2025 Season Preview: Class 5A Group 2

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/07/2025-season-preview-class-5a-group-1/">2025 Season Preview: Class 5A Group 1</a>   No need to squint anymore when looking to the start of the Iowa high school football season. A new campaign kicks off on Aug. 29 with teams from across the state pursuing that magical run to a November appearance in the UNI-Dome.   Prep Redzone Iowa is getting readers ready for the action with group and district previews. We're beginning in Class 5A and up to Group 2, whose members span from Waterloo to Waukee and beyond.   CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY   2024 Record: 3-6   Top Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='1394059' first='Damarian' last='Orr'], RB; Dawson Dougherty, WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1238503' first='Brayden' last='Peck'], WR; Josiah Smith, WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1692325' first='Deacon' last='Kucera'], TE; Jackson Goslin, DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1361684' first='Blake' last='Bunting'], LB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619405' first='Henry' last='Wilkes'], LB; Jace Popenhagen, DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1238497' first='Ethan' last='Sloan'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1669006' first='Lincoln' last='Oltmann'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1704099' first='Karter' last='Alberts'], OL.   Notable Losses: Vincenzo Gianforte; Jacob Doyle; Pierce McCrary; Jackson Popelka; Sam Adams; Michael Richards; Rex Preston; Mario Williams; Jake Oostendorp; Ryan Bartels; [player_tooltip player_id='1583627' first='Alex' last='Myers']; Isaiah Smith; Braylon Edwards.   Key Games: Sept. 5 vs Prairie; Oct. 3 vs Dowling; Oct. 17 at Bettendorf   Outlook: It was a rare down season along 42nd Street in northeast Cedar Rapids. These things happen. That said, it'd be surprising to see it become the norm at Kennedy. While the graduation losses are significant, the Cougars bring back plenty of production and will receive a boost from a talented group of guys competing for more playing time. Sloan, Oltmann and Alberts will make sure the O-Line takes a step forward in 2025. Orr can be a difference maker at running back with more reps. Smith, Dougherty and Peck are reliable wideouts, and Kucera is a weapon at tight end. Goslin, Bunting, Wilkes and Popenhagen are proven veterans on defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1238542' first='William' last='Woodring'] will have an opportunity to be QB1 with Gianforte finishing up his prep career. Kennedy doesn't have an easy schedule, by any means, but it's manageable, which should be enough to compete for the postseason.   DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES   2024 Record: 2-7 (4A)   Top Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='1198821' first='Chase' last='Engel'], QB; [player_tooltip player_id='1198819' first='Ozzie' last='Grimm'], RB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619934' first='Hudson' last='Heidgerken'], WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1198820' first='Chase' last='Heitland'], WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1197446' first='Wyatt' last='Valenta'], WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1811178' first='Sampson' last='Johannsen'], DB; Cole Hemmingsen, DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619997' first='Connor' last='Stolpe'], LB; [player_tooltip player_id='1695845' first='Kole' last='Torsky'], DL; [player_tooltip player_id='1632065' first='Dylan' last='Lackland'], K; [player_tooltip player_id='1687026' first='Landon' last='Montford'], OL.   Notable Losses: Tate Perrin; Landen Morton; Cayden Mayfield; Kolby Carpenter; Karsten Freund; Clark Johnson; Ryan Pertzsch; Allen Huinker.   Key Games: Sept. 12 vs Dowling Catholic; Oct. 3 at Waterloo West; Oct. 24 at Cedar Rapids Kennedy   Outlook: The Mustangs move up a class and will be doing so against a difficult schedule. Luckily for them, there's enough talent on the roster to meet the challenge. Engel is a capable signal caller who should be better through experience. Grimm also can take a step forward. Heidgerken, Heitland and Valenta form an excellent trio of receivers, the latter also standing out on defense. Montford will anchor the O-Line, and Torsky will do the same on the defensive front. Stolpe is a proven veteran on the second level, and Johannsen and Hemmingsen are playmakers in the back end. Lackland is a weapon at kicker.   DOWLING CATHOLIC   2024 Record: 10-2 (5A State Semifinalist)   Top Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='401674' first='Joey' last='Nahas'], QB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619623' first='Sam' last='Drexler'], WR; [player_tooltip player_id='856072' first='Ian' last='Middleton'], RB/DL; [player_tooltip player_id='1240476' first='Cohen' last='Shelton'], RB; [player_tooltip player_id='1240478' first='Joel' last='Sankoh'], LB/DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619515' first='Jackson' last='Miller'], DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619297' first='Ryan' last='Bobo'], DL; [player_tooltip player_id='1362510' first='Jack' last='Trump'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1240479' first='Josh' last='Miller'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1617528' first='Brady' last='Hagan'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1583613' first='Carter' last='Barrett'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1286887' first='Evan' last='Mitchell'], OL.   Notable Losses: Parker DePhillips; Trey Wilson; Jakob Skau; Ra'Shawd Davis; Aidan Ducharme; Will Barreto; Joe Shimerdla; Parker Pearson; Cartyr Smith; Owen Pins; Dylan Manning.   Key Games: Aug. 29 at WDM Valley; Sept. 19 vs Southeast Polk; Oct. 3 at Cedar Rapids Kennedy   Outlook: The Maroons won 10 games and reached the UNI-Dome again. They can be proud of their accomplishments while also being disappointed coming up short of the ultimate goal. Dowling will reach for the top again in 2025 and has a roster capable of realizing that dream. Nahas, who shared signal calling duties last year, is poised for a big senior season despite losing key pieces in the passing game. Ames transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1241492' first='Jeffrey' last='Roberts'], an Iowa State receiver commitment, will add significant juice to the Maroon air attack, and team up with Drexler to give opponents headaches. Dowling has the best offensive line among Iowa prep programs on paper. Barrett is the No. 1 sophomore in the state, regardless of position. Mitchell is a D-I talent, and Trump, [player_tooltip player_id='1240479' first='Josh' last='Miller'] and Hagan are college-caliber blockers. Sankoh, a South Dakota State commitment, delivers on defense, and Middleton is a unique two-way talent. Bobo is a bull on the D-Line, and [player_tooltip player_id='1619515' first='Jackson' last='Miller'] helps anchor the back end.   MARSHALLTOWN   2024 Record: 2-7   Top Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='1619522' first='Jacob' last='Hayes'], QB; [player_tooltip player_id='1621086' first='Tyler' last='Englund'], RB; [player_tooltip player_id='1814104' first='Aiden' last='Smitherman'], RB; Kyle Smith, WR; Mochamad Pramana, DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1814131' first='Jamison' last='Niehouse'], LB; Juan Pablo Perez, DB; John Schoenfelder, LB; Zak Wilder, LB.   Notable Losses: Davis Ragland; LaMar Johnson; Sam Greazel; Johan Gomez; Lincoln Barker; Luis Monge Jr.   Key Games: Sept. 5 at Waterloo East; Sept. 12 vs Mason City; Sept. 19 at Des Moines East   Outlook: Marshalltown has a three-week stretch in September that will go a long way in defining its 2025 season. It includes trips to Waterloo East and Des Moines East sandwiched around a home date with Mason City. If the Bobcats are to have a good season, they need to do well against that trio of opponents. While they graduated several key players, a good crop of talent returns. Hayes is a dual-threat signal caller capable of a significant step forward this year. Englund and Smitherman are versatile playmakers at running back, and Smith is a reliable pass catcher. Only a sophomore, Niehouse already sits at the top of opponent scouting reports. Schoenfelder and Wilder join him in making up a dynamite linebacker corps. Pramana and Perez hold it down in the secondary.   WATERLOO WEST   2024 Record: 6-4   Top Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='1221926' first='Carson' last='Nielsen'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1687060' first='Kimberly' last='St Jean'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1234336' first='Deztin' last='McMurrin'], WR/DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1238633' first='Torian' last='Doss'], WR/LB; [player_tooltip player_id='1619314' first='Tucker' last='Satterlee'], DE/WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1238634' first='Michael' last='Moeller'], DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1421478' first='Melakhi' last='Hickey'], DL.   Notable Losses: Myles Gardner; Brady Dean; Nathanael Kline; DeSean Kemp; Julius Jones; Dantrell Baker.   Key Games: Sept. 26 at Dowling Catholic; Oct. 3 vs Dallas Center-Grimes; Oct. 10 at Cedar Rapids Kennedy   Outlook: The Wahawks reached the playoffs last year for the first time in a full season since 2016. Their roster is good enough to get back there and do more damage this time, but it will need new contributors to make up for key losses to graduation. Nielsen, an Iowa Hawkeye pledge, and St Jean anchor what should be a solid offensive line. McMurrin and Doss are among the better two-way performers in 5A. Moeller is a playmaker in the secondary, and the same can be said of Hickey and Satterlee on the D-Line. [player_tooltip player_id='1705167' first='Kavan' last='Bennett'], [player_tooltip player_id='1705156' first='Kayne' last='Vaughn'], [player_tooltip player_id='1204439' first='Keegan' last='Ambrose'], [player_tooltip player_id='1657982' first='Jacobii' last='Winters'], [player_tooltip player_id='1628802' first='Samuel' last='East'] and others are in the group of guys ready to seize their opportunities.   WAUKEE   2024 Record: 6-4   Top Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='1221928' first='Evan' last='Jacobson'], TE; [player_tooltip player_id='1240560' first='Beckett' last='Bakker'], QB; [player_tooltip player_id='1240568' first='Ben' last='Case Haub'], RB; [player_tooltip player_id='1240889' first='Jayden' last='Jeter'], WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1241077' first='Xavyer' last='Gutierrez'], WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1240890' first='Tavian' last='White'], DB/WR; [player_tooltip player_id='1814135' first='Jamual' last='Richardson Williams'], DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1814139' first='Jai' last='White'], DB; [player_tooltip player_id='1240558' first='Andrew' last='Hine'], OL; [player_tooltip player_id='1240572' first='Colt' last='Schipper'], OL.   Notable Losses: Grant Gammell; Drake Lambertsen; Maverick Inman; Sage Yazzie; Wesley Anderson; Carter Johnson; Ian Samples; Nathan Deimerly; Logan Meagher; Beau Andrews; Gage Lofthouse; David Souvongavath; Magnus Bruening.   Key Games: Sept. 12 at Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Oct. 10 at Dowling Catholic; Oct. 17 at Waukee Northwest   Outlook: The Warriors have reached the playoffs the last two years. There's a collection of seniors on this team seeking a deeper run. Don't be surprised if they do. They will have earned it against their schedule. Jacobson is committed to Texas A&M as a tight end, but some schools liked him on the defensive line. The all-state hooper is a tremendous athlete. Bakker is a multi-year starter qualified for a super senior season. Hine and Schipper are big-time offensive linemen set to anchor what will be a strong front. Case Haub could benefit from that. Jeter and Gutierrez are dangerous in the passing game as is [player_tooltip player_id='1240890' first='Tavian' last='White'], who is committed to North Dakota as a defensive back. Richardson Williams provides Waukee with another veteran presence in the back end.

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