Mt. Pleasant set for Week 1 matchup against Mediapolis

Mt. Pleasant football earned its first victory in two years last season following back-to-back 0-9 campaigns. The Panthers earned a 4-5 mark, finishing fourth in Class 3A Division 4.

The Panthers retained that classification and will begin their quest Friday to build after making forward progress last season. Mount Pleasant will start the 2025 season on its home turf against Mediapolis.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. The two sides have faced off four times since 2014, with Mount Pleasant winning the most recent matchup 37-7 in 2017.

Mt. Pleasant will have to replace several key faces on both sides of the ball to build on last season’s momentum. Quarterback Zachary Newton graduated after throwing for 535 yards and two touchdowns with eight interceptions. Junior Grayson Walker was the only non-senior who took snaps at QB last season. He completed 2 of 7 pass attempts for 9 yards.

The Panthers do bring back Second Team All-District performer Ramzy Davis. The running back and linebacker finished second on the team with 312 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. He also tallied 20 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.

At wide receiver, Mt. Pleasant lost its top two pass catchers from last season in Avin Truong and Payton Walker. Junior tight end Merrick Lamm is the team’s returning leader in reception yards after catching six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown last season.

Defensively, the Panthers lost First Team All-District linebackers in Payton Walker and William Birdsell, who tallied 75 and 32.5 tackles, respectively. Walker also lead Mount Pleasant with 404 rushing yards.

Along with Davis, offensive lineman Kellen Kohorst also returns after earning Second Team All-District honors. He should bolster the Panthers offensive line yet again and defensively ranked fifth on the team with 21.5 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.

The Panthers will also retain their second-leading tackler Max Sloat, who racked up 42 stops, including 7.5 for loss. Mount Pleasant will also look for a strong sophomore campaign from Isaiah Lange, who had 10.5 tackles, including five for loss and was tied for second on the team with 2.5 sacks.

Mediapolis completed a 5-5 season, including a 3-3 mark in Class 2A District 5 play in 2024. The Bulldogs beat Northeast in the first round of the 2A playoffs before falling to Mid-Prairie.

Junior Quincy King is the most experienced returning quarterback for the Bulldogs. King completed 2 of 5 passes for two yards and an interception as the backup to Reese Campbell last season.

The Bulldogs will have a major hole to fill at running back this season. Departed senior Noah Schmidgall racked up 1554 yards, the fourth most in Class 2A, and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Mediapolis’ leading returning rusher is senior Parker Holsteen, who tailled 104 yards and four TDs on 14 carries.

Mediapolis does retain its leading wide receiver Gannon Gunn, who had 20 catches for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Defensively, seniors Brayton DeLang and Peyton Johnson will be expected to carry the load. The duo finished third and fourth on the team last season with 57.5 and 56 tackles, respectively. Johnson also totaled 3.5 sacks. The Bulldogs will also have a strong presence on the edge with senior Kyler Crow, who was second on the team with four sacks last season.