Good stories all around for Newton football

Newton senior Carson Satterfield spent a lot of “free” time last year laid up from an unfortunate health issue he sustained during last fall’s football season.

He wound up missing a large chunk of the football season and all of basketball.

Satterfield is trying to make up for lost time this fall and he’s now playing a key role on a 6-1 Cardinal football squad.

“My lunge wasn’t strong enough to stay up on its own. So we had to do a couple surgeries to get the scar tissue to stay up so it wouldn’t collapse,” Satterfield said about last year’s health scare.

“I missed the first few weeks (of the football season), came back for Saydel, got hurt again and went back to the hospital. Sitting in there and not being able to play fuels you in a way I can’t describe.”

Satterfield made his 2022 season debut against Marshalltown and finished with 11.5 tackles. Against Saydel, the senior linebacker had three tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Last week in the victory against Oskaloosa, Satterfield scored the first defensive touchdown of his career when he snagged an interception and returned it 12 yards to paydirt.

Despite missing the first three regular season games, Satterfield currently ranks third on the team with 25 tackles and has registered one sack, one interception and 2.5 tackles for loss.

“It feels amazing. I have been waiting for this time for so long,” Satterfield said. “All those days and nights in the hospital were worth it for this right now.

“Sitting in the hospital and watching was tough. Watching us lose a tough one (last year) on Homecoming to Pella was when it clicked and I knew I was ready to get back to it. The whole offseason was tough, too.”

Newton head football coach Andy Swedenhjelm is happy to have Satterfield back on the field. But he’s even more excited to see him healthy and happy.

“He’s such a great kid, great student, does great things in the community and works a ton with the special needs population,” Swedenhjelm said.

“To see what he went through last year, how he was able to rebound and come back and turn into the key fixture of our defense that he has, is awesome.”

Another great story? Senior quarterback Brody Bauer.

In his only season as the Cardinals’ starting QB, Bauer has the chance to set a new single-season record for passing touchdowns.

Bauer often credits others for his success. He has hosted the squad’s starting offensive linemen for Saturday breakfast several times this fall, too.

Without the play of Jacob Nichols, Drew Boothe, Noah Tibben, Blake Schilling, Mitch Thayer and Thomas Stadelmann, Newton’s offense wouldn’t have been as strong as it was for the first six games of the season.

“It’s an every week thing,” Bauer said about breakfast on Saturdays. “None of those yards in the running game and the offense happens without them. They don’t ever get the credit they deserve.

“We feel good about all six of them when they come in. They get excited for us when we score, and that’s the best feeling. They are proud to have us running behind them and the team breakfast thing has helped create a super fun dynamic.”

Another great story in 2022 has been the kicking of junior Christian Lawson.

He joined the team late this fall but has 27 touchbacks in his 32 kickoffs and is 8-of-8 in his PATs.

The school record for touchbacks in a season is 28 and the career record is 32. Lawson could re-write the record book for both in his first varsity season.

The Cardinals go into the final two weeks of the regular season likely still needing one more win to guarantee a playoff berth.

How many more cool stories transpire over that time? I’m excited to find out.

Contact Troy Hyde at thyde@shawmedia.com