Iowa City West is coming off a season that put the Trojans back in familiar territory. After an 8-3 finish and a trip to the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Football quarterfinals in 2025, the program heads into 2026 with the kind of expectations that come with being one of the state’s top Class 5A teams.
The biggest reason for that confidence is quarterback Reece Wheeler. After stepping in for Jack Wallace last year, Wheeler threw for almost 2,300 yards, piled up 22 touchdowns and completed 61 percent of his passes. He gives Iowa City West a proven anchor as the Trojans try to reload around him.
That retooling will be real on offense. Campbell Janis, Ethan Headings and Julian Manson are all gone after giving the Trojans major production last fall.
Janis ran for 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns, Headings caught 56 passes for 1,202 yards and 13 scores, and Manson added 31 receptions for 560 yards and six touchdowns. Replacing that kind of output is no small task.
Wheeler is Iowa City West’s top returning rusher with 213 yards and four touchdowns, while Mikey Moody and La’Marrie Carter each topped 100 rushing yards a year ago. At receiver, Cade Towler leads the way back after 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. Neil James had six grabs, and Moody also caught a touchdown pass.
The line has its own turnover to manage after the graduation of Colin Whitters, but Jordi Zioka and James Barnett are back. Zioka posted 15 pancake blocks last season as an underclassman, and Barnett had 12.
High School On SI Iowa has Iowa City West seventh in its early preseason Top 25 state rankings.
Defense brings a similar challenge, with the Trojans needing new answers after losing Manson, Headings and Janis there as well. Those three were key two-way players, and in Class 5A that kind of versatility is hard to replace.
Still, there’s plenty of returning production in the front and back end. Graham Towler, Cade Towler, Kingstone Ross, Jack McLaskey, Moses Dewaard, Cooper Prochaska, Khylin Brink, Jack Caylor and Ashten Holmes all finished with more than 10 tackles last year. Several of them also made their mark behind the line of scrimmage with multiple tackles for loss.
One player to watch is Abdul Hodge, Jr. The name will sound familiar to Hawkeye fans, and for good reason: his father, Abdul Hodge, was a standout linebacker for Kirk Ferentz and Iowa. As a junior, Hodge recorded 40 tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up six more.
Special teams may also have a new face in the mix, with Jadon Vanderpuye expected to handle kicking duties after going 2-for-2 on extra points as a sophomore.
The schedule opens with one of Iowa high school football’s longest-running rivalries. Iowa City West meets Iowa City High in Week 1 for the annual “Battle for the Boot,” and the Trojans took last year’s meeting 30-0.
After that come games against Dubuque Hempstead, Pleasant Valley and Bettendorf before another city showdown with Iowa City Liberty. Liberty beat Iowa City West 44-31 on Homecoming last season.
The regular season closes with Muscatine, Davenport Central, Cedar Rapids Prairie and Linn-Mar.
In Other News...
A Familiar Big Ten Villain Is Back And Iowa Fans Know It
Shawn Eichorst is heading back to the Big Ten after a long run away from it, and that alone is enough to catch the attention of Iowa fans who remember his name from the old Nebraska days. Eichorst has spent the past several years as deputy athletic director at Texas, but his rsum in this league still carries the kind of baggage that tends to linger in the rivalry neighborhoods, especially when Nebraska and Wisconsin are part of the conversation.
The move also adds another wrinkle to a conference relationship that already feels personal for Hawkeye fans, with Wisconsin and Iowa set to meet again next season in a series that has stayed tight over the years. Wisconsin has held the edge overall, but Iowa has had the better of the recent stretch, and Eichorsts return gives the league one more familiar figure whose past decisions still ripple through the Big Ten landscape. [Read more 🡒]
Luka Garza Just Earned Another Huge Chance To Prove He Belongs
Luka Garza is getting another meaningful stage to show he still has something to offer at the highest levels of basketball. The former Iowa star is set to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers, a chance that gives him international reps as he continues building on the momentum he found with Boston last season.
Garzas run with the Celtics was a reminder that he can still carve out a useful role, and the timing matters with a contract year ahead. For a player trying to keep his name in the mix, these qualifiers offer more than just national-team pride - they provide another opportunity to stay sharp, stay visible and keep pushing for the next deal. [Read more 🡒]
EA Just Reignited Iowas Biggest Respect Debate
EA Sports College Football 27 has handed Iowa an 80 overall rating, putting the Hawkeyes in a familiar middle ground that will probably fuel as much debate as it settles. The number ties them with Arkansas, Boise State, Maryland, TCU and Michigan State, and it also slots Iowa in as the 12th-highest-rated team in the game, which feels like the kind of ranking that invites a second look from anyone who has watched this program over the years.
The offense is easy enough to understand if EA is leaning on Iowas offensive line and running game, along with a healthy dose of tight end DJ Vonnahme. The defense is where the eyebrow-raising starts, because rating that side of the ball lower than the offense runs against the reputation Phil Parker has built in Iowa City. For a team that has long made its name through defense and discipline, that part of the rating is the one most likely to keep Hawkeye fans talking. [Read more 🡒]