Newton Senior High’s prolific passing-game duo, its “iron-man”, another two-year starter on the offensive line and the Cardinals’ punter and placekicker earned 2013 Class 3A All-District 4 first-team football honors. The honors were released this week.
Four other Cardinal players were awarded Class 3A All-District 4 honorable mention. Nineteen NHS football players earned spots on the Class 3A All-District 4 Academic Team.
Will Brock didn’t miss many plays in Newton’s nine football games this season. Brock, a 6-1, 210-pound senior, became a two-time Class 3A All-District 4 linebacker. He led the Cardinal defense, but he also was an anchor on the offensive line.
Brock and senior Jake Huizenga, who earned first-team All-District 4 honors as an offensive lineman, were the Cardinals’ starting guards. They were mainstays on the offensive line the past two years. Huizenga is 6-1 and 215 pounds.
Junior quarterback Tyler Wood, a two-year starter at that position for the Cardinals, and junior wide receiver Nick Easley became the passing game threat for Newton in 2013. Wood and Easley set school records on the field and garnered Class 3A All-District 4 first-team recognition. Wood had earned honorable mention as quarterback a year ago.
Ryan Thompson was awarded first-team All-District 4 honors as a senior. Thompson was the punter, a placekicker and defensive end for the Cardinals this season. He finished fifth in the district as a punter and fifth in kickoff yardage.
Newton’s top rusher, junior Deonne Harris and three defensive stalwarts — senior linebacker Nick Glotfelty, senior lineman Ray Schroder and senior free safety Colton Hansen — received honorable mention from district coaches.
Class 3A All-District 4 academic honors were awarded to NHS seniors Will Brock, Dillon Constant, Colton Hansen, Ray Schroder, Jake Smith, Ryan Thompson and Derek Wrage, juniors Michael Barr, Collin Jacobsen, Harrison McCarey, Mike McCormick, Patrick Murphy, Jeff Stanton, and Tristan Peters, and sophomores Joe Banfield, Jake Bennett, Duncan Lee, Drew Stout, and Bryce Tish.
Brock recorded 47 unassisted tackles and 20 assisted tackles as starting middle linebacker for the Cardinals. He led the team with 67 total tackles. Brock placed 14th in the district in solo tackles.
Brock had 4.5 tackles for loss his senior season. He also forced one fumble, recovered one fumble, and blocked a kick. He is Newton’s career leader in blocked kicks with three. Brock moved to second on the NHS career total tackles list, 126.5, and career solo tackles, 102. He is tied for first in career fumble recoveries with three.
Wood established himself as Newton’s career leader in passing yardage, pass attempts, pass completions and touchdown passes. In his second season as starting quarterback for the Cardinals, he piled up school marks in the passing game.
Wood threw 13 touchdown passes this season, a new NHS record. He threw four touchdown passes against Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, a school record. He was 71-of-134, which is 53 percent, for 1,063 yards this season. He threw seven interceptions.
Wood is atop the Newton career lists in touchdown passes thrown (21) in passing yardage (2,364) pass attempts (323) and pass completions (176).
Wood was Newton’s second-leading rusher for the 2013 season, gaining 504 yards on 129 carries. He scored five rushing touchdowns. Wood was third in passing among District 4 quarterbacks plus he finished 13th in rushing on the district list and fourth in total offense (1,567 yards) combining rushing and passing.
Easley emerged quickly as the top receiver for the Cardinals in 2013. The 5-10, 180-pound junior became the “go-to-guy” for Wood. Easley snatched nine touchdown receptions this season, a new NHS single-season record.
Easley caught 34 passes for 517 yards. He led the team in scoring with 54 points. Easley finished fourth on the District 4 receiving list. He was second in touchdown receptions and eighth in scoring. Easley’s 517 yards puts him fourth on the Newton career receiving yards list and he is eighth on career points scored with 86 points.
Thompson punted 44 times for 1,612 yards, which was 36.6-yard average. Thompson, a 6-5, 245-pound senior, finished third on the NHS career list in both punt attempts and yardage. For kickoffs, Thompson booted the football 35 times for 1,740 yards and had two touchbacks.
Thompson made the only field goal of the season for the Cardinals. He kicked a 28-yarder against ADM.
Defensively, Thompson had six solo tackles and seven assisted tackles. He recovered one fumble.
Glotfelty, a 5-10, 180-pound outside linebacker, made a return of Cardinal football as a senior. He was the team’s second-leading tackler with 38 solo stops and 23 assisted tackles. He had six tackles for loss, 1.5 quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery.
Harris led the team in rushing with 603 yards on 77 carries, and he scored six touchdowns. He scored 42 points, which included three two-point conversions — one by rush and two receiving. Harris (6-2, 175) moved from receiver to running back on the 2013 varsity. He returned seven punts for 74 yards and eight kickoffs for 144 yards, leading the team in all-purpose yardage at 1,013. Harris was ninth in rushing in District 4 and sixth in rushing-receiving total offense. He had 13 catches for 192 yards.
Hansen (6-2, 175) was a two-year starter at free safety for the Cardinals. In his senior season, Hansen had 24 unassisted tackles and 12 assisted tackles. He had five pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Schroder was a starter on the defensive line the past two years and earned all-district honorable mention both seasons. The 5-10, 210-pound senior recorded 16 solo tackles and seven assisted tackles. He forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble. He had 4.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks. Schroder also played fullback on offense, smashing across the goal line twice for touchdowns.