Iowa high school football rewind: Black and gold ... and a lot of purple, too, for Maquoketa Valley

TROY MILLS — There was so much purple on one sideline Friday night. Even though the team on that sideline has school colors that are black and gold.

This was support for Maquoketa Valley’s Dylan Knipper and his family.

Knipper’s father Mike has pancreatic cancer. Things are tough right now.

So Knipper and teammates wore purple for their game at North Linn: socks, arm bands, wrist tape. MV supporters wore purple T-shirts and other apparel.

Purple is the internationally recognized color for pancreatic cancer awareness.

“We kept (the news) on the down low for awhile, and then the school let it known that my dad is having trouble,” Knipper said. “My family and me have been challenged all week. We’re wearing these purple armbands and these purple socks for my dad. My dad is battling cancer right now, and the power I get from him ...

“He’s such a role model for me. That just makes me want to be the best person for him on and off the football field.”

Knipper, a junior running back-linebacker, rushed for a touchdown and had a team-leading 10 tackles, six solo, as Maquoketa Valley upended Class A ninth-ranked North Linn, 35-16. The Wildcats are 6-1 overall and 6-0 in District 4, in control of their own destiny when it comes to the district championship.

This is a good football team despite losing two very prominent players to graduation in Lance McShane and Aidan Salow. How good?

“I don’t know,” Knipper said with a smile. “You’ll have to find out.”

“We’ve got good players, we’ve got good talent,” said Maquoketa Valley sophomore receiver-defensive back Eli Dougherty, who had two interceptions and a touchdown catch Friday night. “It’s just a team effort. The talent is there, we’ve just got to live up to our potential. We’re still climbing that mountain. We’ve got to get there (to the top).”

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Photos: Maquoketa Valley at North Linn high school football

Being with this good, tight-knit group has been a mental salve for Knipper. He’s able to take his mind off of his father’s struggles a couple of hours a day during the week and three hours or so on Friday nights.

“This helps tremendously,” he said. “I love coming to practice with these guys, with my coaches. It just brightens my day every time I get to step on the practice field again, the game field again. Anything to do with football.”

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Crossing routes

* Postville ended a long losing streak Friday night with a 14-8 win at North Cedar. An interception return for touchdown by Josiah Minikwu with under six minutes left in the fourth quarter provided the winning points.

The Pirates had lost 39 consecutive games, including three forfeit losses in the 2021 season because of a lack of available players.

Postville’s last win prior to Friday was 13-0 over Nashua-Plainfield in the final game of the 2019 season.

* Oelwein forfeited its game Friday night against North Fayette Valley and will forfeit the remainder of its schedule due to not having enough varsity players. The school ended up playing just four times this season, all losses.

* Running back Carson Streeter had 307 yards rushing and three touchdowns in South Winneshiek’s 44-36 win over North Tama. Streeter’s extreme damage came on just 18 carries, for an average of 17.1 yards per tote.

* Quarterback Dylan Recker threw two touchdown passes and ran for a TD as Dyersville Beckman upset Class 1A fifth-ranked Iowa City Regina, 28-15.

* The No. 3 and No. 6 teams in Class 5A in the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s RPI rankings lost by a combined margin of 114-13.

Waterloo West, which was No. 3, fell to West Des Moines Valley, 49-0. Ottumwa, which was No. 6, lost for the first time this season, 65-13 to Waukee Northwest.

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