High School Football

Top-10 clash next for Dodgers

District showdown: Fort Dodge football team visits No. 2 Sergeant Bluff-Luton

SERGEANT BLUFF - A Top-10 showdown is on the docket here Friday as the seventh-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge football team hits the road to face No. 2 Sergeant Bluff-Luton for a highly-anticipated District 1 opener.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. This is the Warriors' Homecoming game.

Head coach Nik Moser's squad is looking to reach the 5-0 mark for just the 15th time in program history. The winner will also have an early leg up on the district title race and a potential home assignment for the playoffs next month.

For now, though, the Dodgers (4-0 overall) are only focusing on SB-L.

"It's pretty simple: they're just extremely well-coached and prepared," Moser said of the Warriors. "There's no magic formula. They know who they are and have a system in place, and they execute on both sides of the ball.

"We've worked toward having this opportunity. Now it's time to capitalize and try to make the most of it in what I'm sure will be a terrific environment for high school football."

Sergeant Bluff-Luton (4-0) has become one of the state's most consistent programs under the direction of head coach Justin Smith. The Warriors have reached the state semifinal round at the UNI-Dome in each of the last two seasons and five times since 2015.

SB-L is 25-3 overall in the last three years combined, and Smith has an impressive record of 104-39 at the helm in his 14 seasons. The Warriors have won 10 or more games six times in the last decade alone.

Fort Dodge boasts the top scoring offense and second-ranked defense in 4A through the first month of the campaign, while SB-L is also in the Top-5 in both categories.

Dodger senior quarterback Tru McBride leads the class in overall touchdowns (15) and passing yards (818), while classmate Will McElroy is fourth in rushing yards (623). McBride and McElroy have both scored seven times on the ground.

Senior Kyree Rochon has four TD receptions in the last two weeks. Junior Spencer Smith has three scoring grabs on the season to date.

Seniors Jayon Preston-Grady, Jayce Skow and Sam Moser are the leading tacklers for FDSH, with junior Luke Beckley, senior Alex Beekman and junior Cael Adams recording the most tackles for loss.

"We have to continue to execute, stay balanced and take care of the football," Moser said. "When you face an elite opponent on the road like this, you can't get in your own way. And you can't let any of the physical or mental mistakes compound."

Fort Dodge had that happen in this matchup a year ago, which also earned a Top-10 billing at the time. The Warriors led only 3-0 midway through the second quarter, but things quickly unraveled and SB-L ended up cruising to a shutout victory inside Dodger Stadium.

"They are a different ballclub and we are now, too," Moser said. "But our (returning) guys who were on the field that night remember how it felt.

"They're still really good defensively, led by (Xavier) Jones (a University of Northern Iowa recruit) and a couple of other guys who really get after it. And their quarterback, (junior Justin) Ehlers, does a really nice job. He's athletic and can run or throw."

Ehlers has passed for 555 yards and eight touchdowns without being intercepted, while also rushing for 122 yards and three scores. Top returning senior backs Beckett Veros and Ryan Husen are both injured for SB-L, but senior Carson Jager has rushed for 191 yards at nearly eight yards per carry. He is flanked by seniors Emmett Kneifl and Carter Hayes.

The Warriors topped ranked Glenwood last week, 27-13. The Dodgers wiped out Waterloo West, 43-10, for their 19th win in their last 21 regular-season contests dating back to the start of 2024.

Moser is hoping to see a strong contingent of Fort Dodge faithful make the 120-mile trip to the community just south of Sioux City on Interstate 29.

"It would obviously mean a lot to us, given the stakes," Moser said. "Our fans always travel well, which we greatly appreciate.

"There's still a lot of football to be played after this, so it won't define our season either way just like it won't define theirs. But it's a big game and we're looking forward to the opportunity."

Temperatures are expected to be around 60 at kickoff, with a chance of intermittent showers forecasted for the Sergeant Bluff area all night long.

Only four Dodger football teams since 1945 have started 5-0: in 1978, 1984, 2005 and 2015.