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The Nodaway Valley Football team is seeking a season of growth and the ability to get better in 2025. Head Coach Jack West says it is about improving day in and day out whether it be in practice or on Friday night.
West says he has already seen growth within the summer conditioning program but is eager to step onto the field for real beginning next week.
Fortunately for the Wolverines, many pieces all across the depth chart are back for 2025.
West is excited for the progression of the offensive line and believes they’ll be a key to reaching the team’s fullest potential.
Nodaway Valley kicks their season off at home Friday, August 29th against West Central Valley.
Friday, August 8, 2025 @ Atlantic Golf & Country Club
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AMES, Iowa – Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list Thursday. The award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback.
It marks yet another preseason nod for the Cyclone signal caller as he was also featured on the Maxwell Award watch list
Now entering his third season under center, Becht is poised to lead the Cyclone offense once again. He has already cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks in school history having helped Iowa State to 18 wins over the last two seasons, the best two-year stretch in ISU history.
Last season, Becht ranked No. 11 nationally with 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns through the air – and added 318 yards and eight scores on the ground – while leading Iowa State to its winningest season in program history. Led by Becht, Iowa State won 11 games, made a Big 12 title game appearance and earned a thrilling Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over No. 15 Miami last season.
Becht was his best in crunch time last season, leading Iowa State on four game-winning drives where ISU took the lead with under 2:00 remaining in the game (at Iowa, UCF, at Utah, vs. Miami). In his career, Becht has led the Cyclones to five wins where ISU trailed in the fourth quarter.
The Wesley Chapel, Florida native has thrown a touchdown pass in a school-record 18 consecutive games, the nation’s longest active streak entering the 2025 season and the Big 12’s longest streak since Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield had a streak of 40.
Becht has thrown for 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, the only Big 12 player to do so and one of just 12 active FBS players who can make that claim. Along with current San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy, Becht is one of two QBs in school history with multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.
Iowa State opens the 2025 season August 23 in Dublin, Ireland against Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Season tickets are on sale, here.
Becht’s Preseason Honors
Davey O’Brien Award watch list
Maxwell Award watch list
Wuerffel Trophy watch list
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee
Some of Iowa’s private colleges are expanding their athletics rosters with a sport that’s been growing across the state and U.S. — women’s wrestling. According to a report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, Coe College in Cedar Rapids and St. Ambrose University in Davenport have announced they are establishing women’s wrestling teams, with both set to begin competing in the 2026-2027 season. Both universities cited in news releases the sport’s increasing popularity and expanded opportunities for student athletes as drivers behind the additions.
St. Ambrose Athletics Director Mike Holmes said in a press release, “As early as four years ago, we saw the tremendous momentum behind girls’ wrestling at the high school level, especially in Iowa and Illinois. We’ve had our eye on this opportunity ever since, and we’re excited to bring that vision to life for our Ambrosian student-athletes.” Steve Cook, director of athletics and recreation at Coe College, said in the release the university is “all in” on building its women’s wrestling program, the 23rd NCAA sport offered by the college.
According to the Coe College release, participation in high school women’s wrestling has quintupled since 2013, with 46 states now sponsoring the sport. The first NCAA women’s wrestling championship is set for 2026, the release stated. “With women’s wrestling, there’s a lot of momentum state and nationwide, and just seeing how much fire it’s caught in Eastern Iowa — there’s just a lot of excitement about the sport,” Cook said. “The time is now to welcome it with open arms.” While Coe College has selected an alum and accomplished wrestler to lead its team, St. Ambrose said in its news release a coach will be hired during the upcoming academic year “to lead recruiting, scheduling, and program development.” Kaleb Reeves, a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler who graduated from Coe in 2023, has already started recruitment for the new program, according to the Coe College release.
Men’s wrestling at St. Ambrose was established in 2021, according to the university’s release, and facilities for the sport were constructed with a future women’s team in mind, with locker rooms and offices built specifically for the soon-to-be-realized team. With plans to start recruiting 10 student athletes for the initial roster, the release stated St. Ambrose will look to expand the team to 20 players within four years. Students participating in the sport will also have access to the university’s “supportive academic environment and mission-driven approach to student success,” according to the release.
“This is about more than just adding a sport,” said St. Ambrose President Amy Novak in the release. “It’s about reflecting our Catholic values of inclusion, opportunity, and investing in the whole student. These students who are also athletes will be an important part of our community, and we look forward to cheering them on.”
The Audubon Football team is preparing for another season with the first official practice beginning Monday, August 11th. For Head Coach Sean Birks and his Wheelers, the standard is getting back to where they were a year ago and competing deep in postseason play.
Last year Audubon went into the Eight-Player Quarterfinal matchup undefeated before stumbling to Remsen St. Mary’s and ending their season. Birks believes his team is reloading rather than rebuilding.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Wheelers led all classes with 25 defensive interceptions. With four seniors in last year’s secondary, that leaves big shoes to fill for a few underclassmen.
Birks says his team has been fortunate to do a lot outside of just weight room conditioning.
Audubon begins the 2025 campaign and faces the same team who ended their undefeated season a year ago on Friday, August 29th.
There is still no decision on a starting quarterback at UNI as Todd Stepsis gets ready for his first season as head coach. Aiden Dunne, Matthew Schecklman and Jaxon Dailey are all competing for the starting job.
Stepsis has said it is possible they will use more than one quarterback.
Stepsis is ushering in a new era but he is embracing a rich history that has seen UNI make 22 appearances in the FCS playoffs, but none since 2021.
Stepsis likes the roster but the schedule is challenging. The Missouri Valley Football Conference has four of the top six ranked teams in the FCS preseason top 25.
The Panthers were 3-9 in the final season under long-time coach Mark Farley. They open August 30th at home against Butler.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa softball team will host five games and play three road contests during the fall season, head coach Stacy May-Johnson announced Wednesday.
The Hawkeyes host Southeast Community College on Sept. 12 before facing Iowa Central Community College on Sept. 20. The Hawkeyes will travel to UNI for the first game of the Big 4 Classic on Sept. 26 against the Panthers. Iowa wraps up the Big 4 Classic in Cedar Falls with games against Drake on Sept. 27 and Iowa State on Sept. 28, respectively. Iowa hosts Northern Iowa Area Community College on Oct. 10 and Illinois State on Oct. 11. The Hawkeyes will host Des Moines Area Community College on Oct. 17 in their final home contest of the fall.
All fall ball games at Bob Pearl Field are free and open to the public.
2025 Iowa Softball Fall Schedule
Sept. 12 – Southeast Community College – Iowa City, Iowa – 5 p.m.
Sept. 20 – Iowa Central Community College – Iowa City, Iowa – 12 p.m.
Sept. 26 – University of Northern Iowa – Cedar Falls, Iowa – 6 p.m.
Sept. 27 – Drake – Cedar Falls, Iowa – 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 – Iowa State – Cedar Falls, Iowa – 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 10 – Northern Iowa Area Community College – Iowa City, Iowa – 5 p.m.
Oct. 11 – Illinois State – Iowa City, Iowa – 1 p.m.
Oct. 17 – Des Moines Area Community College – Iowa City, Iowa – 5 p.m.
*All away games are 9 innings, all home games are 10 innings
IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa senior offensive tackle Gennings Dunker and senior return specialist Kaden Wetjen were both named Sporting News Preseason All-Americans with second team distinction.
Dunker (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) started 11 contests as a junior and was a dominant force on the right side of Iowa’s offensive line that was recognized as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2024. The Lena, Illinois, native was a second-team all-conference honoree, as well as an Academic All-District selection. Dunker, who is also a candidate for the 2025 Outland and Wuerffel trophies, helped pave the way for Iowa’s offense rushing for more than 200 yards in seven games last season.
Wetjen (5-foot-9, 196 pounds) returns for his senior season after winning the 2024 Jet Award and Rodgers-Dwight Return Big Ten Specialist of the Year, as well as being voted first team all-conference. Wetjen’s 1,055 combined kick return yards in 2024 led the country by a wide margin. A candidate for the 2025 Jet Award, Wetjen was first in the FBS in kickoff return yards (727) and second in punt return yards (328). The Williamsburg, Iowa, native had two returns for scores in 2024, including a 100-yard kickoff return against No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl. Wetjen also returned a punt 85 yards for a score against Northwestern, the seventh-longest in school history. He had 100+ kickoff return yards in three straight games (Washington, Michigan State and Northwestern) in 2024, a first by a Hawkeye since at least 1978.
The Hawkeyes kickoff the season against UAlbany on Aug. 30, at Kinnick Stadium beginning at 5 p.m. (CT). Tickets are available for purchase for the season opener at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.
HAWKEYES ON 2025 WATCH LISTS
* Rhys Dakin – Ray Guy Award
* Gennings Dunker – Outland Trophy // Wuerffel Award
* Aaron Graves – Nagurski Trophy
* Mark Gronowski – Maxwell Award
* Logan Jones – Outland Trophy
* Kamari Moulton – Doak Walker Award
* Drew Stevens – Lou Groza Award
* Kaden Wetjen – Jet Award
(Radio Iowa) – A Carroll native who’s currently coaching the Philadelphia 76ers is hosting events in his hometown this week. It’s called the Nick Nurse Foundation’s Golf and Music Festival and the golf tournament starts tomorrow (Thursday). A popular indie rock band called Mt. Joy will headline the evening’s entertainment. Nurse connected with the band in Philadelphia.
The band will recreate Fleetwood Mac’s 1979 “Tusk” music video with help from the Carroll and Carroll Kuemper marching bands.
Friday’s headliners are two of the most iconic bands of the 20th century: The Jacksons and Jefferson Starship. Nurse recently saw both bands perform.
Tickets can be purchased online. Nurse started this week’s activities on Tuesday with a shooting camp for basketball players. Today, (Wednesday), though, the focus shifts to music.
A Philadelphia based band called “Purple Wonder” is performing for the group.
Nurse says the evening is a sort of dress rehearsal, mic check for the performances later this week. Nurse, who is 58, played college basketball for the Northern Iowa Panthers. His first head coaching job was with Grand View University in Des Moines and he led the D-League “Iowa Energy” for five seasons. In 2019, Nurse was coach of the Toronto Raptors when the team won the N-B-A championship.
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