TVL Football Preview

Hear the audio version herehttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/tvl-spotlight/episodes/TVL-Football-Preview-e37aapg

Welcome to the 2025 TVL Football preview. Brought to you by Titan Trailer Manufacturing, Thrivent Financial and as always KNDY Radio. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it.

Centralia

We’ll start in 11 man and the wild ride that was the 2024 Centralia Panthers season. An early season loss to Mid Buchanan (Mo.) had people unsure about which direction this team was headed. The Panthers would silence those doubters quickly winning 10 of their next 12 games by double digits including walloping their playoffs by an incredible 152-69.

While 1A will no doubt be a tough division again this year, Centralia returns by far the most of any team from last year’s playoff teams. Quentin Alderfer will be behind a pair of the best lineman in the league in Aidan and Tyren Talley and backfield battery mates Daegen Ronnebaum and Isaac Reineke will tote the ball effectively. I am going to stop short so I as not to jinx the Panthers. But Centralia fans, you might keep late November open on your schedule.

Doniphan West

It’s year number 3 for John Paolino and the Doniphan West Mustangs and year 2 of their return to 11 man football. The growing pains were real last year for D-West as their 2 wins both came against Pleasant Ridge. Kolter Peterson remains at the helm of the offense after showing promising numbers in many of their games last season, the interest here is if Peterson has done the off-season work both physical and, in the playbook, to guide D-West a little bit further in what is a season where progress is hoped for in Highland. D-West makes no bones that Michael Albers is their target offensively with more of a I dare you to stop it type mentality over the past couple of years but with the emergence of a new backfield star Will Kuhnert maybe D-West can become more versatile in 2025.

Valley Heights

The Valley Heights Mustangs have what I call “Good Problems” They might just have too many players who deserve to be on the field for 90 percent of snaps and even though they lose 7 players to graduation, there were many position battles that were very close as the Seniors were pushed by many underclassmen who now become the ones taking those roles. Junior Aiden Unruh and Senior Brady Dewalt will continue to move this offense in the direction it needs to go. There are big goals at Valley Heights and the players who are willing to put in the time and effort, if I may allow me to borrow a phrase. It’s a good year to be a Mustang.

Axtell

We’ll start with the easy one. The Axtell Eagles have won 4 straight state titles and are on one of the longest winning streaks in state history and only played one 4 quarter game last season. The rest were mercy rule victory. Junior Wyatt Detweiler will step into the role of QB this year replacing KU commit Brandon Schmelzle. Primary targets for Detweiler will include Senior Colin Shaughnessy and Junior Joe Lybarger. Lybarger may be the player that is most intriguing for this team, if he has made big steps forward in the offseason and become the defensive leader while contributing well on the offense it’s just going to be one more weapon in an already well-stocked roster for Eric Detweiler.

Blue Valley

Make no mistake, this Blue Valley Rams can come into this season with their heads held high and ready to go in 2025. Last year, their only losses coming to teams with a combined 27-6 record. Blue Valley has weapons aplenty for this year, Nate Irvine probably most notable but the name you need to remember Rawley Sump whose big body can be a factor for the Blue Valley offense. This is a team on the rise and if they come into the season with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, they will definitely make waves in the Twin Valley League this year.

Clifton-Clyde

The Clifton-Clyde Eagles are no strangers to the top half of the TVL standings and getting deep into the playoffs winning no less than 7 wins every season for the past decade, last year being their best finish since most of the current players have been alive. Senior Luke Nobert is going to be called on to make this offense tick.

You never know what is on Head Coach Russ Steinbrock’s play sheet each week but the playmakers are no secret. The talented Trenton Benne along with Nobert and Fahey can be nightmares for offense as Clifton-Clyde looks to build on a foundation that grows and grows.  

Frankfort

I mentioned earlier the Axtell Eagles only being forced to play one full 4 quarter game. That game was against our next team, the Frankfort Wildcats. Now don’t get me wrong, Frankfort didn’t print t-shirts for that accomplishment in fact it may be the least of their notable stats in 2024. A school record with 9 wins on the year, seven by the 45 point rule. Wes Anderson has been a mainstay at the helm of the Wildcat offense as he closes in on 100 career passing touchdowns, look for Porter Colvin to be the guy in this Frankfort and could be one of the top pass catchers and yardage guys in the area.

One of the biggest assets Frankfort has had for some time is focusing on their own program and letting the chips fall where they may. If the Wildcats can continue to do that, they should make big strides this year.

Hanover

From one Wildcat team to another, the Hanover Wildcats played maybe inarguably the toughest schedule in the state last year with 8 of their opponents making it to the playoffs and folks I’ll be honest I don’t think Hanover really cared. They outquicked outpowered and were quite honestly just better athletes than most teams on their schedule. That’s just the way the Wildcats play.

Early reports say they will split snaps but I’d look for Junior Kadrick Cohorst to step into a more prominent QB role as the Wildcats can use the athleticism and height of Braylon Meyn as a playmaker on the outside. Add in guys like Brody Sedlacek and Tanner Bruna and this team should be able to strike quickly and play from the lead almost every game.

Linn

Over the past couple of years, the Linn Bulldogs have faced the hurdle that nearly every 8 man teams from time to time. A large Senior class leaves and they are left with loads of underclassmen. The Bulldogs did spectacularly well to get past that with a 3-1 district record and hosting a playoff game for the first time in 25 years.

That inexperience is long gone and many of the players taking the field for Linn are 2- and 3-year starters. Junior QB Greyson Ohlde will be asked to control an offense that looks to be ripe with talent starting with Senior Running back Dylan Ohlde who will return as an all-league winner last year, Ohlde will be able to get the tough yards for the Bulldogs offense. Look for an emergence both offensively and defensively of players like Cash Stunkel a wide out and defensive back, Stunkel has the athleticism to be a big factor for the Bulldogs as they look to take another step forward in what an uber-difficult district with perennial powerhouses Hanover and Axtell.

Onaga

The Onaga Buffaloes are done taking baby steps. With a large group of Juniors and Seniors who have seen starting time, the orange and black are hoping to explode and with a pair of talented running backs it’s hard to deny Onaga can do just that. In a bit of a thunder and lightning backfield, the speedy running back Joshua Daniels and the hard-hitting Gavin Kolterman should each pick up big carries this year and be an asset for the Buffalo offense.

Washington County

Finally, today on our look around the league is Washington County. The Tigers under Jason Hamm are the proverbial blank page as they look to write the future of the program. They do return multiple impact players this with Gavin Leduc as the team’s leader on offense and the hopeful emergence of Eli Crome as the guy who can be the next man up to work. Washington County is another one of those teams that needs to play with a bit of blinders on. Focus on themselves and shut out the noise and the moves the rest of the division is doing and just show what Tiger Football is really about.

There you have it. Your look around the league in Twin Valley League football this year. It looks like another big year for the TVL with many teams vying for top spots in the league and the state. Volleyball girls, don’t fret. I am putting the finishing touches on the league volleyball preview which should be available on Wednesday.