Iowa Team Preview | Top Contender: Indianola

Take a look as Prep Redzone Iowa previews some of the state’s top contenders who, at least on paper, have what it takes to push for a title. From 5A down there are plenty of programs who have what it takes to challenge the reigning champions. Will any of these squads take it all? The Indians had a very successful 2020 season against arguably one of the hardest schedules in the state. They stand to benefit greatly from the addition of the 5A classification as a program that will remain in 4A. Expect Indianola to be very competitive. Recap The Indians traversed an absolute bear of a schedule in 2020 facing the likes of Ankeny, Dowling Catholic, Urbandale, and Waukee. The strength of schedule was just about as difficult as it could have been. They managed a 4-5 overall record, which may feel underwhelming at first glance, but upon close inspection it is easy to see the Indians were a lot more impressive than their record. Two of their losses were close games that could have gone the other way against tough competition. The other three were against some of the state’s top programs who made deep playoff runs and are now playing in 5A. Indianola is arguably Iowa’s best team to have finished last year with a losing record and, with realigned classifications and districts, should be able to contend in 4A. They return one of the state’s best running backs and several members of a stingy defense in what could be a big year for the Indians. Outlook Indianola’s schedule is anything but easy with programs like Ankeny Centennial, Glenwood, Lewis Central, and Carlisle on the docket. It is, however, far more manageable than what they went up against last year and one has to figure that those past experiences will have the Indians as prepared as possible for this year’s tests. The Indians will kick off the 2021 season with a home contest against Centennial. Similar to Indianola, the Jaguars have a ton of talent and last year’s record should not be what people look to when setting expectations. This will be a high profile matchup and a great way to immediately gauge just how high the ceiling can be for this year’s Indianola team. The Indians will be bringing back a bulk of their skill, minus their Quarterback, on offense. Brady Blake will look to assume that role and is set up well with three dynamic weapons to work with and a couple of the state’s better two-way linemen to operate behind. Indianola attacks with multiple formations that often include a Tight End or lead back. They should be hard to stop, especially on the ground. The Indians are bringing back a dominant tandem at Linebacker and the front seven, in general, should be very solid. The Indian defense allowed 23 points per game last year with some of Iowa’s most explosive offenses factoring in. That statistic is sure to change in Indianola’s favor. Top Returning Players Indianola is returning plenty of key players that are battle tested and should bring plenty of leadership to the field: Running Back [player_tooltip player_id="147958" first="Kael" last="Kolarik"], Wide Receivers Colton Gordon and Will Shivers, Offensive Linemen Will Teasdale and Cael Crawford, Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="148851" first="Jacob" last="Lundberg"] and Carter Erickson, and Defensive Linemen [player_tooltip player_id="148784" first="Walker" last="Whalen"] and James Naughton. Several of these athletes play and contribute both ways. The Indians undoubtedly have a strong nucleus to build around. Strengths The greatest strength of this Indianola team has to be their running game. They are exceptional in the trenches on both sides of the ball and have an outstanding group of Linebackers, but their talent and play design on the ground is undeniable. Their success and ability to make a deep playoff run likely hinges most on this. [player_tooltip player_id="147958" first="Kael" last="Kolarik"]’s skill set as a ball carrier is a perfect match for the Indians’ offensive scheme and he will be toting the rock behind some outstanding, experienced Offensive Linemen and lead blockers. Kolarik is so impressive at reading blocks, cutting off of them, and getting into space. He breaks a lot of contact and has both the straight line speed and speed through changes of direction to rival anyone. Biggest Question Will the Indians have the firepower on offense and coverage on defense to hang with some of the more high powered teams in 4A? They are certainly one of the programs who could gain the most from the addition of a new 5A classification that has thinned out the competition quite a bit, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Bumping into a program like Dallas Center-Grimes or North Scott come playoff time could be a major challenge. This question could very well be answered and put to rest after matchups with Ankeny Centennial, Glenwood, and Lewis Central; all have plenty of firepower and play making ability. Top Matchup Indianola has some very tough competition spread throughout their regular season schedule, but they, along with all Iowa High School Football fans, have got to be looking forward to their high-profile matchup with Lewis Central in week 4. The Titans have a handful of Division 1 caliber players on the team and figure to be another top contender in 4A. If Indianola can neutralize [player_tooltip player_id="23948" first="Hunter" last="Deyo"], [player_tooltip player_id="100841" first="Wyatt" last="Hatcher"], and company to solidify their run game they should be able to count on it against anyone in the playoffs. Similarly, if they can stop, or slow down, [player_tooltip player_id="104088" first="Braylon" last="Kammrad"], [player_tooltip player_id="99196" first="Brayden" last="Loftin"], and crew on defense the Indians should feel good about matching up with anyone defensively come November. Keys to Success We know the Indians will be able to pound the rock and stifle opponents’ efforts to run the ball on defense. If Brady Blake can come in and show that he can air the ball out, strike quick, and provide a change of pace then this Indianola team can take the next step. All the tools he will need to do this are there to assist him: plenty of weapons and a lot of protection. This new element can put the Indians over the top and enable them to compete with anyone. The makeup of a true title contender is present on this roster.