Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Area Iowa Central football players are (left to right): Brayden Johll (Manson Northwest Webster), Cody Smidl (North Iowa), Conner Christensen (Manson Northwest Webster), Jaace Weidemann (Clarion-Goldfield/Dows and Belmond-Klemme) and Tyler Schreier (Fort Dodge).

Right out of the gates, Jesse Montalto is going to learn a few things about his Iowa Central football team.

The No. 11 (NJCAA Div. I) Tritons take on ninth-ranked (NJCAA Div. I) Lackawanna on Sunday in Fort Wayne, Ind. at St. Francis University.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.

In the spring, Iowa Central went 6-3 and captured a third consecutive win in the Graphic Edge Bowl, besting New Mexico Military, 23-21.

Montalto has several key pieces back from that unit, but will also be replacing a handful of players who have moved on to the FBS Div. I ranks.

“We’ve got a big test here in Week 1,” he said. “Honestly, I’ll feel a lot better once we get out there and the game starts. It’s been tough to get a good read on just what kind of football team we have right now. We’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of returning players, but until you play an actual game, you really don’t quite know.

“And we’ll be tested here with Lackawanna. They are a big, physical team that will be a tough challenge.”

Byron Jarrett returns at quarterback after throwing for almost 800 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding another 333 and five scores on the ground. San Jose State transfer Alex Trujillo, who threw for over 11,000 yards in high school, will also see time at quarterback.

Daylen Boddie and Jaace Weidemann are back, along with leading receiver Madison Ridgeway, Desna Washington, Jayce Levy and Jordan Kumm. Colin Swygman returns to handle kicking duties after making seven field goals and 36 of 37 extra-point attempts.

“We’ve got some good skill players we can get out there,” Montalto said. “And having Colin back is a key in special teams.”

Boddie ran for 285 yards with four TDs, Weidemann had two scores, Ridgeway caught 31 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns, Levy had 16 receptions for 174 and scored four times, and Washington also had four TDs on 16 catches for 387 yards.

Up front, Maximus McCree anchors a unit that is replacing four current Div. I players.

On the other side of the ball, Garret Ollendieck, Major Williams, Bryant Barrier, Wesley Bazzle, Antoineo Harris and Tristin Waugh are among the returning players for the Tritons. Barrier had 49 tackles with three sacks, Ollendieck recorded 47 with five, respectively, and Waugh had six sacks in the spring.

“We should be pretty solid on defense,” Montalto said. “We’ve got to do the little things and avoid giving up the big play if we want to be successful.”

McCree, Ollendieck and Williams were all selected as College Football America Junior College Preseason All-Americans.

Five area players are on the roster for the Tritons this year, including Fort Dodge Senior High graduate Tyler Schreier. Last year, Schreier caught 48 passes for 714 yards with nine touchdowns, adding another 123 yards on the ground and two scores to garner all-state status for the Dodgers.

Along with Schreier, Manson Northwest Webster’s Brayden Johll and Conner Christensen are joined by Weidemann — who played at Clarion-Goldfield/Dows before transferring from Belmond-Klemme — and Cody Smidt, a grad of North Iowa.

Johll had 492 yards and three TDs on the ground in limited action due to injuries, while Christensen had 20.5 tackles, including three for loss.

Lackawanna is led by Mark Duda, who has been on the staff since the creation of the program in 1993. After one season as defensive coordinator, he took over, leading the Falcons to the 2019 national championship game and 11 bowls in all.

The opening month of the season will feature three road games for the Tritons. After playing Lackawanna on a neutral site, they will travel to No. 2 (NJCAA Div. III) College of DuPage next Saturday before heading to Oklahoma on Sept. 18 to face Gordon Fine Arts.

On Sunday, Sept. 26, Iowa Central will play at home inside Dodger Stadium against fourth-ranked (NJCAA Div. I) Iowa Western. They also host Air Force Prep the following week before three consecutive road games to close out October against Ellsworth, Highland and the Reivers again.

In November, Iowa Central hosts both Grand View JV and Ellsworth.

The NJCAA split football into two divisions beginning this year. In Div. I, the Top-4 ranked teams at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs to crown a national champion.