After more than a month of camp and practice to prepare the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk football team is set to open the new season tonight when they travel to Louisa-Muscatine.
Mid-Prairie is coming off of a 2016 season that saw them finish with a 5-4 overall record, winning their last three in a row. The Golden Hawks were 4-3 and finished in fourth place in Class 2A District Five.
On the offensive side of the ball Mid-Prairie returns quarterback Karson Gingerich who was 48 of 100 a year ago for 651 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Gingerich’s two favorite targets from last season return in Terrhyn Jacoby and Justin Schwartz who combined for 22 catches 353 yards and four touchdowns last year. Despite the loss of all-district running back Ricky Vargas, Mid-Prairie returns Keaton Duwa who split time in the backfield with Vargas and ended the year with 629 yards, 10 touchdowns and a district best 9.3 yards per carry. Up front Mid-Prairie also returns key pieces in Jason Tew, Josh Slaubaugh, Josiah Meader, Scott Winborn and full back Rex Peck.
Defensively, Mid-Prairie is looking to replace their top two tacklers from last season in Vargas and Duncan McCain along with difference makers Levi Duwa, Jared Miller and Carter Reinier. The Hawks do return Keaton Duwa, Jason Tew and Karson Gingerich who combined for 125 tackles last season. In 2016 Mid-Prairie gave up 25 points per game and forced 14 turnovers on the season. Along with Duwa, Tew and Gingerich, Justin Schwartz, Josh Slaubaugh, Terryhn Jacoby, Josiah Meader, Scott Winborn and Rex Peck will look to have big seasons.
Mid-Prairie special teams are led by Terrhyn Jacoby who was three for three last season with a long of 40 yards in field goal attempts while connecting on 95% of his PATs. Jacoby also led the Hawks with 14 yards per punt return and Keaton Duwa was best on the team at 31 yards per punt return.
Louisa-Muscatine enters tonight off of a 2-7 season a year ago. The Falcon’s wins came over Van Buren and Columbus, both in district action. L-M graduated senior quarterback Jake Hillard who finished last year with 483 yards, three touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On the ground the Falcons return their leading rusher in Hunter Connor who ended last year with 357 yards. L-M’s top receiver Karson Cantrell is also back after 2016 where he finished with 13 catches 263 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Falcons return Connor and Tyler Carter as their leading tacklers from last year, combining for 79 tackles. The Falcons surrendered 34 points per game a year ago. The Falcons are now under the direction of first year head coach Matt Shoultz, a Louisa-Muscatine alum and most recent member of the staff at Muscatine High School.
These two teams met a season ago with the Golden Hawks scoring a 41-14 win. You can hear all of the action live from Louisa-Muscatine High School tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee pregame show at 6:30 and kickoff at 7PM.