Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge senior Dreshaun Ross strips the ball against Waterloo East during the regular season. Ross was a two-time district MVP for his defensive prowess.

The Fort Dodge football team reaped the benefits of a regular season matched by very few in school history, as 22 different Dodger players were recognized as all-district performers in 2025.

Senior superstar Dreshaun Ross earned Class 4A, District 1 defensive most valuable player honors for the second time in three years. Ross was flanked on the first team by fellow FDSH defenders and classmates Noah Daniel and Jesse Egli, as well as juniors Jayce Skow, Jayon Preston-Grady and Sam Moser.

On the offensive side, seniors Tytrell Mosley and Luke Fierke were joined by juniors Will McElroy, Cal Pederson and Joe Constable.

Second teamers from Fort Dodge were seniors Caiden Fraher and Taevon Feeley, alongside juniors Tru McBride, Alex Beekman, Zak Jorgensen and Bo Marsh. Sophomores Cael Adams and Brody Maehl were also on the second quad.

Senior Drew Mason, senior John Hughes, junior Kyree Rochon and sophomore Coy Nichols were honorable mention selections.

“I’m very proud of all of these kids,” Dodger head coach Nik Moser said. “Not just because of what they accomplished on the field, but the way they continued to advance the culture and environment (surrounding the) program.

“When you win eight games (for just the fourth time at FDSH since 1946), you’ve established an expectation. Then you combine it with seven (victories in 2024)…these seniors will graduate knowing they won 75 percent of the time they took the field the last two years (15-5 overall record), shared a district title and qualified twice for the playoffs. There are a lot of reasons to recognize them for a job well done. They earned it.”

Ross, an Oklahoma State University wrestling signee, dominated from his linebacker/defensive end hybrid position. He led Class 4A in tackles for loss and sacks by a wide margin, setting school single-season records in both categories as well.

“You don’t see a player get that much better very often after missing a full year of football (Ross was injured in and sidelined for all of 2024), but Dreshaun came out after basically a 12-month layoff and didn’t skip a beat,” Moser said. “He pretty much had his way on both sides of the ball (Ross also rushed for nearly 800 yards and nine touchdowns at over eight yards per carry) and re-established himself as one of the better overall players in the entire state.

“Just a special, special talent and one of the better playmakers we’ve ever seen here, which makes sense given (despite the commitment to college wrestling) he (also) held double-digit Division I offers (from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Purdue). No other Dodger football player has ever been able to say that.”

Daniel, a three-year starter and University of Iowa recruit, battled through injury throughout his final season at Fort Dodge.

“Noah is such a tremendous athlete, so you always hate to see someone have their health compromised like this,” Moser said. “He did what he could, but was missing that vintage extra burst of his – especially on offense. His best football can be ahead of him, though, and I hope he only continues to grow from here. This can be just the beginning.”

Egli was a mainstay as a safety/linebacker hybrid for three seasons in the Dodger lineup.

“Jesse does everything right,” Moser said. “He worked his butt off and earned his senior captain role. He sets the example and puts in the time when no one is looking or noticing. That’s when he makes his biggest gains.”

Mosley was another three-year starter who fought his way through being less than 100 percent.

“Tytrell was fun to coach,” Moser said. “He’s always been an excellent blocker and does a lot of little things right. He got banged up unfortunately and had to miss a few games, which impacted what we were trying to do offensively.”

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Fierke provided an intimidating physical presence on the Dodgers’ offensive line for three full years.

“Luke was consistent and made the move (in 2024) to the center position to become the middle anchor in our line,” Moser said. “He played a lot of football for us, and like so many of our guys, his best could be ahead of him. They just need to keep doing the right things that will help them grow physically and mentally.”

Skow was again an active force at linebacker and among the squad’s leading tacklers for the second consecutive season.

“Jayce is always around the ball,” Moser said. “The next step for him will be to get even bigger and stronger. He’s really solid and we’re lucky to have him back as already a (two-time) first team all-district kid.”

Preston-Grady was the bookend to Ross on the Fort Dodge defensive front.

“Jayon has the athleticism and natural talent,” Moser said. “He took another step (as a repeat first team all-district player) but, like Jayce, can make another big jump heading into his senior year with another offseason in the weight room.”

Moser, another safety, emerged as the Dodgers’ leading tackler after gaining over 30 pounds from his sophomore campaign.

“Sam put a ton of time in to get ready for this season and it showed,” Moser said. “We need him to keep growing and getting faster and stronger. Like all the juniors, his leadership will be important moving forward. They’ll all have to decide (collectively) what kind of senior years they want to have. That responsibility has shifted to them.”

McElroy became the Dodgers’ feature back, rushing for 873 yards and five touchdowns before suffering an injury before the team’s playoff contest at Newton.

“Will became an every-down guy for us,” Moser said. “I believe he was second or third in 4A (for total carries). He has good speed, toughness and vision. We want to build around that and keep getting him better (for 2026).”

Pederson emerged as McBride’s main receiving target during district action.

“Cal took some major strides,” Moser said. “He got better and better each week and his confidence grew. He’s already a tough, physical kid. Once he gets even bigger and stronger, he could have a really big year as a senior.”

Constable was another returning offensive lineman who “plays incredibly hard,” Moser said.

“Joe is really physical, especially when he gets on you,” Moser said. “Another year of developing and maturing could lead to bigger and better things for him, like all of our juniors.”

Ross, Daniel, Egli, Skow, Preston-Grady, Fierke and Mosley were repeat first teamers.

Fraher, a linebacker, was “undersized, but gave us everything he had and was a very smart ballplayer,” Moser said. “He maximized his potential. I’d take a kid like Caiden on my team every year.”

Feeley was a repeat second-team selection.

“Taevon showed steady improvement,” Moser said. “He was especially tough against pass-heavy opponents. He was a good high school cornerback who used his size and athleticism to his advantage.”

McBride cleared the 1,200-yard passing mark for the second consecutive season and cut down on his interceptions by four from a productive sophomore campaign.

“Tru has so much potential,” Moser said. “He has all the tools. So much of what we will do moving forward depends on him taking it to another level physically and mentally. It’s all right there in front of him to be one of the best quarterbacks in the state as a senior.”

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Beekman brought “so much length” to the nose guard position, according to Moser.

“Alex is another kid who is still just kind of scratching the surface,” Moser said. “The sky’s the limit for him, too. He could go from good to great.”

Jorgensen “is one of our smartest players and hardest workers,” Moser said. “He loves the weight room and is driven. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do as a senior.”

Marsh “became a reliable weapon for us in the kicking game,” Moser said. “Bo flipped the field and had some really important punts in big spots. He only missed one extra point, too. I’m excited to see what a year of offseason work will bring him.”

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Maehl “has all the makings of a big-time lineman,” Moser said. “Brody has a great frame, is very active and consistent, and is a great student of the game. Just a huge upside. We’re very lucky to have him for two more years.”

Adams “did a really nice job for us as a fullback,” Moser said. “He embraced the role of lead blocker, especially in our heavy and giant sets. A hard-nosed kid who will keep getting better these next two years.”

Mason not only garnered honorable mention status, but was named an academic all-state selection for his efforts in the classroom.

“We knew we could find a spot for Drew, and he really embraced it as a corner at first, then at safety,” Moser said. “He’s a heady player. You win with smart kids. We’re very proud of his work as a true student-athlete.”

The Dodgers are slated to welcome back 13 all-district players and up to 17 starters in all next fall.

“We’ll have as many as 11 guys returning on offense and six on defense,” Moser said. “These seniors have meant so much and really set the table, with nine of them being all-district and a 10th, (receiver Dalton Eckley, who landed a spot in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury this year). They’ve increased the expectations.

“There are a lot of reasons to be excited about next year, but it won’t just happen because of what it looks like on paper. We have to embrace the next nine-plus of the offseason and really come together. We need to get on the same page and stay on the same page in terms of our preparation (for 2026).”

Fort Dodge hasn’t pieced three consecutive winning campaigns together on the gridiron since 1950-52.