T-R FILE PHOTO - Grundy Center quarterback Colin Gordon, center, hands the ball off to Brody Zinkula, left, as MFL MarMac linebacker Brayden Gordon (54) pursues the play during the Class 1A state football championship game Nov. 16 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Gordon was recently named the captain of the 1A all-state team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.

Grundy Center senior Colin Gordon was named the captain of the Class 1A all-state team as part of the Iowa Football Coaches Association/Iowa Print Sports Writers Association’s all-state football teams released last week.

Gordon is one of eight all-state selections for the Spartans, including seven first-team honorees, after the team went undefeated as 1A state champions. Justin Knaack, Tiernan Vokes, Ryker Thoren, Trent Cakerice, Brody Zinkula and Tate Jirovsky join Gordon on the first team — Ryder Ross earned a slot on the second team.

As the team’s quarterback, Gordon completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,013 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushed for 688 yards and 11 more scores. Defensively, he made 20 tackles with four takeaways. He also handled punting and kicking duties for the Spartans, averaging 40 yards per punt, converting 57 of 63 point-after kicks and booting 24 of 71 kickoffs for touchbacks. He was also the quarterback for last season’s undefeated championship Spartan team in Class A.

Knaack, a senior running back, led the Spartans with 772 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and added two receiving touchdowns on 14 catches for 165 yards.

In his junior season, Vokes led the team with 42 catches for 625 yards and 12 scores. He was also second on the team with 12.5 tackles for loss.

Thoren, a junior, was part of an offensive line that helped the Spartans achieve over 4,100 yards of offense this season, including 2,074 rushing yards. He was also the team’s leading tackler at linebacker with 65 total stops, 39 solo, and five tackles for loss.

As the senior leader on the defensive line, Cakerice made a team-leading 16.5 tackles for loss with seven quarterback sacks and had 56.5 tackles total, 31 solo.

Junior linebacker Zinkula made 63.5 total tackles, 37 solo, with 5.5 for a loss. He also ran for 546 yards with eight touchdowns in the Spartan offense.

Jirovsky led the team in interceptions with four picks in his senior season at defensive back. He added 30 catches for 366 yards and six touchdowns in the passing game.

Ross, a senior, was third on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss.

The other area team with first-team selections was Gladbrook-Reinbeck, a state semifinalist in 8-man.

Isaac Clark, Drew Eilers, Austin Vaverka and Hudson Clark were the four Rebels chosen to the top team, with Michael Boyd earning a second-team selection.

Isaac Clark threw for 1,881 yards with 31 touchdowns as the Rebels’ quarterback and added 699 rushing yards with 17 more scores. On the defensive side, he made 64.5 total tackles with 6.5 for a loss.

Eilers was the Rebels’ top tackler with 71 solo tackles and 40 tackles for loss, including 12 quarterback sacks. The junior was also one of Clark’s top targets in the passing game with 38 receptions for 590 yards and a team-leading 13 touchdowns.

Vaverka was second behind Eilers with 87 total tackles, 63 solo, and 21.5 tackles for loss. He also rushed for 561 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior campaign.

Hudson Clark was selected at returner after running back three kickoffs and two punts for touchdown this season. The sophomore also led the team with five interceptions, two of which were returned for scores, and made 83 total tackles, 66 solo. He led the Rebels with 704 receiving yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

Boyd was part of the offensive line unit for the Rebels that made the team one of the top offensive units in 8-man, particularly in the passing game.

West Marshall’s Andrew Tollefson received a second-team honor in Class 2A at defensive back. The Trojan senior made 47 total tackles this season, and led the team with three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.