Candidates for 2025 Iowa All-Name Team

Mount Vernon’s Michael Ryan (3) and Jase Jaspers (Photo: Rob Howe/Prep Redzone)

Rob Howe January 30, 2025 @ 07:39 PM

The history of athletics is filled with memorable names. They're people that perform well, literally have a unique name or it's a combination of the two. Babe Ruth would be an example of the latter.   It's the offseason around here. The 7-on-7 circuit doesn't arrive until March. We need to come up with something to entertain ourselves. How about an all-name team comprised of student-athletes expected to play high school football this Fall?   What you are reading will be the first installment in our quest to put this team together. Periodically between now and the end of the season, we'll post a list of candidates. Then we can choose the all-name team from all of those posts. And by "we", I mean me.   Nominations are accepted. Share any interesting stories about the origin of the name as well.   Here we go...   [player_tooltip player_id='1238506' first='Cameron' last='Cantonwine'], QB/ATH, Ames - Someone who should be talked about more in prospect circles for his play on the field, Cantonwine as a name suited for Shakespearean royalty. He impressed me when I saw him against Iowa City High last season.   Cantonwine plays quarterback because his playmaking ability and toughness make him the best option at the position. College coaches should consider how he might fit at other spots, too. He could be a safety or linebacker on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='401870' first='Drake' last='DeGroote'], QB, WDM Valley - It kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it. Alliteration can be important in compiling candidates for an all-name team. There's more to it, though.   Like Cantonwine, DeGroote is a college prospect. DeGroote might be the more likely of the two to stick at quarterback. Cantonwine brings a physicality that's tough to teach.   [player_tooltip player_id='1841752' first='Jase' last='Jaspers'], ATH, Mount Vernon - Sticking with the alliteration theme, [player_tooltip player_id='1841752' first='Jase' last='Jaspers'] shoots out of your mouth like when he turns on the jets with the ball in his hands.   LaMarious Clark, DB, Ankeny - Clark has game to go with a catchy name. He held up well against a talented group of Liberty receivers during an in-person scout in the Fall. Plenty of colleges would like him lining up in their secondary.   Uriel Andrade, PK, West Liberty - In addition to having a unique name, Andrade excels at kicking footballs. He booted a 42-yard field goal and 26 PATs with three touchbacks in '24.   Kaiser Bovy, LB, Don Bosco - Anytime you share a first name with a <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/fictional-characters/keyser-soze/">famous movie character</a>, even if it's spelled differently, you have a chance to be on this list. Bovy adds to his candidacy with dominant play that led to 29.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in the Fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1238601' first='Byers' last='Nealy'], LB, Danville - It's a name that sounds like an investment company. Buy stock in Nealy for 2025 after he piled up 100.5 tackles as a junior last season.   Keenan Kilburg, ATH, Bellevue - The Comets announcers called Kilburg's name often as he delivered more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns receiving, two more scores on the ground, seven two-point conversions and a pair of interceptions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1552779' first='Reece' last='Rettig'], QB, Liberty - Another Class 5A signal caller in the 2026 class, Rettig posted gaudy statistics and led the Lightning to the state semifinals in his first year as a starter. He made sure it was a name people remembered.   [player_tooltip player_id='1221942' first='Beau' last='Burns'], QB/DB, BGM - Beau was burning up the field as a junior last year. Burns threw for 34 touchdowns against just six interceptions, ran for 25 touchdowns and racked up almost 4,000 yards of total offense.

The history of athletics is filled with memorable names. They're people that perform well, literally have a unique name or it's a combination of the two. Babe Ruth would be an example of the latter.