T-R FILE PHOTO - Marshalltown senior left tackle Jaxson Hinkle, left, and junior quarterback Jamison Niehouse (1) were both named as repeat selections to the all-Iowa Alliance Conference football first team at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

The Marshalltown football team made its hay moving the ball on the ground this season, and the stars of that show have been honored accordingly.

Bobcat senior offensive lineman Jaxson Hinkle and junior quarterback Jamison Niehouse were repeat selections to the all-Iowa Alliance Conference football first team, headlining Marshalltown’s five first-team honorees.

Senior kick returner Aiden Smitherman, junior running back Tyler Englund and junior defensive back Drake Gersema also were voted to the all-conference first team for the first time at the conclusion of the Bobcats’ 3-6 campaign.

Hinkle was the starting left guard on an offensive line that helped paved the way for one of the top rushing attacks in Class 5A. Marshalltown finished the season ranked sixth in 5A in rushing yards (2,206) and third in rushing yards per game (245.1), averaging 6 yards per carry over the course of the season.

Niehouse averaged 92.1 rushing yards per game — second among 5A quarterbacks — and totaled 829 yards on 123 carries this fall. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry, ranked 17th overall in 5A rushing yards, scoring eight touchdowns along the way.

Englund, a second-team all-conference pick a year ago, contributed 820 rushing yards and four touchdowns to the Bobcats’ ground game. Englund averaged 6.9 yards per carry, highlighted by a 95-yard touchdown run at Des Moines East.

Smitherman pitched in 142 rushing yards on offense, but his highlight reel consisted of three kickoff returns for touchdown this season. Smitherman finished third in 5A with 449 kickoff return yards and tied for the lead with three return TDs.

Gersema pitched in with 128 rushing yards, but he was the Bobcats’ lone first-team defensive selection after finishing the season with 23.5 tackles. He had one of the team’s two interceptions as well.

Marshalltown had five second-team all-conference picks as well, including three linebackers and two offensive linemen. Senior Zak Wilder and juniors John Schoenfelder and Zane Moore were honored at linebacker, while senior Ignacio Macias and junior Nathan Sinclair were picked from the offensive line.

Wilder led the Bobcats with 45 tackles, including four tackles for loss and half a quarterback sack. Schoenfelder finished with 44.5 tackles, including a team-high 37 solo stops, to go with two TFLs. Moore added 19 tackles and a forced fumble, while Wilder and Schoenfelder both recovered two fumbles.

Marshalltown’s five honorable mention all-conference selections were all seniors: defensive back Mochamad Pramana, tight end Jacob Hayes, wide receiver Kyle Smith, offensive lineman Xavier Verdinez, and long-snapper Declan Greene.