The West Hancock Eagles Football Team will seek another state title on Thursday when they take on the Tri-Center Trojans in the Class A State Championship. Where the Trojans look to claim their first title, this is a position the Eagles have been in before. Thursday will mark the fifth time in the last seven years that West Hancock has appeared in the state final. More than just appearing, the Eagles have won three state titles in the previous six years, including last season’s 30-28 win over Woodbury Central. Head Coach Mark Sanger credits his players,  and community for the program’s continued success.

The postseason has been relatively smooth sailing for the Eagles. After taking care of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, their second-round game against MMCRU was a come-from-behind 28-21 victory. Then, after handling Woodbury Central in the quarterfinal, West Hancock’s semi-final game against Madrid seemed to be much of the same. However, Madrid recovered two onside kicks and took a 29-point halftime deficit and turned it into an 8-point deficit before the Eagles pulled away in the 50-35. Regardless of how the game unfolded, Sanger was proud of how his team handled the sometimes chaotic environment the UNI Dome provides.

Expect to see a lot of hard-nosed and run-heavy football from West Hancock. The Eagles have three players with over 700 rushing yards, including senior Creighton Kelly and junior Gustavo Gomez. However, the offense is led by senior running back Brady Bixel. Bixel has run for over 1,800 yards and 37 touchdowns. Last week against Madrid, he ran for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Bixel has also run for more than 220 yards in three of the Eagles’ four postseason games this year. Sanger says Bixel’s maturity and vision have helped him become a better runner.

Don’t sleep on the Eagles’ defense either.  West Hancock has forced 22 turnovers, including 16 interceptions this season. The Eagles have five players with 50 or more tackles. Kelly (who leads the team with 60.5), Bixel, Teague Smith, and Zach Beukema all have at least 50 tackles and 30 solo tackles. Sanger says that winning the turnover battle, team tackling, and flying to the football have all been points of emphasis for his defense.

Although it might sound Cliche, Tri-Center will be West Hancock’s toughest challenge. The Trojans bring an explosive and balanced offensive attack to the table. Quarterback AJ Harder has thrown for over 2,600 yards, while running back Carter Kunze has run for over 2,200 yards. This, coupled with receivers Zach Nelson and Cael Witt provide plentiful options for Head Coach Ryan Schroder. Tri-Center’s defense has also been red hot as they have not allowed more than 20 points since a week two win over Treynor. When talking about his defense, Sanger realizes the game will be about limiting the Trojan’s explosiveness and winning the turnover battle.

You can catch all the action on KJAN with pregame coverage starting at noon on Thursday.