May 13, 2024

Week 0 football preview: Southwest Valley, Nodaway Valley kick off season

By BRENNEN NORMAND
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Nodaway Valley is set to play Southwest Valley Friday at 7 p.m. The Wolverines and Timberwolves kick off the season for the area in a game that has the potential to be a close matchup during a shortened season.

The wait is over for high school football in Iowa as Southwest Valley hosts Nodaway Valley in a Week 0 game Friday at 7 p.m.

Nodaway Valley is coming off a 3-7 season while Southwest Valley finished its 2019 season 3-6. The Wolverines start the year with a new head coach and a new system, making game planning a little more difficult for Southwest Valley.

A season ago, the Timberwolves picked up a 22-8 win inWeek 5. Brendan Knapp was a major factor in Southwest Valley’s success on both sides of the ball. He passed for 67 yards, rushed for 119 yards, scoring two touchdowns and caught two interceptions.

Knapp wasn’t the only successful rusher for the Timberwolves, as they racked up 261 yards on the ground. Hunter Crill rushed for 98 and Blaine Venteicher tacked on another 43. All three return this year as upperclassmen.

The Timberwolves’ defense made things difficult for Nodaway Valley, allowing only 156 total yards of offense. Nodaway Valley’s rushing attack was held to only 21 yards, but the Wolverines found a bright spot in the passing game with quarterback Nate Russell. He passed for 135 yards but also threw two interceptions.

This season, the Wolverines enter with a run-heavy offense under first-year head coach Duane Matthess, who is coming from Clarke after 2019.

The ground-based system should bump up numbers on the ground due to the sheer volume of attempts. But, if returning defensive talent like leading tackler Tallen Myers and Tucker TePoel can shut down the Wolverines’ offense early, Nodaway Valley may have a tough time coming back.

With a new offense, it will be interesting to see how quarterback Nate Russell adjusts to the offense after an aerial assault last season. He’ll be a key piece to the puzzle. Caelen and Boston Devault look to be the major pass catchers for Russell when the ball is thrown. The most important piece to the offense may come from the ability to rush with Tony Ayase, however.

A system with motion and guards pulling can be confusing for opposing defenses, but leading tackler and veteran Tallen Myers, along with the length of Tucker TePoel gives the Timberwolves a good chance to stop the ground game. Knapp will be leading the way for the offense and will be a key player in giving Southwest Valley a lead, forcing the Wolverines to be one-dimensional on offense if they have to come back.