Sports area by position group.

Over the last several days seven position groups on offense and defense have been highlighted.

Today the series concludes with a look at some of the top returning special teams players in the area for the 2025 season.

Brandon Pedersen

Senior, West Branch

An impact player on both offense and defense Pedersen may be most dangerous on special teams where he returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown last season.

Pedersen made 23.5 tackles and had an interception from his defensive back spot last season and caught 15 passes for a team-high 330 yards and seven touchdowns as a wide receiver.

With that type of production on both offense and defense Pedersen would have to be extremely dynamic in the return game to be a bigger weapon on special teams.

Yet that’s exactly what Pedersen did last season.

The Class 2A 100 meter champion at the state track and field meet in May, Pedersen averaged 28.6 yards per return on eight kickoff returns including a 92-yarder for a touchdown.

Pedersen also averaged 16.1 yards per return on 13 punt returns with a 54-yard touchdown return.

In addition to his return work Pedersen also punted 12 times with a 32.2 yard average.

Adam Salem

Senior, West High

Among the most accurate and reliable place kickers in the state Salem has converted on 58 consecutive PAT attempts over the past two seasons.

Salem went 45-of-45 on PAT attempts last season while converting on 4-of-7 field goal attempts.

Over the past three seasons Salem has made 78-of-82 PAT attempts and gone 8-of-12 on field goal attempts.

Nolan Staker

Senior, West Branch

Already a three-year starter at punter Staker is coming off a junior season in which he earned first team all-district honors after averaging 37.2 yards per punt.

Staker posted his 37.2 yard average on 22 punts last season after averaging 37.8 yards on 37 punts as a sophomore in 2023.

Over the past three seasons Staker has averaged better than 37 yards per punt emerging as one of the best punters in the state.

Last season Staker also played quarterback passing for 372 yards and five touchdowns and also rushing for two scores.

Reese Gingerich

Senior, West Branch

Gingerich enters his third season handling the West Branch place kicking duties following a solid junior season in which he showed off a strong leg last season breaking a 22-year old West Branch school record with a 49 yard field goal.

Over the past two seasons Gingerich has connected on 50-of-54 PAT attempts and made 5-of-11 field goals highlighted by his 49 yarder against Durant.

Gingerich was 21-of-23 on PAT attempts last season and had five touchbacks on 36 kick offs.

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