Montezuma’s John Beck earns Coach of the Year honors; players from Montezuma, BGM earn top honors

​         Montezuma Head Football Coach, John Beck, has been named the Class 8P – District 7 All-District Coach of the Year for the third time in his four years at the helm following the Braves 10-2 season and quarterfinal finish in the playoffs.

By J.O. Parker
 
       Coach of the Year honors went to Montezuma’s John Beck for a third time in his four years at Braves coaching helm while players from both Montezuma and BGM brought home top awards following the release of the 2024 Class 8P – District 7 All-District Team honors.
        “Again, I am really blessed with having great athletes and great staff,” noted Beck. “I look at this honor as an extension of that. The kids here at Montezuma are always coachable and great kids to work with. The staff on the sideline, as always, was fantastic! I have been in this position for four years and have always had great men around me. This year was no different. While we had some changes to the staff, I had multiple coaches step up and prepare our young men for what we needed to do every week. I am so thankful for them.”
       Beck went on to thank his coaching staff, Mikey Lyons, Cal Smith, Partner Maschmann and Justin Richards, saying they are a great group of men who want what is best for our athletes.
       Helping out in the booth is Kane Barker and Gaige Arendt with Greg Long, Buddy Boulton and Mike Fleming keeping game stats. And Harold Wheeler was the home game announcer.
        Beck thanked the fans for coming out each every week and supporting the team on the road and at home.
        “We always have a great game-night atmosphere,” said Beck. “They say it takes a village, we really do have a great one supporting these athletes.”
         Beck, who is in his fourth year as a head coach at Montezuma, led the 8-Man Braves to a 10-2 record and a quarterfinal finish in the playoffs.
         BGM’s Beau Burns earned Offensive Player of the Year honors and Offensive Lineman of the Year honors went to Montezuma’s Houston Van Roekel. Defensive Player of the year went to Belle Plaine’s Ty Alcott and Defensive Lineman of the Year honors went to Briar Simpson at Montezuma.
         Alex Becerril, a freshman newcomer at Montezuma, earned Kicker of the Year honors while Twin Cedars’ Braxton Davis brought home Punter of the Year honors.
       Montezuma finished the season with five players earning first team honors and three players earning second team honors. Two players on the Braves’ squad earned honorable mention honors.
       BGM had three players each on the first and second teams and two players who earned honorable mention honors.
          BGM Head Football Coach is Jerod Burns. Assistant coaches are Rick Radcliffe, Reggie Rea, Jake Tibbetts, Dalton Roberts, Tanner Wright. Stat crew includes Wyatt Bauman, Matt Smith, Andy Albers, Shane Wilson, Kyle Gritsch and Chris Gritsch.
            Following are the first, second and honorable mention players for the district:
Montezuma
First Team
AB/DB – Brady Boulton, Junior, Montezuma
RB/LB – Brett Plants, Senior, Montezuma
RB/LB – Broox Stockman, Junior, Montezuma
WR/DB – David Rose, Senior, Montezuma
OL/DL – Braxton Plants, Junior, Montezuma
Second Team
WR/DB – Carter Michalek, Senior, Montezuma
TE/DL – Breck Simpson, Senior, Montezuma
WR/LB – Luke Erselius, Junior, Montezuma
Honorable Mention
WR/DB – Luke Brennan, Junior, Montezuma
TE/LB – Lars Taylor, Senior, Montezuma
Belle Plaine
First Team
DB – Lane Vokoun, Senior, Belle Plaine
TE – Sam DeMeulenaere, Senior, Belle Plaine
LB - Wade Sankot, Junior, Belle Plaine
DL - Will Sankot, Junior, Belle Plaine
Second Team
Utility QB/TE – Aidan Timm, Junior, Belle Plaine
DL - Derek Kressley, Sophomore, Belle Plaine
OL – Gabe Kaplan, Senior, Belle Plaine
Honorable Mention
OL – Daymien Graf, Senior, Belle Plaine
BGM
First Team
DE – Landen Cooling, Junior, BGM
LB – Tate Martin, Senior, BGM
WR – Dakota Heishman, Senior, BGM
Second Team
DB – Tucker Wright, Senior, BGM
OL – Griffin Berry, Senior, BGM
OL – Ben Cadden, Junior, BGM
Honorable Mention
LB – Brooks Davis, Senior, BGM
RB – Nathan Findlay, Junior, BGM
Moravia
First Team
G/DE/DT - Blake Helmick, Senior, Moravia
TE - Declan DeJong, Junior, Moravia
Second Team
FB - Isaac Messamaker, Senior, Moravia
TE - Chase Hanes, Sophomore, Moravia
Honorable Mention
G - Hunter Nicholson, Sophomore, Moravia
TE/DE/DT - Hayden Ashby, Sophomore, Moravia
Melcher-Dallas
First Team
DT/G - Ryan Heaton, Junior, Melcher-Dallas
QB/CB - Reece Chiabotta, Sophomore - Melcher-Dallas
Second Team
QB/CB - Brody Johnson, Senior, Melcher-Dallas
DE - Hunter Degard, Freshman, Melcher-Dallas
Honorable Mention
WR - C.J. Smith, Sophomore, Melcher-Dallas
T - Tucker Branson, Sophomore, Melcher-Dallas
Twin Cedars
First Team
FB/LB - Gavin Clark, Junior, TC
RB/LB - Slater Thomas, Freshman, TC
Second Team
Utility - Holden Roberts, Junior, TC
RB/WR - Braxton Davis, Senior, TC
Honorable Mention
QB/FS – Dallas Smith, Senior, TC
RB/LB – Judson Beary, Senior, TC
Des Moines Register All-Iowa Football Teams
      Montezuma senior Briar Simpson, OL, and junior Broox Stockman, LB, have been named to the Des Moines Register All-Iowa Football Teams