T-R FILE PHOTO

STATE CENTER — When opposing coaches call you “the best defensive end they’ve seen” in any number of years, there must be a reason.

Clear Lake head football coach Jared DeVries, who knows a thing or two about the game, tagged West Marshall senior Brayden Evertsen with that label after the Lions’ 21-13 loss to the Trojans this fall.

More than a month later, the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association acknowledged Evertsen’s accomplishments and named him captain of the Class 2A all-state team as a result.

Evertsen, the Times-Republican’s All-Area Football Co-Player of the Year, assembled a senior season to behold in helping West Marshall advance to within one point of the state semifinals while also earning himself some accolades along the way.

He picked up a scholarship, too, to the University of Mary, an NCAA Division II program in Bismark, N.D.

“Some other coaches were saying he’s a really good player and he deserved to be the 2A captain, to me it’s not that he deserved it, it’s that he earned it,” West Marshall head coach Cody Hackett said of Evertsen. “In my eyes he earned it, so it was a great opportunity to have him for four years as well. He’s a heck of a football player and he’s smart and he’s very football smart. He knew how to put himself in position to be successful.”

Evertsen, probably undersized as a 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive end, piled up a state-best 30.5 tackles for loss while coming in second across Iowa with 17 quarterback sacks. He finished with 71 tackles in his senior campaign, earning all-district first-team honors for the third year in a row while being named the district’s Defensive MVP a second time.

“Because of his size, opponents probably didn’t think too seriously of him, but once they got on the field and his technique and fundamentals and just his energy and effort that he showed on every play of the game, he stood out,” Hackett said. “He just did a great job for us.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Evertsen was the Trojans’ top passing target. Not that the state’s best rushing attack had to throw the ball that often, it was pretty evident where the pass was going when they did.

Evertsen was third among tight ends in 2A with his 22 catches, and first with 447 yards and nine touchdowns. He even carried the ball six times for 197 yards, racking up 32.8 yards per attempt and adding two touchdowns.

“We didn’t throw a whole lot but when we had to we knew who we had to get the ball to, and he did a tremendous job of creating space and finding ways to get open,” Hackett said. “His stats showed offensively too why he’s a tremendous football player.

“The University of Mary is getting one heck of a football player.”

2020 Times-Republican All-Area Football Team

Co-Players of the Year — Brayden Evertsen, sr., West Marshall; Luke Pinnick, sr., West Marshall; Carson Williams, sr., Marshalltown

Coach of the Year — Cody Hackett, West Marshall

ALL-AREA TEAM

Quarterback — Taurice Grant, sr., Meskwaki Settlement; Peyton Hart, so., West Marshall

Fullback — Patrick Landeros, sr., Marshalltown.

Running Back — Keagan Giesking, sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck; Malik Haynes, sr., Marshalltown; Preston Pope, jr., West Marshall; Payton Vest, sr., South Tama.

Wide Receiver — John Loney, sr., Marshalltown; Evan Nelson, sr., Meskwaki Settlement.

Tight End — Adam Greiner, jr., North Tama.

Offensive Line — Brock Bonschmit, sr., West Marshall; Aidan DeVolder, sr., Marshalltown; Daniel Garber, sr., BCLUW; Kalem Schrock, sr., South Tama; Ethan Wertzberger, sr., Marshalltown; Auston Wittgreve, sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck.

Defensive Line — Tim Benson, jr., East Marshall; Austin Close, jr., Marshalltown; Dylan Hosek, sr., North Tama; Conner Murty, sr., GMG; Tiernan Wanatee, sr., Meskwaki Settlement.

Linebacker — Samuel Bandstra, sr., East Marshall; Drake Blakesley, jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck; Jack Hughes, sr., BCLUW; Grant Nason, sr., West Marshall; Logan Rausch, jr., North Tama; Gannon Williams, jr., Marshalltown; Sergio Zaragoza, sr., Marshalltown.

Defensive Back — Jarrin Goecke, sr., West Marshall; Gabe Kopriva, jr., North Tama.

Kicker/Punter — Uriel Martinez, sr., South Tama.

Kick/Punt Returner — Deonte Dean, sr., Marshalltown; Noah Weber, sr., North Tama.

Utility — Jesse Moore, sr., BCLUW.