Iowa 1A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Grundy Center

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An early look at some of the top teams in each class, now to Class 1A. We'll profile several programs that look to return the talent necessary to compete for a state championship in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-1a-way-too-early-title-contenders-iowa-city-regina/">Iowa 1A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Iowa City Regina</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="http://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-1a-way-too-early-title-contenders-pleasantville/">Iowa 1A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Pleasantville</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-1a-way-too-early-title-contenders-south-hardin/">Iowa 1A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: South Hardin</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-1a-way-too-early-title-contenders-west-lyon/">Iowa 1A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: West Lyon</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yes, Grundy Center loses <em>a lot </em>from their 50-game winning streak, three consecutive state title winning squads, including one of the best athletes to ever come through the state of Iowa in [player_tooltip player_id='1614184' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky']. <em>However</em>, considering the monstrous run the Spartans have gone on under head coach Travis Zajac, who took over in 2019, it'd be silly to completely count them out of making another trip to Cedar Falls next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, we'll start with who is coming back on the offensive side of the ball. On the ground, the Spartans return both their third and fourth-leading rushers from last season in [player_tooltip player_id='2067026' first='Cooper' last='Keller'] and Hayden Geerdes, who combined to take 93 carries for 636 yards and 13 touchdowns. Keller, a sophomore and Geerdes, a junior, give the Spartans some much-needed experience on offense after losing so much production in one offseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, GC brings back starting offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='2087641' first='Carter' last='Ruth'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2049904' first='Jackson' last='Huisman'], who will enter their senior campaigns as cornerstones for Zajac to rebuild his offense. Ruth earned <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/all-state-teams-iowa-class-1a-offense/">All-State</a> honors hear at Prep Redzone Iowa, and Huisman is one of Rob Howe's <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/27-rankings-update-new-ol-names-to-watch/">OL names to watch</a> in the class of 2027. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the defensive side of the ball, the Spartans lose two of their top tacklers, and their two leaders in grabbing interceptions, but they do bring back some of their other top production, too. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Geerdes, Keller and Aiden Hook were second-through-fourth in tackling for the Spartans, with Hook posting 58.5 tackles, including nine tackles-for-loss (TFLs). Geerdes finished the season with 54 tackles and an interception, while Keller added 48.5, along with three picks. Don't forget Cash Combs, either, who posted 19.5 tackles, including five TFLs and two sacks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One other name to know -- on both sides of the ball -- is Ethan Meester. A junior who found himself in almost every available statistical category this season, Meester threw a couple passes, ran the ball once and is the top returning pass-catcher after grabbing seven receptions for 104 yards and three touchdowns on offense. He made his most impact on defense, though, registering 21.5 tackles, two TFLs and three forced fumbles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->