MFL MarMac coach, 10 players receive all-district football honors

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

Ten MFL MarMac football players, along with head coach Dan Anderson, have received all-district honors.

Anderson led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 record this season, and the team earned its second-straight district title after tying with Wapsie Valley and South Winneshiek atop the Class A, District 4 standings.

Cullen McShane was named the district’s defensive MVP. The junior racked up 82.5 total tackles—including 57 solo and 14.5 for a loss—putting him fifth in Class A. He was second in Class A with five fumble recoveries and returned four of them for touchdowns, ranking him first among all players. In addition, McShane snagged two interceptions and led MFL MarMac with five sacks.

McShane also joined teammates Max Havlicek, Gabe McGeough, Karter Decker and Cayden Ball as a first team all-district selection. His 26 touchdowns, 20 of which were on the ground, placed him second in the district and 10th in Class A. The running back carried the ball 128 times for 1,477 yards, the fourth-highest Class A total and an MFL MarMac record; he averaged 11.5 yards per carry. McShane was a receiving threat for the Bulldogs too, catching 13 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

Havlicek, MFL MarMac’s senior quarterback, completed 52 of 107 passes this year, for 887 yards and 12 touchdowns—11th most in Class A. He averaged 17.1 passing yards per completion, placing him eighth among Class A QBs. Havlicek also carried the ball 46 times himself, picking up 67 yards and three touchdowns.

On the defensive side, Havlicek was one of the Bulldogs’ tackling leaders, with 40 total. He recovered one fumble and was second on the team with five interceptions.

McGeough, the other half of MFL MarMac’s “McDouble” rushing tandem, also tallied over 1,000 yards. The junior fullback finished the season with 1,100 total, along with 10 touchdowns, after carrying the ball 156 times. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry. On the receiving end, McGeough caught seven passes for 74 yards.

Defensively, McGeough ranked second on the team with 65 total tackles. Forty-one of those were solo efforts, while 5.5 were tackles for a loss.

Decker, a sophomore, was one of MFL MarMac’s most dynamic players. He caught nine receptions for 249 yards and five touchdowns this season, and also proved elusive in the ground game, where he earned 228 yards and five touchdowns on 33 touches. On special teams, he took two kick-offs and one punt to the house, including a 68-yard punt return that was the third-longest in Class A.

With 56.5 total tackles, Decker had the third-highest amount among Bulldog players. Of those, 45 were solo tackles and five were tackles for a loss. He also recovered one fumble.

Ball was the team’s leading receiver, wrangling 17 receptions for 299 yards and four touchdowns. The senior was a key defensive player too, amassing 24 total tackles and a fumble recovery.

Three MFL MarMac players—Chauncy Drahn, Kaden Stocker and Austin Schlee—were second team all-district. 

Drahn was a member of the Bulldogs’ young but impressive offensive and defensive lines. He had 27 total tackles, including 16 solo and four for a loss.

A junior defensive back, Stocker secured 20.5 total tackles, 19 of which were solo efforts. He racked up six interceptions, putting him first on the team and second in Class A.

Schlee was another defensive stand-out. The sophomore linebacker tallied 50.5 total tackles this season—the fourth-highest amount for Bulldog players—and 33 solo tackles. He was second on the team in fumble recoveries, with three.

Josh Reichard and Wyatt Powell rounded out MFL MarMac’s all-district list with honorable mention recognition.

Reichard was a key lineman for the Bulldogs, helping pave the way for the school’s two 1,000-yard rushers. On the defensive line, the sophomore had 10 tackles, six of which were solo.

As a freshman, Powell was one of MFL MarMac’s top defenders. He racked up 33.5 total tackles—24 solo and nine for a loss—and recovered one fumble for a touchdown. He was second on the team with 4.5 sacks.