Iowa high school football rewind: MFL MarMac finds its quarterback, continues winning

CEDAR RAPIDS — The multi-year starter graduated. His planned replacement decided not to go out.

So MFL MarMac head football coach Dan Anderson had a conundrum. A problem that had to be solved.

Who was going to play quarterback this season for the Bulldogs? It’s kind of an important position.

“We had nobody in the high school who had played quarterback before, other than an incoming freshman,” Anderson said. “That was it.”

The coach just happened to get an email from a guy named Beau Cornwell. A former West Branch and Luther College player, Cornwell was asking around to see if anyone might need an offseason QB tutor.

Anderson replied and told him yes, so Cornwell came in and worked in the spring with four starting quarterback candidates and another kid who is an eighth-grader. This was a tryout.

“I honestly didn’t do any coaching,” Anderson said. “I just listened and watched them from a distance. Watching not only how they could throw the ball and stuff, but were they listening and catching on to what (Cornwell) was saying and really giving a great effort?”

Senior Carter Stoddard, a backup wingback last season, won the competition. He completed 8 of 11 passes for 110 yards Friday night in MFL MarMac’s 28-13 win over Sumner-Fredericksburg.

That avenged the Bulldogs’ lone regular-season loss from a year ago.

“The kids were hungry for that one,” Anderson said.

MFL MarMac had the best season in school history in 2023, losing to Grundy Center in the Class 1A state championship game. Anderson has done a phenomenal job of turning around a program that had 26 consecutive losing seasons until his 2019 team went 10-1.

MFL MarMac has won eight or more games every season since, with this team being right on that pace. Friday night’s win improved the Bulldogs to 4-1, their only loss in Week 2 to Waukon, 28-12.

“We’re not real flashy, but these guys, they believe in our system,” Anderson said. “Our system works, and they’ve seen it work. These kids that are seniors, juniors, they were down there in the Dome (last season) with the team.”

Running backs Quinn McGeough and Eli Hanson have combined for over 1,000 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns so far. MFL MarMac generally plays ground and pound, which it can do behind a large offensive line of Brayden Gordon, Averey Thornton, Will Howes, Aiden Schoulte, Kade Humble, Ty Echard and tight end Hunter Christofferson.

“It’s starting to come together,” Anderson said. “I had confidence that we had enough skill guys in our program to replace all the all-state skill guys we lost. But we did return an all-state offensive line. Four of those five starters in the championship game are back and playing really well. That’s the one constant ... We have a big, physical offensive line that is veteran, is smart, they communicate with each other.”

Anderson feels his team can make another good postseason run. A huge game awaits this coming week against third-ranked Dike-New Hartford.

“We’re kind of flying under the radar right now,” Anderson said. “And I’m OK with that.”

Slant patterns

* Hudson Ehrenfelt broke a school record with six rushing touchdowns in Mid-Prairie’s 48-3 win over Davis County.

* Oelwein played Friday night for the first time in three weeks, losing to New Hampton, 41-18. A dearth of healthy varsity ready players caused the Huskies to forfeit two games.

* Speaking of Class 2A schools, North Fayette Valley continued its good play with a 35-0 win over Osage. The TigerHawks (4-1) have won four straight after a season-opening loss to 3A No. 8 Independence.

* Quarterback Conlon Poynton rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another in Clear Creek-Amana’s 32-13 win over Oskaloosa. Poynton threw for 132 yards and rushed for 102.

* Elkader Central rushed for 225 yards and held Waterloo Christian to under 100 yards total in a 44-0 win. The game was Waterloo Christian’s first-ever home game and was played at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

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