Iowa A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Woodbury Central

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An early look at some of the top teams in each class, now to Class A. 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="http://iowa%20a%20way-too-early%20title%20contenders:%20MMCRU/">Iowa A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: MMCRU</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-a-way-too-early-title-contenders-wapsie-valley/">Iowa A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Wapsie Valley</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-a-way-too-early-title-contenders-west-hancock/">Iowa A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: West Hancock</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/iowa-a-way-too-early-title-contenders-west-sioux/">Iowa A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: West Sioux</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Almost all of Woodbury Central's key offensive pieces return from an undefeated regular season in 2025. Falling just short of the UNI-Dome and losing to eventual champion, MMCRU in the quarterfinals, the Wildcats appear primed for a run to Cedar Falls in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beginning with their dual-threat quarterback on offense, [player_tooltip player_id='1621129' first='Jackson' last='Verschoor']. As a junior this fall, the 6-foot, 205-pound gunslinger completed 148-of-265 passes (55.8%) for 2,178 yards 13 touchdowns and eight picks, finishing as the Class A leader in passing by almost 200 yards. He also took 92 carries for 342 yards and 12 scores, forcing opponents to account for what he could do through the air and on the ground. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He had other weapons to help manage the offensive load, though, that's for sure. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading rusher, [player_tooltip player_id='2114403' first='Abe' last='McGill'] took a hefty amount of the offensive weight, as he took 257 carries for 1,300 yards and 17 scores. Just a sophomore last season, the running back/linebacker hybrid may be one of the more feared football players on the gridiron the next two seasons in northwest Iowa. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the outside, brothers [player_tooltip player_id='1197475' first='Jayden' last='Lloyd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1909617' first='Grayson' last='Lloyd'] are Verschoor's two top options. Jayden, a junior, finished the season with 49 receptions for 785 yards and three touchdowns, while Grayson, just a freshman, added 31 receptions for 586 and a team-leading eight scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With McGill on the ground and Verschoor pairing with the Lloyds through the air, Woodbury Central should have quite a formidable offense in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Believe it or not, it's more of the same on the other side of the ball. Six of the seven top tacklers on the Wildcat defense are back in 2026. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading tackler, [player_tooltip player_id='2114410' first='Holden' last='Koele'] is back after posting 66.5 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and a sack in 2025. Plus, while, tied for third with 50.5 tackles, McGill and [player_tooltip player_id='2114412' first='Sam' last='Dominick'] added a combined 12.5 TFLs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And we haven't even gotten to their TFL leader. 6-foot-2 and 235-pound linebacker, [player_tooltip player_id='2090925' first='Carter' last='Wright'] returns next season after posting a monstrous 18 TFLs and a team-best 12.5 sacks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woodbury Central looks primed for a run from northwest Iowa all the way across Highway 20 straight to Black Hawk County. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->