Preseason football capsules

We are only a couple of weeks removed from the start of a new fall sports season, with volleyball and cross-country opening their first competitions on Aug. 22, and football officially opening on Aug. 26 for many of the area teams.

As we take a look at the opening of the season, it?s time to take a quick glance at where each team sits coming into the year.

In Monday?s edition of The Journal, we took a look at the Washington football team. Today, we take a look at a few of the other squads that will be taking to the gridiron.

Mid-Prairie

After going 8-3, the Mid-Prairie football team fell to a familiar opponent in the postseason in state semifinalist Albia.

However, there will be plenty of new faces looking to help the Golden Hawks on Friday nights, as they look to improve their season.

Mid-Prairie will be without their starting quarterback from a season ago, as well as two of their top four rushers and their top receiver from last year.

However, they have returning talent in the backfield, with top rusher Ricky Vargas coming back, after averaging 7.7 yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns as a junior.

They will also bring back Keaton Duwa, who will help them in the backfield, after he averaged 5.7 yards per carry on 48 attempts in 2015.

Defensively, senior Levi Duwa will be the player to keep an eye on. The Iowa commit had 37 tackles from his defensive end position, with 23 going for a loss, including 13 sacks on the season.

The Golden Hawks will be opening their season on Aug. 26 when they face Louisa-Muscatine.

Highland

After going 4-5 a season ago, the Highland football team will return a high number of athletes, as they look to make some noise in 2016.

The Huskies will be led by senior quarterback Jake Wood, who threw for 1,231 yards and 16 touchdowns last year, and is the top returning rusher, notching  304 yards on 69 rushing attempts.

He will have his top four receivers back to throw to, led by senior Trent Lasek, who led the team with 45 catches, 528 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively, the Huskies will be without their top two tacklers due to graduation, but Bill Burton will be the top returner with 28.5 tackles and three interceptions a season ago.

The Huskies will open the year at Danville on Aug. 26.