Several area players crack all-state football teams

The Iowa Print Sports Writers Association released its 2019 all-state football teams last week.

The teams, selected by print sports writers in Iowa Saturday morning, include several area athletes local to the News Advertiser and Osceola Sentinel Tribune coverage, ranking from 8-man to Class 2A.

Despite the CNA covering Class 3A football this season, no area athletes were included on the Class 3A all-state team.

8-man

Lenox’s Drew Venteicher was selected to the all-state second team defense in 8-man.

Venteicher, a dual threat for the Tigers on offense and defense, was selected as a linebacker. He posted 73 tackles (51 solo) and had 14 for loss. He sacked the quarterback five times.

He led the team in every major defensive category, including fumble recoveries (four), and had one interception.

On the second team defense, East Union’s Gus McNeill was selected as a punter.

He put up 1,030 total punting yards, seventh most in 8-man. Of players who punted a minimum of 25 times, he was the leader in the class with an average of 41.2 yards to lead the class with a season long of 62 yards.

Class A

Central Decatur was represented by three players on the Class A all-state team with Cole Pedersen getting selected to the offensive first team.

Pedersen, an offensive and defensive threat, passed for 850 yards with seven scores and seven interceptions. As a runner he tallied 1,268 yards (11th most in the class) on 147 attempts and averaged 8.6 yards per carry and 16 scores (14th in the class).

Joining Pedersen was Tate Hill, making the offensive second team as an offensive lineman, and Matthew Booth on the defensive third team as a defensive back.

Hill helped the Cardinals amass 3,172 yards (1,671 passing, 1,501 rushing) with 39 scores. He was part of an offensive line that closed out the regular season on a four game winning streak, sweeping out district play to earn a spot in the postseason. The Cardinals took it to a then-undefeated North Tama in the opening round, but lost 16-6.

Boothe intercepted five passes, tying Hayden Leymaster for the team-high. He added 14 1/2 tackles, 10 being solos, to his end of the season stat line.

Class 1A

Selected for Class 1A all-state for Mount Ayr were Isaac Grose and Dawson Frost. Grose was selected to the all-state defensive second team as a linebacker while Frost was selected to the offensive third team as a receiver.

Grose put up 32 tackles (23 solo) with 13 stops for a loss, the most in District 8. He had six sacks, also the most in the district, and a fumble recovery.

Frost was the team’s leading receiver, pulling down 42 catches for 754 yards, more than the next six Raider receivers total yardage combined and more than double the next best receiver in the district. He also led the district in scores with eight.

Interstate 35’s Joey Bregar made second team defense as a linebacker.

Bregar was the Roadrunners’ leading tackler with 92 1/2 tackles, the second most in Class 1A. Sixty five of his tackles were solos and eight were for a loss.

He did not register a solo sack, but did register a sack assist.

Class 2A

Clarke, Osceola put three on the all-state team, the most since 1995 when the Indians put three on the team.

Spruceton Buddenhagen made first team as an offensive lineman, and Jackson Hoag was selected to the third team as an offensive lineman

Buddenhagen and Hoag were members of an offensive line that helped Clarke’s diverse running offense rush for the second most yards in District 8 (2,281) and average 5.4 yards per carry. The Indians scored 23 rushing touchdowns.

Buddenhagen’s selection as a first teamer is the third in school history and is the first since 1992 when Eddy Saylor was selected as a defensive lineman for Class 3A.

Defensive lineman Jake Smith was selected to the third team defense. Smith was the leader on defense in nearly every category for the Indians, leading in tackles (42), solo tackles (37) and solo stops for a loss (1). He also had two sacks.