The Webster City Lynx football team officially opens the 2024 regular season on Friday night as they make the short trip west on old Highway 20 to take on the Fort Dodge Dodgers in non-district action at Dodger Stadium. A once-dormant rivalry was revived in 2021, and Webster City has won the first 3 meetings since the rivalry restarted from its final meeting back in 1965.
2024 marks the start of Year 5 in the regime led by former Iowa State defensive back and Fort Dodge-native Nik Moser, as the Dodgers have built a solid foundation. The Dodgers all-around star from last year is wrestling phenom Dreshaun Ross, but Ross is expected to miss the football season with an injury he suffered wrestling at Fargo Nationals in the summer. With Ross out, a lot of the backfield load will fall on the shoulders of junior Jamarius Gibbs-Green, who ran for 436 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023. The quarterback spot will be manned by a newcomer on Friday, as sophomore Tru McBride is expected to direct the Dodger offense, and will a young receiving core to break in, led by junior Tytrell Mosley. The offensive line will be a younger one as well, but will have decent size led by senior Gavin Pederson.
Defensively, the loss of Dreshaun Ross maybe the biggest on the defensive end, as Ross led the Dodgers in tackles a season ago. However, there are key returnees in the backend such as Jesse Egli and Noah Daniel, as Egli tied for the team lead with 2 interceptions in 2023. The defensive line does return a bellcow up front in senior Jonathan Brown, as Brown led the Dodgers in sacks a year ago, but the majority of the unit will be on the green side. Linebackers will need to find players to step up with the loss of Ross and graduation of starters from 2023.
Webster City kicks off the dawn of a new era with Andy Brim as head coach for the Lynx, but things will look very much the same as they have in years past in Webster City. Luke Estlund moves from wingback to spinner back, while the running back spot will be platooned by Cael Nixon and Jayden Weinzetl, with Jaxon Griffith stepping in at wingback. The key for the Lynx will be it’s front on both sides, its a younger, yet talented front that showed flashes in their scrimmage with Eagle Grove.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM from Dodger Stadium on Friday Night, and the game can be heard on 92.9/1570 KZWC or streaming online at kqradio.com, with pregame beginning at 6:20 PM.