FROM WEST BURLINGTON TO COLORADO: COACH BILL NELSON HAS THE HAWKS ROLLING
By Coach Chuck Banks | CCA Dog House
We have to take a trip outside the Tri-State to recognize a coach who means a great deal to football around here—Coach Bill Nelson.
The West Burlington coaching legend and our former Coach Show guest has his Horizon Hawks building momentum in Colorado. Friday night, Horizon defeated Chaparral 17–7 at Echo Park Stadium, improving to 6–3 with a fourth consecutive victory.
What catches this old coach’s attention is how they got here.
Horizon stood at 2–3 after back-to-back losses to Douglas County, 41–35, and Ponderosa, 21–14. Two competitive games, two disappointing finishes, and a decision to make about how the rest of the season would look.
The Hawks answered with four straight wins:
🏈 24–8 over Vista PEAK Prep
🏈 42–0 over Highlands Ranch
🏈 13–10 in overtime over Smoky Hill
🏈 17–7 over Chaparral
Across that stretch, Horizon has outscored its opponents 96–25, allowing just over six points per game. That is some serious defensive work.
They have also found different ways to finish. A shutout one week. An overtime battle another. Friday against Chaparral, Manny Heretta delivered a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown that helped put the game away.
Those experiences matter. When games tighten up late in the season, players need confidence in their preparation and in the teammates standing beside them. The Hawks are giving themselves reasons to believe.
Next comes Overland on October 30 for the regular-season finale and Senior Night, with an opportunity to earn a seventh victory and strengthen their postseason position.
The playoff seedings can wait. There is another week of preparation and another opponent that deserves their full attention.
Coach Nelson, congratulations to you, your staff, and your players. We appreciated having you on The Coach Show, and you can bet there are folks back here in southeast Iowa keeping an eye on those Hawks.
Four straight wins. One regular-season game remaining. Keep it rolling, Coach!
#CCADogHouse #TheCoachShow #BillNelson #HorizonHawks #ColoradoFootball #WestBurlington #FridayNightLights #FinishStrong
THE ROAD TO THE DOME: THE NEXT CHAPTER IS SET
By Coach Chuck Banks | The Dog House
Well, folks, the matchups are out, and we have plenty to talk about! Iowa’s Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, October 30, with kickoff at 7 p.m.
For some programs, the postseason journey is just beginning. For others, surviving that opening round earned them another week together. Either way, the assignment is the same: win Friday and keep playing.
CLASS 3A: THE GAUNTLET SENDS THREE INTO THE FIGHT
We have spent the season talking about Class 3A District 4, and now Solon, Mount Pleasant, and Fairfield get their opportunities on the playoff stage.
Williamsburg at Mount Pleasant
Coach John Bowlin and the Panthers will host Williamsburg, and there is something special about earning another Friday night in front of your community.
But having the home field doesn’t do the blocking and tackling for you. Mount Pleasant needs to finish possessions, limit mistakes, and make Williamsburg earn its yards. In a playoff game, an empty trip into scoring territory or a penalty that extends a possession can change the whole evening.
My message to the Panthers? Trust the work that got you here. You don’t have to win the entire postseason Friday. You have to beat Williamsburg.
The other game in Pod B is Harlan Community at Des Moines Christian. The winners will meet in the quarterfinals.
Fairfield at Solon
Well, how about this? Two members of the Gauntlet get another crack at one another, this time with a season on the line.
Fairfield knows the challenge in front of it. Solon knows Fairfield won’t need an introduction. There is familiarity on both sidelines, but the team that executes best Friday gets to keep its equipment for another week.
For the Trojans, protecting the football and turning sustained drives into points will be essential. For Solon, the challenge is staying disciplined and treating every possession with the urgency playoff football demands.
The other game in Pod A is Assumption at West Delaware.
Elsewhere in 3A:
• Pod C: Algona at Carroll; Sioux Center at Bishop Heelan.
• Pod D: Iowa Falls-Alden at Clear Lake; Wahlert Catholic at Mount Vernon.
CLASS 2A: CENTERVILLE EARNS ANOTHER ROAD TO TRAVEL
Centerville at Van Meter
After that opening-round battle with West Burlington/Notre Dame, Coach Matt Kovacevich and the Big Reds have earned another week.
Coach, I picked you by one and you won by two. I suppose you had to get the last word in! Lol.
Now comes a trip to Van Meter. The emotions from the opening round have to turn into preparation for the next opponent. Recover physically, clean up the mistakes, and get ready to play four more quarters.
Centerville’s challenge is finding the consistency to finish drives on offense and finish possessions on defense. Against a playoff opponent, giving the other sideline extra opportunities can make for a long night.
The other game in Pod C is Roland-Story at Mid-Prairie. That creates the possibility of a Centerville–Mid-Prairie quarterfinal, but both programs have a substantial assignment before that conversation matters.
The rest of the 2A field:
• Pod A: Clarinda at CL/GLR; OABCIG at Dike-New Hartford.
• Pod B: Crestwood at Alburnett; Wilton at Waukon.
• Pod D: Osage at Spirit Lake; Kuemper Catholic at PCM.
Keep an eye on that Wilton trip to Waukon. The Wilton team I have talked about throughout the season now gets its next opportunity to make a postseason statement.
CLASS 4A: THE FIELD IS SET
• Pod A: Davenport North at Cedar Rapids Xavier; North Polk at Newton.
• Pod B: Le Mars at Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Spencer at Glenwood.
• Pod C: ADM at Carlisle; Pella at Lewis Central.
• Pod D: Ballard at Western Dubuque; Clear Creek-Amana at Waverly-Shell Rock.
CLASS 5A: EIGHT GAMES, EIGHT QUARTERFINAL SPOTS
• Pod A: Pleasant Valley at Johnston; Dallas Center-Grimes at Valley.
• Pod B: Bettendorf at Dowling Catholic; Waukee Northwest at Cedar Falls.
• Pod C: Urbandale at Southeast Polk; Prairie at Sioux City East.
• Pod D: Waukee at Ankeny; Iowa City Liberty at Indianola.
To every coach still putting together a practice plan and every player getting another week with his teammates: appreciate this.
The practices, the film sessions, the locker-room laughs, and the bus rides become the things you remember long after the scores fade.
And to the communities, show up. Bring some noise. These young men have worked a long time for this opportunity.
Another week together. Another Friday under the lights. Let’s play some football!
#DogHouseFootball #CoachingCultureInAthletics #IowaHighSchoolFootball #RoadToTheDome #PlayoffFootball #MountPleasantPanthers #CentervilleBigReds #FairfieldTrojans
TWO POINTS, TWO DOG HOUSE TEAMS, ONE GAME TO REMEMBER
By Coach Chuck Banks | CCA Dog House
Folks, in my opinion, this Class 2A showdown between District 7’s Centerville Big Reds and District 6’s West Burlington/Notre Dame Falcons will go down as one of the greatest opening-round games Iowa has seen in the four-team district playoff era.
I picked Centerville by one. The Big Reds won by two.
I guess that was Coach Kovacevich’s way of saying, “Screw you, Banks.” LOL.
This thing started fast and furious, and yards were plentiful. Every time you thought one team might take control, the other had an answer.
Before I get into the football, I owe the players, coaches, and communities a quick word. I wanted to be out there Friday, but I used my better judgment—and what little brain I have left—and stayed in the studio to unwind and rest.
Of course, these games were anything but relaxing. You get the gist.
I didn’t keep stats, so this old coach is going to talk about what he saw. And what I saw was two teams giving us everything they had.
THE FALCONS BROUGHT THEIR DUDES
Jayden Nanthan continued to power through people like Southeast Iowa’s own little version of Jerome Bettis.
“The Little Bus” was rolling, and bringing him down remained a job that required commitment.
And that quarterback is a sophomore?
Kellen Porter went toe-to-toe with a quarterback I believe belongs at the very top of Class 2A. The moment never looked too big for him. He competed, answered, and gave the Falcons a chance throughout the night.
Porter will be licking his chops all offseason thinking about what comes next. Although, from what I hear, he won’t have much idle time. Apparently, this young man is an absolute baller on the basketball court, too.
Tatum Warner delivered a stellar performance catching the football and making tackles. That kid is lightning fast. College coaches, take a look. In this old coach’s eyes, he has the ability to play at the next level, just like so many of these dudes across Southeast Iowa.
But the young man who really caught my attention Friday night?
Sam Dzawo.
We do not mention him nearly enough.
Now, that was a wrinkle that stumped old Coach Banks. Coach Joe Bowman is a smart man, and Dzawo came through like a cannonball, finding his way through that sea of Big Red in front of him.
Every time you were focused on another Falcon, there he was making you pay attention.
And Bowman’s offensive and defensive lines? As physical as advertised. Those boys came ready to work, and Centerville had to earn what it got.
What a season for Bowman, his staff, and that football team. They have plenty coming back, too.
Think about how narrow the margins were: the Mediapolis and Centerville games came down to a combined four points. Four points across two games that carried an awful lot of weight.
That is how close these Falcons were. It hurts, but it also tells you how competitive this group was.
NOW, OVER TO MY OLD HOMETOWN
Man, these Big Reds can play football.
And Mack Murdock?
Friday night, that young man put on a clinic in keeping his composure when everything around him was moving at full speed.
West Burlington/Notre Dame’s speed put him in some terrible positions. Long third downs. Long fourth downs. Defenders coming after him. Situations where a possession could have fallen apart.
He kept delivering.
Over and over.
Murdock might be the best high school quarterback I have personally watched since a Southeast Iowa quarterback named James Vandenberg sliced up a few Big Red teams back in the day.
That is a strong statement. It is also this old coach’s opinion.
There is something about the way Murdock handles those moments. Almost Joe Cool back there—until he takes off and runs like a Mack truck.
You get the gist.
But those plays start with the people doing the work in front of him.
Coach Belloma’s offensive line deserves a whole lot of credit. Against that physical Falcon front, those guys kept battling to give their playmakers opportunities.
And Kovac’s linebackers? Prowling, pursuing, and stepping into a game that demanded their attention on every snap.
Rye Barnhart made some crazy catches. The kind that make you lean toward the screen and ask, “How in the world did he come down with that?”
Folks around the state also need to take a good look at junior Sloan Phillips.
This kid can ball.
With the talent on this team, it would be easy for somebody to get overlooked. Don’t let Phillips be that guy.
Abram Decena cemented his football legacy in Coach Banks’ eyes Friday night. The crazy thing? This young man has a Division I baseball future, and watching him play football makes you believe he could have some pretty good options on that field, too.
College coaches, there is a whole lot of athlete there.
And Makoa Kaleponi?
As good as advertised. In a game loaded with dudes, he made sure his presence was felt.
WHAT A NIGHT FOR THE DOG HOUSE
Hats off to Coach Bowman and Coach Kovacevich, their staffs, and every player who stepped onto that field.
Centerville earned another week together. West Burlington/Notre Dame left a performance its community can be proud of, even through the hurt of a two-point loss.
This old coach was sitting in the studio, but I could still appreciate the preparation, toughness, and heart it took to keep answering the bell.
Actually, forget the bell.
This wasn’t a heavyweight fight. It was a Bellator cage match.
And both teams came out of the Dog House.
#CCADogHouse #DogHouseFootball #CentervilleBigReds #WBND #IowaHighSchoolFootball #Class2A #FridayNightLights #TheseDudesCanPlay
🐾 FORT MADISON FOOTBALL: 3–6 DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY
By Coach Chuck Banks
Not maybe. Not “you could make an argument.”
In my opinion, all three Lee County, Iowa, football communities battled through some of the toughest schedules in the state in 2026—bar none.
Let’s start with Fort Madison, because if you’re judging these Bloodhounds by a 3–6 record alone, you’re missing an awful lot of the story.
Fort Madison came racing onto the scene in Week 1 with a 50–18 victory over Class 4A Burlington. That was followed by a Week 2 trip to West Burlington/Notre Dame, a Class 2A playoff qualifier. In Week 3, the Hounds traveled to Central Lee and brought home a 28–12 win.
Then came the district grind.
Week 4 brought Class 3A District 3 champion Mount Vernon to town. In Week 5, Fort Madison hosted Keokuk for Homecoming and delivered a 55–36 victory.
From there? Buckle up.
The Hounds traveled to District 4 runner-up Mount Pleasant in Week 6, then went to Fairfield, sitting No. 16 in the Class 3A RPI, in Week 7. Senior Night brought Washington to Jim Youel Field—a team that, in this old coach’s opinion, was only a few yards away from finishing as the district runner-up.
And the reward for getting through all of that?
A Week 9 trip to district champion Solon, ranked No. 1 and sitting atop the Class 3A RPI.
Oh, Nelly. That is an absolutely brutal schedule.
I know the young men in Fort Madison are disappointed in some of the outcomes. Competitors always are. They put in the work, prepare to win, and care deeply about the guys standing beside them.
But Coach Derek Doherty and company deserve credit for preparing this group to compete through an absolute juggernaut of a schedule.
And there were moments worth remembering.
Jayden Cratton’s 97-yard kickoff return to open the second half against Solon was one of the highlights of the year. That is a memory that young man—and the people who watched it—will carry for a long time.
Moses Thacher was an absolute animal running the football, taking on some intense defensive fronts week after week. Those yards came against teams that made you earn your opportunities.
Hats off to Coach Josh Wykert and that offensive line for continuing to battle and create holes for Moses. The guys up front deserve their recognition. They were in the middle of those fights every Friday night, doing the work that makes an offense go.
That is why 3–6 doesn’t tell the story of how far this group has come in three years.
Fort Madison has plenty to be proud of, and there are a lot of dudes coming back next season. The offensive line will have to reload quickly, but this program has the makings of a group that can continue to climb.
Would many coaches get excited about facing this kind of schedule year after year? Probably not.
Coach Doherty embraces that challenge. His players see it in the way he prepares them and the expectations he brings to the program.
There is more recognition ahead, too.
Moses Thacher is one of 12 area athletes who will vie for the inaugural Dawg House Player of the Year award.
Center Nolan Lamb is in the running for Big Dawg of the Year.
More on both of those honors later.
For now, to the seniors, the returning players, the coaches, and everyone who stood behind this team: it was a pleasure watching you compete in 2026.
You faced a demanding road. You gave us performances, effort, and moments worth celebrating.
Hold your heads high, Bloodhounds. You have a lot to be proud of. 🐾
#DogHouseFootball #FortMadisonBloodhounds #BloodhoundFootball #BeyondTheRecord #DawgHouse #BigDawg #FridayNightLights
🐾 WEST HANCOCK: STILL IN THE FIGHT. STILL IN THE DOG HOUSE.
By Coach Chuck Banks
On this one, I’m not going to pull any punches.
Illini West defeated an injury-plagued West Hancock squad. Credit to the Chargers for earning the victory. For the Titans, the injuries and adversity were part of the challenge they had to battle through.
But there are a few things I want to make clear for those who really listen to what we’re doing here.
I cover Tri-State football to give our communities, coaches, and players the positive coverage they deserve.
I enjoy finding the dudes, recognizing the work, and telling the stories that deserve to be told. I’ll make predictions. I’ll have some fun. Sometimes I’ll get it right, and sometimes a coach or a team will make this old guy eat his words. That comes with the territory.
What I won’t tolerate on our pages is blatant negativity and hate. You can disagree with a prediction, support your team, and enjoy a rivalry without tearing somebody else down.
Coach Coy Dorothy, congratulations to you and your squad for staying the course and continuing to compete when things didn’t go your way.
That matters.
Football teaches some hard lessons. You prepare, put in the work, and sometimes still find yourself dealing with circumstances you wouldn’t choose. How you respond says something about you. Those lessons follow you long after the helmet comes off.
To the Titans: your work has been seen. Your performances have been noticed. There will be plenty of West Hancock representation on our Tri-State Team, but we’ll get to that a little farther down the road.
The Dog House is expanding, as I’ve indicated. I know which programs I intend to add, and I’ll be thoughtful about those decisions.
I want to build relationships with communities that love their teams and show up for their players. I want to highlight coaches and athletes who do things the right way. That includes how we treat people when we win, when we lose, and when somebody sees a game differently than we do.
You can have fun. You can be competitive. You can be proud of your team. And you can do all of that with respect.
West Hancock, I appreciate Coach Dorothy, his staff, the players, and the community for allowing us to share in your football story.
The Titans will continue to have a home in the Dog House for years to come.
That’s all. 🐾
#DogHouseFootball #WestHancockTitans #TitanFootball #TriStateFootball #CoachingCulture #RespectTheGame
