KILJ Sports Year in Review: Quarter Four presented by Two Rivers Bank

October

College Football: Esquivel Named NAIA National Player of the Week

Iowa Wesleyan freshman quarterback Gavin Esquivel was named the NAIA’s National Offensive Player of the Week, the institution has announced.

Esquivel is the first Tiger to earn national honors since Sierrah Garcia did in softball in 2012.

In Wesleyan’s homecoming win in October, Esquivel broke the school record for touchdown passes in a game with eight, a record that was held by Dustin Dewald.

College Wrestling: Oklahoma State, Iowa to Meet at Bout at the Ballpark

Wrestling will meet baseball in a one-of-a-kind event at Globe Life Field as the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys face the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in one of the most storied rivalries in college wrestling on February 12, 2022.

The matchup was announced in October.

Bout at the Ballpark will feature dual-match action between OSU and Iowa as well as the senior national teams from the United States and Iran. Competition will begin simultaneously as bouts will alternate throughout the event on two different mats. It will be the first time a senior-level international meet and an NCAA meet will operate in this format.

College Basketball: Mount Pleasant’s Ashton Named Assistant at Minnesota-Duluth

The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball team hired former Mount Pleasant standout Jordan Ashton as an assistant coach in October.

Ashton’s playing experience playing experience includes stops at Northwest Missouri State (2012-2014), Kirkwood Community College (2014-2015), Iowa State (2015-2016), and Northern Iowa (2016-2017). Ashton was awarded first team All-American during his time at Kirkwood Community College.

Most recently the top lieutenant for Alex Huisman at Iowa Wesleyan, Ashton helped guide the Tigers to 71.1 points per game.

November

Prep Football: Audubon Outlasts WACO in Heartbreaker

Braden Wessel’s fourth quarter punt return sent the Audubon Wheelers to the UNI Dome, defeating WACO 34-30 in a heartbreaking 8-Player Quarterfinal November in Wayland.

The Warriors, leading 30-28, saw Wessel scamper 70-yards, weaving in and out of tacklers to give the Wheelers a lead they would not release.

Simeon Reichenbach rushed 28 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns, while Jon Rice added 37 and two scores of his own — despite the loss.

The loss ended WACO’s season at 10-1, falling one game of an appearance at the UNI Dome.

Prep Volleyball: Just Did It — Notre Dame Repeats as Queens of 1A Volleyball

1A volleyball for the foreseeable future runs through Notre Dame, the Super Conference and southeast Iowa.

For the second consecutive year, the Notre Dame Nikes captured a state championship in November, cementing their status as the most dominant program in the sport at their level.

For what it’s worth — and head coach Mike Davis would agree — it wasn’t as easy as it was last year for the Nikes.

They were missing the tournament MVP from a year ago in Katy Stephens.

Her absence thrust rising superstar Gabby Deery into the limelight and not only did she excel, she exceeded.

Deery provided her capstone performance November’s title game drilling home a match-high 18 kills, propelling the Nikes to a 3-1 win over Springville.

Deery finished the three-day tournament with an absurd 67 kills.

For her efforts she was named 2021’s 1A Tournament MVP.

Prep Football: Edeker Honored in 8P-6 as Coach of the Year

Following their 10-1 season that saw them finish one game shy of the UNI Dome, WACO head coach Chad Edeker was named 8-Player District 6 Coach of the Year, which was announced in late November.

Edeker guided the Warriors to an undefeated district season before stumbling in the state quarterfinals to No. 6 Audubon.

Joining Edeker with accolades along the first team from WACO was running back Simeon Reichenbach and offensive linemen Tim Willits and Taylor Sutton.

Defensively, Tyler Sutton, Drew Diers and Jon Rice were all first team choices.

Winfield-Mount Union sophomore quarterback — and Iowa recruit — Cam Buffington was named first-team all-district after leading the Wolves offense in every major statistical category.

Abram Edwards, his top target, was also a first-team honoree.

The pollsters voted New London’s Boden Pickle as a first-team choice, as well.

New London’s Josh Glendening was the only other local selection among the first team — Glendening was listed as a defensive lineman.

Second team All-District honorees included:

  • Isaac Oswald, WACO
  • Caleb Giese, W-MU
  • Bowen Glaha, New London
  • Joel Lacy, New London
  • Noah Sparrow, W-MU
  • Cole Milks, W-MU
  • Dominic Lopez, New London

Prep Cross County: Two Danville-NL Runners Named All-State

Two Danville-New London were selected as All-State honorees by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches, following their terrific senior campaigns.

Both Ty Carr and Alexander Julian were honored as All-State choices.

Carr clocked a season best time of 16:35 even, while Julian’s top time was 17:03.6

Both men were All-State state selections last year by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches, as well.

December

College Football: Five Tigers Earn All-Conference Honors

Five Iowa Wesleyan Tiger football players have earned North Star Athletic Association All-Conference honors, the league announced in December.

Quarterback Gavin Esquivel, wide receiver Jaden Harris and defensive backs Kaden Henley and Major Niccum were all honored as Honorable Mention All-Conference selections.

Esquivel finished fourth in the league with 203 yards per game while setting the school record for most passing touchdowns in a single game when Iowa Wesleyan defeated Crown College earlier this year.

Henley morphed into a ballhawk in the second half of the year, leading M.D. Daniels’ defense with six interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Niccum was a chess piece as for Daniels’, as well, displaying incredible defensive versatility. Niccum led the team in tackles with 87 while adding two interception and four pass breakups.

Jaheem Hampton was awarded this year’s Champions of Character award for Iowa Wesleyan.

Hampton was a leader on and off the field over this season and his entire career, finishing this season with 33 solo tackles.

Prep Wrestling: ND’s Frazier Wins 150th, Cliff Keen Championship

Mount Pleasant native and Notre Dame prep wrestler Blaine Frazier had a monumental December earning championship at the historic Cliff Keen Independence Invitational.

Frazier exacted a little revenge when he faced Green County’s McKinley Robbins, the same opponent who he lost to for the 2021 Iowa State Championship.

Frazier was able to end Robbins’ 41 match win streak with a 3-2 win.

The win also was the 150th of Frazier’s career.

Prep Wrestling: New London’s Lopez Commits to SIU-E

New London’s three-time defending state champion Marcel Lopez has made his college decision official in December.

Lopez will continue his wrestling career as a member of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

The Cougars are in their infancy stages of Division I wrestling and are associate members of the Mid-American Conference.

They have not had an individual national champion since 1993.

Lopez was named the Dan Gable Mr. Wrestler last year after defeating Lisbon’s Brandon Paez in the state finals.

He has a chance to become just the 30th four-time state champion in Iowa High School wrestling history.