Photo Courtesy of Mid-Prairie Football Social Media
The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk football team officially takes the field for the first time in 2022 tonight with a trip to Bill Nelson Field to take on the West Burlington Notre Dame Falcons. Mid-Prairie was 6-4 a season ago, finishing with a trip to the playoffs as runners-up in Class 2A District Six. Mid-Prairie scored 37 points per night last year and gave up 23. They put up 347 total yards per game, 223 of that on the ground. The Hawks graduated 10 seniors from the 2021 team including quarterback Will Cavanagh after an 88 of 145 season through the air for 1,086 yards, 14 touchdowns and five picks. Top running back Tyler Helmuth has also departed after 106 carries 771 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. Mid-Prairie’s top two targets in the aerial game are also gone with Jack Pennington and Jarrett Hoffman combining for 49 catches 549 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Collin Miller gets the call under center after seeing some action behind Cavanagh last year and Braden Hartley will be the leading man in the backfield after 80 carries, 582 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Cain Brown will be the number one receiver after 10 catches for 168 yards and a pair of scores in 2021. The Mid-Prairie defense forced 15 turnovers last year and will need to replace Justice Jones who led the program in tackles for three straight years, including 69 and a half last year, and finished second all-time. Hartley is the top returner there with 47 and a half stops a season ago.
West Burlington struggled through a winless 2021. They scored just under 12 points per game while giving up 39, averaging 229 yards per night, 129 of that on the ground. They lost nine seniors from their 2021 squad, but return many key pieces including quarterbacks Hayden Vandenberg and Caden Schwenker who split time last year to go 64 of 162 for 893 yards seven touchdowns and five interceptions. The Falcons top two backs, Vandenberg and Travain Donaldson return to the backfield after 159 carries, eight touchdowns and 834 yards last season. Top receiver Dylan Kipp is back after nine catches for 197 yards and two scores. Defensively, they forced five turnovers in 2021 and returning is leading tackler Vandenberg after 76 and a half stops a season ago. This week, Mid-Prairie head coach Pete Cavanagh talked about week one preparation and keys. “We need to be efficient when we have the ball. Be able to move the football, get first downs and play with tempo. On defense, I’d like to create some turnovers. Last year we played with a good turnover margin and played fast. Hopefully, our guys have bought into that style and philosophy. Really, no matter the opponent, it’s always a turnover game.
The Golden Hawks won this game a season ago in Wellman 55-13 and have won 10 straight over the Falcons dating back to 2008. You can hear all of action in Mid-Prairie’s season opening tonight in West Burlington on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com. Coverage begins with the KCII Football Friday Preview Show at 6p.m., Washington HyVee Pregame Show at 6:30 and kickoff between the Hawks and Falcons from Bill Nelson Field at 7p.m.