DES MOINES — The Colfax-Mingo football team is known for having one of the most prolific passing attacks in the entire state of Iowa.
The wide-open spread offense allowed senior Jared Myers to get the ball to his playmakers in space, and the Tigerhawks were recognized for their efforts by the Iowa Newspaper Association this past weekend.
Three of the four Tigerhawks who are most responsible for the record-setting attack were named to the Class A’s first team offense by the INA.
Myers was voted the offensive utility player, while Jacob Lietz was selected as a wide receiver and Blake Summy landed on the squad as a defensive back.
Colin Lourens also a had a breakout season at tight end and was voted to the third team for his efforts.
A total of 13 area athletes made the INA’s annual football teams.
Lynnville-Sully went three rounds deep into the postseason and were awarded with four selections.
Noah Engle was the Class A first-team kicker, Sage Ehresman was selected as a second-team tailback, Kobe Fisk was chosen as a second-team defensive back and Dylan Roozeboom was a third-team linebacker.
In Class 2A, Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s Brady Stover and Prairie City-Monroe’s Chase Wilkie led the way among area athletes as both were first-team selections.
Stover made it on as the first-team offensive utility player, while his teammate — junior offensive lineman Archer McFadden — was selected to the third team as an offensive lineman.
Wilkie was the first-team kicker, but three other Mustangs were picked as third-team selections. Junior Luke Greiner was a third-team wide receiver, junior Ethan Thomas was voted to the third team as an offensive lineman and senior Reid Jenkins was a third team linebacker.
Myers was one of the top passers in Class A the past two seasons. This year, he threw for 2,695 yards and 35 touchdowns, which helped the Tigerhawks finish second in the district and host its first playoff game in more than 10 years. Myers finished with 3,239 all-purpose yards.
Lietz and Summy were Myers’ favorite targets.
Lietz made it on as a wide receiver after setting a new school record with 63 catches. He also had 866 yards, 10 receiving touchdowns and 14 total touchdowns. He could have landed on the first team as a linebacker after leading the team in tackles with 100.
Summy was at his best at wide receiver (43 catches, 812 yards and 12 touchdowns) but also impacted the defense but locking down the other team’s top target.
Lourens was a good security blanket for Myers when Lietz and Summy were covered up. Lourens had his best high school season statistically, finishing with 37 catches, 642 yards and four touchdowns.
Engle had one of the strongest legs in Class A. His longest field goal was the 43-yarder he booted against North Mahaska.
Engle was 3-of-6 in field goals on the season, and that included the game-winning 37-yard kick he hit in the playoff second-round playoff win over Winfield-Mount Union. He also was 26-for-30 in extra points.
Ehresman was the Hawks’ best player. Offensively, he led the team with 1,392 yards and 26 touchdowns. His best effort came in the opening round of the playoffs when he scooted for 253 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries.
Fisk was an all-district wide receiver, but he also impacted the L-S defense with six interceptions.
Roozeboom was one of the lynchpins in the Hawk defense. He finished with 88 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a fumble recovery.
Stover, who was a first-team defensive back last year, missed two games due to a shoulder injury but was still productive for a Raider offense that was hampered by injuries all season.
Stover finished with 54 catches, 677 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 250 yards and four scores and threw a touchdown pass.
McFadden was the Raiders’ best lineman and will likely be one of the top returning linemen in the state as a senior.
Wilkie’s kicking ability was unmatched by any other 2A kicker. He made all three of his field goal attempts and was 38-of-41 in extra points.
Most importantly though was how Wilkie helped the Mustang defense by kicking the ball into the end zone on kickoffs. Unofficially, half of the senior’s kickoffs went for touchbacks.
Greiner was one of three wide receivers from 2A District 7 to earn all-state recognition, joining Stover and North Polk’s Matt Cox. Greiner finished with 51 catches, 771 yards and 12 touchdowns for an offense that scored more than 30 points per game.
Anchoring PCM’s offensive line was Thomas, who started for the second straight season and returns next year as one of the best in 2A.
Jenkins had a standout final season as PCM’s top linebacker. He collected 61 tackles, two fumble recoveries and impacted the defense in a big way with five interceptions.