West bringing talents to the gridiron

After having his arm raised in Des Moines, Bryce West is looking to deliver some more punishment to the state of Iowa.

The Highland junior, and Class 1A 120-pound state wrestling champion, is becoming a focal point of the Huskies? offense in 2015, after spending a year away from football and running cross-country last year.

?It?s been good. I was doing offseason work, and we were lifting and learning the plays before the season came in,? West said. ?(It hasn?t been much of a challenge) because I already knew the plays coming into the season.?

The Huskies have already reaped the rewards from West?s return to the field, as West is currently leading the Huskies in rushing yards (184) and is averaging 6.6 yards per carry through two games.

Those numbers, including a Week 1 touchdown, have helped Highland start the year off 2-0, while outscoring opponents 64-18.

West has been strong defensively for the Huskies as well, picking up 5.5 tackles on the season, putting him at fifth on the team.

?He only sat out one year; his sophomore year was the only one he sat out,? first-year Highland head coach Joe Donovan said. ?Some kids can make it easier than others, and I don?t think he skipped a beat at all.?

One of the biggest differences for West in football is being on the field with his teammates. In wrestling it?s a one-vs.-one situation, with your team cheering from the side, and this was one of the biggest draws for the junior.

?Playing with teammates,? West said. ?I just want to win and make it to state in two sports. It?s great. We have to rely on everybody to do their job.?

Coming from a wrestling background, Donovan said it isn?t really a surprise to see West succeed on the field, as many of the techniques he has learned can translate well to football.

?Wrestlers seem to have good hips and are usually good tacklers and runners because they have good balance,? Donovan said. ?Grappling skills always help in football. It?s an advantage for us, and we are pleased that he is here. He plays football like he wrestles: all out.?

The Huskies will look ahead to district play opening up against Columbus on Friday night, as they hope to avoid a replication of last season.

After opening up the season 3-1, the Huskies fell in their final five games of the year and missed the playoffs. After a 2-0 start, Highland is keeping all the focus on the little things.

?It isn?t about the other opponents,? Donovan said. ?This is about us moving forward as a program. We have Regina in Week 5, then Pella Christian and Sigourney-Keota, but it?s not about them. It?s about us getting better and learning to execute. It?s the little things like head placement and moving our feet. We?ll find successes on the way because we?ll pay attention to those little details.?

As the team moves forward, the Huskies? players are buying into Donovan?s system and are looking forward to continuing their success this season.

?We could be doing better than what we have,? West said. ?We are still winning, but we still want it to be better. We believe we can go to state and do things with this team. We just have to keep winning games.?

Kickoff at Columbus will come at 7 p.m.