-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Noah Daniel of Fort Dodge catches a pass from Tru McBride for a first down against North Polk on Friday

Fort Dodge football coach Nik Moser knows a more successful season on the field typically yields better postseason accolades away from it.

That theory followed suit this week, as the Dodgers landed two players on the Iowa Football Coaches Association all-state teams for 2024.

Junior Noah Daniel earned first team Class 4A recognition for his efforts as a kick returner. Senior tailback Jamarius Green found a spot on the second squad in 4A after his breakout campaign.

Fort Dodge went 7-3 overall and claimed co-District 1 championship honors before bowing out in the playoffs against eventual state titleist North Polk.

Daniel returned a 4A-best three kickoffs for touchdowns and ranked among the class leaders in overall yards and yards per return. The ubiquitous speedster was also one of the Dodgers’ top receivers on offense (374 yards and six touchdowns at 22 yards per reception) and stoppers on defense (56.5 tackles from his safety position).

“Noah’s an explosive playmaker,” Moser said. “Opposing teams had to be aware of where he was on the field at all times, and gameplan for him in all three phases of the game. He was a threat to do something big every time he had the ball in his hands.

“Noah is one of those kids who has sheer track speed that translates to the football field. Some athletes are blessed with one or the other, and it doesn’t always carry over. With him, he doesn’t skip a beat. Thankfully, we have him back next year; I’d like to see him take another step in maturing and understanding the game over these next eight months. The more he learns about (the technicalities of) football, the easier the sport will become. The sky’s the limit for him.”

Green’s story was one of patience and opportunity. After a productive part-time season as a junior in 2023, the 180-pound back burst onto the scene this year, running for 1,277 yards – the fifth-best regular season total in 4A and the most by a Dodger since Sam Cook in 2015 – with 13 touchdowns at 6.7 yards per attempt.

Green was District 1’s unanimous offensive MVP as well.

“We saw glimpses a year ago,” Moser said. “We knew going into the season, Jamar was going to get the lion’s share of the carries anyway. Then (all-stater) Dreshaun (Ross) got hurt (in the summer), and he knew he had to be the primary guy with no (full-time complementary back).

“I think he surpassed everyone’s expectations, though. He’s very humble and he works very hard. He appreciates his teammates. Jamar’s not a ‘me’ guy. He wants what’s best for the team, and he’ll go all-out to get there. He deserved this recognition, and we’re very proud of him.”

Fort Dodge is slated to return 17 starters in 2025, including 14 who earned all-district honors. Ross is also expected to be fully recovered from the shoulder injury that sidelined him this year.