May 07, 2025
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FOOTBALL: Co-head coaches take the helm of NV/OM pigskin squad

By Ryan Stonebraker
Ashton Honnold receives good blocking on a touchdown run in a road game at South Hamilton.

Ashton Honnold receives good blocking on a touchdown run in a road game at South Hamilton. (File Photo)

The 2023 football season stumbled out of the gate as off-field distractions disrupted progress made in the out-of-season last summer. Then head coach Brad Honnold did an admirable job of steering the program during the tough time and helped set a base for the 2024 season ahead. Honnold returns for his second year and adds a co-head coach to the mix in Jack West, who will teach social sciences this fall at Nodaway Valley.

Nodaway Valley/OM looks to snap a 17-game losing streak that dates back to the last game of the 2022 season. In the past eight seasons, the Wolverine program has won more than a game only three times. West will guide the offense and Honnold the defense.

West graduated in May from Morningside College in Sioux City, where he played for two years and was part of the 2021 national championship team for the Mustangs. Injuries caught up to West, so he transitioned to a student coach role for two years. West, a Davenport native, played football at Davenport North.

As a senior at North, West helped lead the Wildcats to a 6-3 record as the starting quarterback. He threw for 1,595 yards and 10 touchdowns and was the team’s second-leading rusher with 578 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns. West was also the top punter and scored defensive touchdowns by fumble recovery and interception returns. He was additionally fourth on the team in tackles. As a senior, he helped the Wildcats snap a 12-game losing streak to Pleasant Valley.

West said that the Wolverines have come into fall practice in a good spot.

“We (Honnold and I) are pleased with where we are at and the work that the kids have done so far. We had a good summer with lifting, off-season conditioning, and open-field-type things. We have put in the work this summer to be in the best spot getting ready for the season we can be,” said West.

West said he is excited for the season to start this fall, noting that the players have been through a lot in the past 12-14 months.

“It’s been a lot. The kids have had a lot to deal with. Our record isn’t indicative of how hard they work, and what type of athletes they are. They have had success in other sports. We want to provide that structure and stability so they can experience that in football,” he said.

Eli Harris will return at quarterback for his senior year. Harris guided the varsity team last year for the first time and had 16 completions and a touchdown. Harris also will be a threat to run the football. Leading rusher junior Ashton Honnold returns after averaging 3.2 yards a carry last year. He had 318 rushing yards and a touchdown and also led the Wolverines in receiving last year. Also back will be third-leading rusher, junior Titus Hamer, who rushed for 110 yards, two touchdowns, and had a 3.7-yard per rush average to tie for the team lead. Senior Kasen Hansen and juniors Keyin Steeve and Remington Woosley also had carries last year.

The Wolverines return Steeve, Woosley and sophomores Bram Dahl and Caleb Christensen, who saw time at various receiving spots last year.

Defensively, the Wolverines return seven of their top eight tackle leaders from last year, including their top-2 tackle leaders. The mentality that Honnold brought to the table paid off as 2024 senior Trent Warner and junior Ashton Honnold became stars, requiring double team blocks. They were the top two stop leaders with 49 and 48.5 tackles. Their stats mirrored one another as Warner collected 6.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss while Honnold had 6 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. They both were ball magnets with Honnold grabbing three fumble recoveries and Warner two. Both were first-team all-district picks last year with Warner as an offensive lineman and Honnold as a linebacker. Christensen, Hamer, Steeve, Bryan Gonzalez, Harris and Woosley all had between 14 to 22 tackles last year.

On special teams, the Wolverines return both their punter and placekicker. Bryan Gonzalez returns to punt after averaging 29.5 yards a punt on 13 punt attempts. Warner is the main kicker, handling kick-off duties, averaging 38.7 yards per attempt.

The Wolverines will begin their season Friday, Aug. 30 at Mount Ayr, but they also scrimmage Clarinda Aug. 23 at home.

Mount Ayr beat the Wolverines last year in the Battle for the Rock, 39-12, on their way to the playoffs, and have won 15 of the last 17 meetings between the schools. The Wolverines’ last win was in August of 2021 at home.

The next week, Nodaway Valley will host Central Decatur in their home opener Sept. 6. The Cardinals qualified for the playoffs in the 2023 season. The Wolverines will have four home games this year with back-to-back home games in weeks four and five during the last two weeks of September. Homecoming is Sept. 27 against South Hamilton and senior night is Oct. 18 when the Wolverines host Ogden.

“Football sets the tone for the school year,” said West. “It spills into the halls of the school and onto other sports. It gets momentum rolling and it all starts in less than two weeks.”