Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West High

Head coach: Garrett Hartwig (12^th season, 68-46)

Assistant coaches: Tyler Meade; Mike Kauzlarich; Grant Hegarty; Erik Nelson; Bruce Davis; Ty Haren; John Gluesing; Josh Flammang; Stephen Breitbach; Paul Breitbach; Noah Breitbach; Tim Sturgell; Trey Bronn; Mark Moody; Aiden Sorenson; Shane Sedenka; John Lawrence

Last season: 6-5 (Class 5A quarterfinals)

Returning starters: James Barnett, Soph., OL/DL; Kellen Craig, Sr., FS; Adrian DeWaard, Sr., S/RB; Henry Elser, Sr., WR/FS; Ethan Headings, Sr., WR/LB; Campbell Janis, Sr., RB/LB; Jack Law, Sr., DE; Julian Manson, Sr, LB/WR; Elite Mbulekoya, Sr., DE; Mamadou Sow, Sr., DL; KingSton Swayzer, Jr., DB; Lowden Van Dael, Sr., OL/DE; Collin Whitters, Sr., OL

Other returning letterwinners: La’Marrie Carter, Jr., RB/DE; AJ Hodge, Jr., DB; Neil James, Jr., DB/WR; Mikey Moody, Jr., QB/LB; Kingston Ross, Jr., LB/RB; Carter Spark, Jr., DB/WR; Grahm Towler, Jr., DE; Cade Towler, Jr., DB/WR; Jordi Zioka, Jr., OL

Newcomers to watch: Khy Brink, Soph., LB; Cooper Bruxvort, Jr., WR; Jack Caylor, Jr., LB; Moses DeWaard, Jr., LB; Ashten Holmes, Soph., DL; Cooper Prochaska, Soph., DE; Alex Sterba, Soph., OL; Reece Wheeler, Jr., QB; Lucas Whitters, Soph., OL/DL

Playoff history: 20 appearances (1994-1999, 2002, 2003, 2009-2018, 2020, 20024). West High won Class 4A state titles in 1995, 1998, 1999.

Circle the date: August 29 at City High. West High travels across town seeking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Little Hawks after a 40-39 loss last season at Trojan Field.

Headliner: Senior two-way standout Julian Manson (6-3, 225) is one of the top all-around players in the state. An Iowa recruit, Manson had a team-high 86.5 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss last season from his linebacker spot and had 52 receptions for 867 yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns as a wide receiver.

Ready for a breakthrough: After getting his feet wet at the varsity level last season look for sophomore two-way lineman James Barnett (6-0, 225) to emerge as a difference make on both sides of the ball this season.

Unsung hero: Senior defensive lineman Jackson Law (6-3, 185) doesn’t get the headlines of some of his teammates but is expected to be a productive piece of the West High defense after ranking fifth on the team with 38 tackles last season including 5.5 for loss and four sacks.

Keep an eye on: Senior offensive lineman Collin Whitters (6-4, 310) is among the best in the state and the Iowa commit will be a huge piece of an offensive line that should be a strong point for the West High offense this season.

Remember the name: Senior defensive back/linebacker Ethan Headings (6-2, 205) is a three-year starter that has emerged as one of the top defensive players in the state. A North Dakota recruit, Headings had 58 tackles with three for loss and an interception last season.

Biggest strength: Experience. West High returns 13 players with starting experience and nine more that saw game action a year ago. Headlining the list of returners is a talented senior class filled with three-year starters that give the Trojans a strong group of leaders on both sides of the ball.

Biggest question: How will the new quarterbacks perform? West High will have a new quarterback for the first time in three seasons with the graduation of the program’s all-time leading passer and four-year starter Jack Wallace. Juniors Mikey Moody (6-0, 200) and Reece Wheeler (5-11, 170) are next in line at quarterback and will lead a Trojan offense that returns talent across the board.

Quotable: “I think what we can take from last year is a few of the losses early in the season were completely on us and one of the mantras in our program is it’s not who you play it’s how you play,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “If we continue to focus on us getting better and one step at a time all about us who knows where you will end up, it’s 5A football every team has dudes, but it’s the team that can internalize and focus themselves that will come out on top and that’s what we are trying to do the most.”

2025 Schedule

Date/Opponent/Record in 2024

August 29: at City High (6-4)

September 5: Dubuque Hempstead (6-3)

September 12: at Pleasant Valley (7-3)

September 19: at Bettendorf (8-2)

September 26: Liberty High (10-2)

October 3: Muscatine (3-6)

October 9: at Davenport Central (2-7)

October 17: at Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-5)

October 24: Linn-Mar (7-3)

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