Advertisement
‘Perfect effort’ helped Bears overachieve
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · November 16, 2017


The 2017 football team produced “no superstars,” yet team effort “overachieved” and pulled in a district title and perfect regular season, the head coach said Friday night.
West Branch High School’s football team gathered Friday night to look back on a 9-1 group of players which some sports commentators figured would not make the playoffs.

“I had a lot of coaches come up to me and ask ‘How did you do that?’” Head Coach Butch Pedersen said of taking a team with nine underclass starters and beat teams heavy on seniors.

“It was just perfect effort,” he said.

Pedersen credited the coaches for implementing a new practice format which moved players quickly from station to station, driving home the discipline of hard work while at the same time facilitating activities outside of practice that helped the players deepen their bonds of friendship and teamwork.

Next year, the coach said, that may include things like a camping trip and team breakfast.

Sports Information Director Jason Miller read off a 40-point thank-you list that included school staff, news organizations, volunteers and lots of parents. Pedersen added personal notes to Superintendent Kevin Hatfield for the new field lights and volunteers who brought new equipment and skills to improve field conditions, like a golf course mower that shortened the grass while also making it finer for a softer field.

The coach then turned to the seniors, calling them “The Chosen Few,” saying the seven players led with a quiet example while coaches taught strong fundamentals.

Though the Bears brought Division I prospect Jacob Barnhart to the offensive line this year, few other players brought the same size and experience, meaning West Branch switched to more of a passing game.

Off-season lifting and seven-on-seven sessions made for an “extremely gutty” Bears team that lifted them above 2A West Liberty and 3A West Burlington Notre Dame to start the season, he said.

Pedersen said that he looked back on the times when he analyzed an upcoming opponent and counted four teams that appeared to have more talent overall.

“And we beat them all,” he said. “Our players had excellent conditioning and were very coachable.”

The head coach alluded, though not by name, to the recent failed $19.8 million referendum meant to build, in part, an addition at the high school; he said a better school would help build a better football program.

“We as a community need to step up,” he said. “These kids deserve the best. We need to continue to think about the future.”

The night included recognition for all-district selections, those who suited up for the state playoffs, records tied or broken, and team awards.



Records

West Branch tied or set numerous team and individual records, as reported on WestBranchFootball.com and QuikStatsIowa.com:

• Most passing yards in a game: Beau Cornwell with 343 against Bellevue (team and individual record)

• Most passing yards in a season: Beau Cornwell with 2,125 (team and individual record)

• Most passing attempts in a season: Beau Cornwell, Trey Eagle and Brett Schiele combined for 265 (team record)

• Most passing completions in a season: Beau Cornwell with 169 (individual and team record)

• Most field goals attempted in a season: 11

• Most field goals made in a season: Beau Cornwell with 8 (individual and team record). This is also a career record, according to the Talking Bear Football podcast, with host Matt Chinander pointing out Cornwell has another year of eligibility.

• Most passing completions in a game: Beau Cornwell with 23 against Maquoketa Valley (individual and team record)

• Most passing touchdowns in a season: Beau Cornwell with 20 tied with Caleb Walter in 2005

• Most field goals made in a game: Beau Cornwell with three against West Burlington Notre Dame

• Most receiving touchdowns in a season: Ben Thompson with 11, breaking a record set by Ricky Riley with nine in 2005.

• Most receiving yards in a game: Ben Thompson with 176 against Durant. Note: Jacob Graves broke the standing record a week before with 168 against Bellevue, so two receivers broke the standing record in a single season.

• Most receptions in a game: Jacob Graves had 10 against Pleasantville to tie with Tyler Donovan.



Awards

As for the team awards, voted on by the players:

• Chad Gates Memorial Award for Most Valuable Player went to both senior Jacob Graves and junior Beau Cornwell, who also received plaques for this accomplishment.

• Most Valuable Offensive Back Wayne Rummells Memorial Award went to both sophomore Tanner Lukavsky and Graves.

• Most Valuable Offensive Lineman Award went to senior Jacob Barnhart.

• The Most Valuable Receiver Award went to senior Ben Thompson.

• Most Valuable Defensive Lineman Award went to freshman Jeff Bowie.

• Most Valuable Linebacker Award went to John Hatfield.

• Most Valuable Defensive Back Award went to Graves.

• Most Valuable Weight Room Lifter awards went to Barnhart, Graves, sophomore Cameron Howsare and senior Billy Friis.

• Brian Hoffman Memorial Award for Most Improved Player went to Friis.

• Special Teams MVP award went to Cornwell.

• Norman Pedersen Memorial Award for Best Team Player went to junior Brady Lukavsky.

• Most Valuable Scout Team Player Award went to Zach Thompson.

• Mr. Versatility Award went to Graves.

• The Bear Award went to Marcus Gould and Luca Passeri.

The Coaches’ Appreciation Award went to Andrew Black.

The team also presented its captains for the 2018 season: Beau Cornwell, Brett Schiele, Brady Lukavsky and John Hatfield.



FS team

First year freshman-sophomore Coach Matt Hills said he was pleased with the team’s 6-3 record after varsity pulled up seven key players.

“That record is the result of all the hard work of the players,” he said.

The younger Bears started the season losing to 2A West Liberty, “and went on a roll after that.”

FS team awards:

• Coaches Prestige Award: freshman Emery Hazelwood

• Special Teams Award: freshman Cael Fiderlein

• Best Scout Team Player Award: sophomore Harold Blakey and freshman Dylan Butler

• Most Improved: sophomore John Yates

• Best Defensive Back: sophomore Jack Robertson

• Best Linebacker: freshman Morgan Hartz

• Best Defensive Lineman: sophomore Matt Paulsen

• Best Receiver: sophomore Kristian Nalan

• Best Offensive Lineman: sophomore Matt Rummelhart

• Best Offensive Back: Hartz

• Most Valuable Player: sophomore Trey Eagle.



‘Team comes first’

Allegro Photography owner Diana Borash presented mounted photographs to the seniors as a gift.

“It is an honor and a privilege to work with your sons and daughters,” she told the crowd, adding that her experience of standing on the sidelines with them showed them having character “of the highest caliber.”

Master of Ceremonies Mike Quinlan noted that, under Pedersen, the Bears amassed a 296-74 record, meaning that they win about 80 percent of the time.

This year West Branch counted its 25th conference or district championship under Pedersen.

“Butch surrounds himself with good people, and the team comes first,” he said.

Cheerleading sponsor Jenni Olson had another list of thank-yous to school staff, parents and other volunteers.

She noted that the cheerleaders start their practices in June, and that both the varsity and junior varsity squads learned more than 50 cheers, two dances and the school fight song.

“It’s sad to see the end of the season,” Olson said, especially since the Bears “were a great team to cheer for.”

She passed out certificates to recognize cheerleaders by their years on the squads, and presented a new, “Humor Award” to Jillian Hubble.

Recognizing seniora Annika Olson, Josie Miller, Cassie Scheer and Courtney Depoorter, Olson said “their leadership made it a fantastic season.”



Season stats

Scoring 1 2 3 4 Total

West Branch 96 129 59 65 349

Opponents 40 32 48 62 182



Scoring-average 1 2 3 4 Total

West Branch 9.6 12.9 5.9 6.5 34.9

Opponents 4.0 3.2 4.8 6.2 18.2



WB Opp.

Rushing yards 1,617 1,297

Rushing yards per game 162 130

Passing yards 2,125 1,227

Passing yards per game 213 123

Total yards 3,724 2,524

Total yards per game 372 252



Passing: Beau Cornwell 169-2,125 yards, 7 INT, 20 TD; Trey Eagle 1-0; Brett Schiele 1-0

Rushing: Tanner Lukavsky 130-712, 10 TDs; Jacob Graves 121-612, 8 TDs; Beau Cornwell 68-264, 8 TDs; Levi Kleinmeyer 8-23, 1 TD; Dakota Kaalberg 6-21; Morgan Hartz 11-12; Kelby Burger 2-4; Brett Schiele 2-2; John Hatfield 1-1

Receiving: Ben Thompson 40-663, 11 TDs; Jacob Graves 48-588, 4 TDs; Brett Schiele 40-397; Brady Lukavsky 11-191; Tanner Lukavsky 17-162, 3 TDs; Dakota Kaalberg 7-63; Peter Espensen 5-58; Wyatt Goodale 1-3

Tackles (solos-assists-sacks) — John Hatfield 37-52-0; Andrew Black 25-40-4; Jacob Barnhart 14 solo tackles, 25 assists, 6 solo tackles for loss and 2 solo sacks; Brett Schiele 24-31-0; Cameron Howsare 24-24-1; Dalyn Pedersen 21-29-2; Jeff Bowie 21-25-7; Billy Friis 20-27-2; Jacob Graves 17-26-0; Ben Thompson 18-7-0; Tanner Lukavsky 13-14-0; Dakota Kaalberg 10-18-0; Evan O’Neil 7-10-0; Brady Lukavsky 8-5-0; Levi Kleinmeyer 4-6-0; Drake Bloem 3-4-0; Peter Espensen 3-2-0; Wyatt Goodale 3-1-0; Javier Zamudio 1-3-0; Luca Passeri 1-2-0; Marcus Gould 1-1-0; Matt Paulsen 1-1-0; Zach Thompson 1-0-0; Jack Robertson 1-0-0; Jaden Hierseman 1-0-0; Morgan Hartz 0-1-0

Interceptions: Ben Thompson 3, Brett Schiele 3, Jacob Graves 2, Evan O’Neil 1, Wyatt Goodale 1, Tanner Lukavsky 1

Fumble recoveries: Brett Schiele 1, Tanner Lukavsky 1, John Hatfield 1, Levi Kleinmeyer 1, Jeff Bowie 1, Jacob Barnhart 1, Billy Friis 1

Kick returns: Brett Schiele 16-264; Jacob Graves 9-187; Brady Lukavsky 4-36; Evan O’Neil 1-5

Punt returns-Yards: Brett Schiele 7-98; Jacob Graves 7-27; Luca Passeri 1-(-2)

Punting: Beau Cornwell 30-1,032; Trey Eagle 1-47; Peter Espensen 1-32

Kickoffs: Javier Zamudio 50-2,358, 6 touchbacks; Beau Cornwell 9-398; Brady Lukavsky 7-299

PATs: Beau Cornwell 28-29; Javier Zamudio 11-13

FGs: Beau Cornwell 8-11