Okay, technically, 22. Eleven on each side and all. But the bigger point is, having already examined Xavier's prospects for 2015 - how do the opponents look?
The Saints went 6-3 in the 2014 regular season. Xavier rolled to easy wins against Central-DeWitt, Maquoketa and Marion. They shut out traditional power Solon, used a bevy of turnovers to cruise past an injury-riddled Davenport Assumption, and came back from an early touchdown deficit to thump Dubuque Wahlert. The defense played pretty well in a loss at 4A state champion Dowling. Western Dubuque took a one-point win at Saints Field, preventing Xavier from even completing a pass. And 1A state champ Iowa City Regina broke open a tie game in the fourth quarter to take that decision.
So ... how do all those teams look this year? Davenport Assumption was missing about half their team due to injuries when they played Xavier last year. You know Solon is looking for revenge after being shut out by the Saints. Can Western Dubuque knock off Xavier twice in a row?
DOWLING
The Maroons are, well, a 4A powerhouse in central Iowa. They've won 9 games or more and made the playoffs for seven straight seasons. They've won the state title the past two years, going 27-1 (with only a loss to West Des Moines Valley last season). So, even though they've lost Mr. All-Everything Ryan Boyle to the Iowa Hawkeyes - Dowling's leading passer and rusher last year - you know the Maroons are going to be big, tough, and solid.
The passing game will be a question for the opening game of the year. Returning players had a total of 10 pass attempts all last year. Whoever is the quarterback does have a good returning target in Eric Fardal, with 45 catches for 739 yards and 8 TDs last year. The ground game doesn't bring a lot back, either - Cole Deskin had 511 yards and 8 TDs, while Christian Cavan had 368 yards and 4 scores. On defense, a couple of names you should remember from last year's contest are back (Michael Zachary and Jacob Shedenhelm).
In addition to Boyle, big contributors like Max Morris, Rodney Harris and Gray Gochenour are gone. But Dowling is still the defending 4A champion, and still a strong, dangerous team. I don't think Xavier matches up very well against the Maroons, but if the defense can play as well as they did in 2014, they ought to make it a contest.
I'm most looking forward to the Dowling fans making the trip to Saints Field. The one-way in, the lack of parking, the crowned field - this is no CIML road trip.
DAVENPORT ASSUMPTION
The Knights were just crippled by injuries early last year. Down to something like their third-string quarterback by kickoff against Xavier, they ended up playing two other guys at the position by the time the game ended. They have the capability to be a much better team than we saw in 2014. Remember, this is a program that won 23 games between 2011 and 2013 in a 4A conference - their 5-5 record last year is an aberration.
Joe Argo will be back at quarterback. He threw for 876 yards and 9 TDs in an injury-shortened season, while also rushing for 654 yards. Will Ontiveros is also a terrific offensive threat, with 32 catches for 414 yards and another 232 yards on the ground. Carter Kilfoy and Chris Bridges anchor a defense that had issues last year, but return quite a few good contributors (although leading tackler Jake Poster was a senior). Assumption is a proud program, and I expect they will bounce back from last year.
SOLON
You just know Solon is itching to get back at Xavier for that 28-0 shutout last year. The Spartans were also facing some injuries when they came to Saints Field, but even so Xavier played pretty inspired football that night.
Brandon Childs completed 86 of 149 passes for 991 yards and 10 scores, and he is back. He's also the Spartans kicker, connecting on 42 extra points and a field goal, while averaging nearly 34 yards a punt. The ground game will be starting fresh without departed senior Brandon Kramer, as Childs and three other backs combined for 575 yards total. The very tall and usually open Jacob Coons had 17 catches for 198 yards, but needs to improve his hands to be a real threat. Nate Christensen had 13 pass receptions. On the defensive side, leading tackler Spencer Lawson is back (52 tackles and 7 sacks), along with Tanner Wymer and Bo Black.
I expect this game to be a tough one. Xavier has to go on the road to Solon, with the Spartan team and fans howling for revenge for 2014.
CENTRAL CLINTON-DeWITT
The Sabers have had their challenges over the past years. While they won their district in 2007-08, and lost to the eventual state champion in the playoffs in 2007, 2010 and 2012, they've won only 4 games in three of the past four seasons. What makes it worse for 2015 is the fact that basically last year's entire team graduated. Logan Sheppard, James Grell, Ryan Burke ... all seniors in 2014.
Gage Fuller's 16 pass attempts make him the top returning quarterback. Eliot Arensdorf and Levi White ran for just shy of 80 yards apiece, and that makes them the top two returning rushers. Arensdorf and Fuller are also the top two returning pass receivers, with 5 catches between them. Addison Templeton did have 35 tackles last year, so he brings some experience on the defensive side, and Keegan Lass has 24 extra points and three field goals to his credit. But Xavier scored a school-record 59 points on the Sabers last year ... it may not be much better for Central-DeWitt this season.
MAQUOKETA
Maquoketa is another team that had a rough go of 2014. The Cardinals had a run of five straight playoff appearances snapped by last year's 1-8 record - Maquoketa had actually won 22 games in the three seasons prior, with three playoff wins. In 2014, though, the Cardinals had the district's worst ground game, worst total offense, worst passing defense, and worst overall defense (giving up nearly 375 yards a game).
One huge reason for last year's dip was a lack of experience. That won't be the issue in 2015. Leading passer Justin Snyder returns (466 yards), as does leading rusher Jacob Kloft (394 yards) and leading receivers Matt Ambrosy (15 catches) and Skyler Bronson (11 catches for 192 yards). Snyder, Andy Ahrens and Lane Dundee bring experience back on the defensive side, as well.
I expect Maquoketa to have a much better season this year. Xavier has to play them on the road, where anything can happen, so the Saints should not take them lightly.
WESTERN DUBUQUE
This was probably the game that surprised most Xavier fans last year. The Bobcats hadn't really shown their mettle prior to coming to Saints Field - they barely pulled out a win against Dubuque Wahlert - but they played a terrific game, had a near-perfect game plan, and ended up knocking off the Saints 7-6. However, like Central-DeWitt, Western Dubuque loses a lot of their players from the 2014 squad that led the district in total offense.
Leading passer Nolan Baumhover, leading rusher Ben Burds, and top tackler (and All-Name Team member) McKade Bockenstedt have graduated. Returning players have a total of three varsity pass attempts. Reid Hoefler ran for 448 yards and 6 TDs last year, and Mitch Kramer was the leading receiver with 24 catches for 376 yards and 5 scores. Keaton Deutmeyer (7 sacks) and Jake Westhoff were strong players on the defensive side.
A couple of things in the Bobcats' favor ... they don't play Xavier until Week 6, so they'll have the opportunity to get their new starters up and running. And they get Xavier at home in Epworth.
DUBUQUE WAHLERT
Ah, Xavier's old MVC mates, the Golden Eagles. A district opponent that has some history with the Saints - most of it good for the Cedar Rapids team. Xavier is 5-0 against Wahlert since 2008, outscoring the Golden Eagles 180-36. Ouch. Wahlert did make the playoffs in their first year in 3A, although they lost their first-round game to West Delaware and finished 3-7.
Like we mentioned with a couple of other district teams, the Golden Eagles will be missing some key players from 2014. Leading passer Jacob Nemmers - graduated. Star running back Riley Hasken - graduated. Key defender Nathan Gerlach - graduated. Wahlert is going to have to piece together an offense from players who have never thrown a varsity pass, and Mason Flynn's and Lyle Klein's 359 yards rushing - total.
On the plus side, Austin Kluck and Judd White each caught 25 passes last year, and scored 6 TDs between them (one of Kluck's was an absolutely beautiful diving catch in the end zone against Xavier). White also added 15.4 yards per kick return and Kluck averaged 12.7 yards on punt returns. Flynn returns as the team's top tackler in his linebacker spot, with 75 tackles last year. Travis Warden had 61.5 tackles and a sack as well.
IOWA CITY REGINA
It doesn't matter that Regina plays in a class two levels below Xavier. What matters is Regina is 101-6 since the 2007 season began. What matters is Regina has won five consecutive state championships. What matters is Regina's total offense had the second-most yards in the state in 2014 - not the second-most in 1A, the second-most of any school of any size in the state. The Regals are the definition of a dynasty.
That said, Drew Cook, Jake Brinkman and Michael Adam - all huge contributors in Regina's 21-7 win over Xavier - have moved on. The top returning player with varsity experience is Nick Phillips, who is no slouch himself. Phillips had 52 catches for 650 yards and 8 TDs last year, and added 412 yards rushing and 6 more scores. Phillips also averaged 26.2 yards on kick returns and 19.7 on punt returns, and scored three times on returns. Nathan Stenger saw time, too, accounting for 17 touchdowns (11 pass receiving, 3 rushing, 3 more passing). Justin Hunter is the top returning tackler for the second straight year, with 70.5 tackles, one sack and one interception in his junior season.
Regina is definitely a dynasty, and they don't rebuild - they reload. I have to say, though, if there is a year where Xavier might be able to catch the Regals down just a tad, it might be this season. By Week 8, though, nobody will be a "new" starter anymore.
MARION
The Indians are another team that had a tough go if it in 2014, finishing 1-8. After winning 35 games between 2007 and 2010, Marion sandwiched an 8-3 mark in 2012 between two 4-win seasons, then dropped all but one game last year.
The Indians do return some firepower, though. Gage Kray was the leading passer, with 302 yards and 4 TDs to his credit. Kory Walsh (the top ground-gainer for the past two seasons) led the way rushing, picking up 755 yards and 7 scores. That's really about it for statistical returnees, however ... Ryan Whalen caught 5 passes last year, while Kray had 37 tackles. Marion is going to miss players like Hayden Meister, Nick Kramer, John Carstenson and Devin Quinn. It might be another long season at Thomas Park.
A caveat: the one thing for you to remember, dear reader, is that all these statistical returnees (as well as those that have graduated) are just that, the players who get the statistics. As football fans and students of the game, we all know the real keys to a season are those guys up front, the linemen, the ones who protect the quarterback and open holes for the running backs, the ones who plug up the line on the defensive side and harass the opposing passer into throwing the ball away. Those are the guys who don't show up in the numbers game, and those are the guys who can make the real difference on the field.
I don't know if a team that lost most of their ball-handling players like Central-DeWitt or Western Dubuque is returning a bunch of experienced starters on the lines or not. I don't know if Dowling or Regina has nobody coming back who ever blocked a varsity player or made a varsity tackle. I just don't know ... but those factors will make a huge difference in how the games play out. I do know Xavier is going to have to replace their entire offensive and defensive line, but I also know a lot of last year's juniors got to play quite a bit (even if they didn't start) and last year's sophomore team was pretty darn good.
So they got that going for them, which is nice.
We'll start to figure this stuff out on the field in just about a month.
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