Webster City football kicks off their 2023 regular season with a renewed rivalry matchup between the Lynx and their Highway 20 neighbors in the Fort Dodge Dodgers. Prior to 2021, the two programs had not played since 1965, but since the renewal, Webster City has dominated, winning by a combined score of 103-37. In last year’s matchup, the Lynx put together an all-time performance on the ground, rushing for 678 yards, the 6th-most in a single game in state history.
Fort Dodge enters Friday matchup with some question marks on the offensive side of the ball. The Dodgers graduated quarterback Connor Carver and top receiver Javion Jondle, as well as running back Orion Larson-Trott. Junior Jase Nekvinda appears to be the heir apparent at quarterback, while the running back spot will be opened to someone who played limited varsity snaps in 2022. The receiving room won’t be too green, as Grant Williams and Ty Adams headline a veteran group, while the offensive line will be in a total rebuild, losing all 5 starters.
Defensively, the bellcow will be superstar sophomore Dreshaun Ross, a linebacker who picked up his first collegiate offer from Iowa over the summer, and moonlights as one of the best wrestlers in the country. Ross tallied 46 tackles as a freshman with a TFL to boot. The Dodgers do return a lot of quality on defense, including other top tacklers such as Drew Mortiz, Isaiah Caldwell, and Cal Hartmann. Caldwell was also the Dodgers best pass rusher, tallying 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The defensive backfield will need to find a way to create more turnovers, as the Dodgers only intercepted 4 passes in 2022.
Webster City enters as one of the top-regarded teams in Class 3A in 2023, following their 2-year stint in Class 4A. The Lynx enter ranked #5 in the Radio Iowa poll, and boast perhaps the best running back in the state in Jaxon Cherry. Sophomore Jaxon Griffith ran quarterback in the scrimmage with Eagle Grove, which would point to him being the Lynx starter against Fort Dodge, while running backs such as Cael Nixon and Jayden Weinzetl have high-end potential. The offensive line returns 4 of 6 starters, including tight end Keegan Hisler.
Defensively, the Lynx return their stalwarts from last season in Jaxon Cherry and Keegan Hisler in the linebacking core, while Jayden Weinzetl is due to have a big year following his promising sophomore season. The defensive line will be a “by committee” unit in 2023, with players such as Josh Stansfield, Brandon Lahr, Landon Griffen, as well as Cole and Beau Nohrenberg rotating in to keep the front line fresh. The defensive backfield returns starters in Trevyn Lyons and Luke Estlund, and it’s likely Briar Klaver slides into the starting safety spot.
Kickoff between the Lynx and Dodgers is slated for 7:30 PM at Lynx Field on Friday, August 25th.