Van Meter football hunting for fourth straight state title

The move up to Class 2A was no issue for the Bulldogs last season, bringing home the team’s fourth overall and third-straight state championship. And with it, they now hold a 24-game win streak dating back to 2022.

Van Meter’s quest for a fourth straight state crown and 25th win starts on Aug. 30 with Underwood coming to town with the Eagles looking to build upon their state baseball title last month (and more importantly, are looking for return trip to the UNI-Dome as well).

Position Battles

The Bulldogs have a tall order replacing some of the state’s most electric playmakers from last year, as all-state quarterback and running back Austin Baumhover and Ben Gordon depart after combining for 68 touchdowns, one of the highest QB-RB combos in the state.

But rotating the depth chart is nothing head coach Eric Trudo and the team haven’t experienced before, as Baumhover and Gordon themselves each replaced productive players in 2022 and 2023. But the last year both the starting quarterback and running back were replaced at the same time was in 2019 (that season ended in the state semifinals).

Even losing two electric playmakers (along with six of seven receivers that logged at least 100 yards), Trudo comes into the season optimistic of finding effective players throughout the depth chart.

“We've got a lot of good competition. We had a good off season, and especially summer workouts that kids did a good job of preparing themselves for this fall to come out here and compete, and that's what we're seeing right now,” Trudo said. “I think they're excited. We're all excited to start putting pads on on, and then we really start to find out what we have.”

At quarterback, Trudo said that it’s a two-man competition between senior Jay Haley and junior Henry Lounsberry. The latter was 5-for-6 passing lsat year with two totals touchdowns while Haley showed physicality on defense, ranked third on the team with eight tackles for loss.

Tailback looks to have some depth with a three-man contest for the starting role, with Garrett Cole (78 yards on 10 carries), Andon Watson (co-led team with three interceptions) and Tate Doggett (322 yards on 65 carries). All have two seasons left of eligibility as part of the Class of 2026.

Trusting the Process

Helping ease any uncertainty with new role players, the Bulldogs have shown repeated success no matter who’s running or throwing.

“We've got playmakers all over the field, and the kids are running the same system they run for three and four years now, so they're well prepared with what we do, both offensively and defensively, to step in and be that next man up,” Trudo said.

He added that it’s well-instilled among the team that just because the last three seasons added to the school’s trophy case, it means nothing in 2024.

“This year we don't get any extra bonus points for anything we did last year,” Trudo said after the first official practice of the season. “In fact, it probably just makes the target on our back a little bit bigger. And so we're going to have to earn everything again this year, just like every year, and maybe even more so. And so we've got to be ready to step up and be ready to play.”

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Van Meter football hunting for fourth straight state title