Underwood FB Hope Late Season Momentum Continues This Year

Underwood FB Hope Late Season Momentum Continues This Year –

(8-27-26) – Looking to recapture the momentum.

Underwood Coach Nate Mechaelsen hopes his team will take the way they played at the end of last season and put it into this season.

“We made some major improvements over the last six weeks of the season, starting with week six and into the quarterfinals and playoffs. We were playing our best football of the year. So, you know, I just, more than anything, I want to carry over the way we finished last year. The quality of football that we played, I want to carry that into the season and be sharp early on in the season and early on in the schedule as well as late in the schedule.”

Mechaelsen’s big threat on offense is Kyle Sub, who returns as one of top receivers in Class 1A with 54 catches for 889 yds along with 8 TDs.

“He brings a lot of experience. He's played a lot of football over the last couple of years. He brings a lot of toughness. You know, he's not the biggest kid in the world but I think he's a pretty tough kid you know physicality is kind of at the top of his game.”

Sub will have sophomore QB Nash Mitchell throwing him the ball this season. Mechaelsen likes the experience Mitchell has with his system.

“He's been in our program a couple of years, but but also worked with us, you know, when he was in junior high. So, he's been around quite a while and I think he grasped for offense pretty well.”

Mitchell is part of a development process that Underwood has done for the last several years to keep them successful.

“I think we really pride ourselves on the development within our program. You know ,like last year we knew there were kids that were going to have to play this year. Maybe they weren't quite ready last year but that development process still has to take place and whether it's just the fundamentals of the game or it's getting scout team reps or you know working two or three groups at a time during specific practice. We pride ourselves on development.”

Defensively, the Eagles will look at Hudson Ross, who had 52 tackles and 3 picks a season ago. Ross has been able to absorb a lot information about football having been around the team since grade school.

“Hudson was one of our ball boys when he was third, fourth, fifth grade all the way up as he was progressing through school there and just being around the team, being around the game, I think has really served him well.”

Underwood will begin their season on the road at Harlan Community on Friday.

View past scores by visiting the Iowa High School Athletic Association's website, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union website,
or Iowa Quik Stats