-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Dreshaun Ross of Fort Dodge runs for a first down against Waterloo East on Friday inside Dodgers Stadium

A baker’s dozen of Dodgers made the Class 4A, District 1 honor roll for their efforts during the 2023 Fort Dodge football campaign, the league announced recently.

Seniors Ty Adams, Isaiah Caldwell and Drew Moritz landed on the first team, while sophomore Dreshaun Ross was a unanimous selection and the district’s co-most valuable player on defense. Junior lineman Jackson McQuillen also earned a spot on the top squad.

FDSH seniors Grant Williams and Cal Hartman were flanked by sophomores Noah Daniel, Jesse Egli, Luke Fierke and Tytrell Mosley on the second team. In all, five Dodger sophomores were recognized.

Senior Zeke Pineda and junior Gavin Pederson garnered honorable-mention status.

“We’re obviously very proud of all our kids,” fourth-year Fort Dodge head coach Nik Moser said after the team’s second consecutive 4-5 campaign. “They put a lot of time and commitment into the program and each other. We had some ups and downs on the field, but their hard work and consistency in being there for the overall culture of the program didn’t waver.”

Adams was the Dodgers’ leading receiver and ranked among Class 4A’s best in kickoff return yardage. He returned both a kickoff and an interception for a touchdown this season.

“Ty didn’t come off the field much and battled through injuries,” Moser said. “He was just steady. As a captain, he always wanted to do more, get better and make sure his teammates succeeded.

“His overall body of work was well-respected among (opposing coaches).”

Caldwell recorded a team-best 13 tackles for loss from his defensive end position.

“Isaiah had a great motor,” Moser said. “He plays hard. It’s as simple as that. When he turned it on, he was tough to stop. He worked his butt off during the year.”

Moritz — like Adams, a co-captain — made “significant improvement” as a defensive back, according to Moser.

“It was really a night and day difference (from 2022),” Moser said. “Drew has always worked, played and hit hard, but his understanding of the defense and the game itself took a huge step forward as a senior.

“He read (opposing offenses) so well. Things really slowed down for him so that he could make strong decisions and be in the right place at the right time a lot in our secondary.”

Ross stood out in more ways than one. His 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame was enough to draw immediate attention in pregame warmups, but the state wrestling champion was also an impact player on both sides of the ball.

Ross led Fort Dodge in tackles as a linebacker despite missing nearly two full contests, and also rushed for 729 yards and eight touchdowns at over six yards per carry in his first year as a tailback.

“And he’s still just scratching the surface,” Moser said of Ross, who already has Div. I grid offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Purdue and Minnesota. “Dreshaun runs well, is long, rangy and hard to block. He’s still learning the game and finding his comfort zone, but the possiblities there speak for themselves.

“If we get the same kind of growth we saw between his freshman and sophomore (seasons) these next two years, he’s going to go from very good to special.”

McQuillen was undersized at 190 pounds, but he made up for it in the trenches with tenacity.

“Jackson is just a very aggressive, physical lineman,” Moser said. “He’s not the biggest kid yet, but he’ll get the job done.

“I hope he takes this recognition and runs with it heading into his senior year.”

Williams was a jack of all trades. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound co-captain was a strong punter, active on defense and a tenacious blocker as a receiver.

“I’d take 100 guys like him on my team,” Moser said. “Grant did anything and everything he could to help the program, and he was less than 100 percent (health-wise; Williams suffered a serious elbow injury midway through the season).

“He had a nose for the ball with two pick-sixes (returns for scores as a cornerback), averaged 37 yards per punt, and although his numbers (receiving) didn’t match what they were a year ago because of a different gameplan, he still found a lot of ways to be effective on offense.”

Hartman served as a co-captain for a second consecutive season. The linebacker “gave his all in everything he did,” Moser observed.

“From the first time we saw him take significant varsity reps, we knew Cal was going to be a football warrior for us,” Moser said. “He just wanted to do whatever it took to make his teammates and the program better. I’ve always (stated) I wish I could have a Cal Hartman on every single one of my teams.”

Daniel showed flashes of impressive play on both sides of the ball.

“Noah should have two big years coming up for us,” Moser said. “He’s a natural fit as a safety, but you also want the ball in his hands (out of the backfield or at receiver) because he just makes things happen.

“I’m looking forward to the physical and mental progress he’s going to make as an upperclassman.”

Egli, an outside linebacker, “got better every game” according to Moser.

“He reminds me of where Drew Moritz was as a junior,” Moser said. “Jesse was playing his smartest and most active football in Week 8 and 9. He has a bright future ahead.”

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Fierke certainly looks the part as a tough, physical lineman.

“It was kind of a baptism by fire for Luke, given this was his first full year of high school ball (Fierke missed 2022 with an injury),” Moser said. “He’s a big, strong kid. Once the consistency comes and he makes the strides he needs to with his footwork and in the weight room, the sky’s the limit. He has a huge upside.”

Mosley led the Dodgers in receptions, with most coming in the team’s trademark jet sweep pass.

“Tytrell has to be one of our main offensive threats these next two years,” Moser said. “He knows that. We saw it in flashes and glimpses, which is pretty typical of a sophomore. We really want to see him take that next step…he has it in him.”

Pederson returned from being sidelined in 2022 and played up front both ways.

“Gavin took the center responsibilities and ran with it,” Moser said. “He could take a really big step and be a senior leader for us. We will need that (in 2024).”

Pineda is “one of my favorite stories ever in football,” Moser concluded.

“Zeke is just a great kid who comes from a great family,” Moser said. “He was a cross country runner as a freshman. He didn’t play much after going out (for football) his sophomore year. But by his senior (season), we couldn’t keep him off the field (as a defensive lineman). Now he wants to play at the next level.

“He grew to love the game, and put his heart and soul into it. We appreciated what Zeke meant to our program and what he stood for, both as a player and as a person.”

Moser didn’t mince words about the Dodgers’ future expectations. Fort Dodge will have 11 starters returning at up to 14 positions next year, as well as a possible influx of talent from a freshman squad that went 6-2 in 2023.

“It all starts now,” Moser said. “We have to get better in the weight room and better in the film room. We have a lot of work to do, both as coaches and as players. The inconsistencies we’ve had in our performance as a program (the last two years) needs to be shored up, and that starts with me.

“We need kids to continue to step up, be leaders, hold each other accountable and put in the time. We have to take the potential — from the seven all-district kids (slated to return) and the other starters on down — and turn it into reality.”