Nine Decorah football players were recognized by Class 4A District 2 for their work on the gridiron in 2022. It’s the first time for six of the nine receiving a district nod.
First team
Five athletes were named to the first team, including Kelley Gates, Andrew Rhodes, William Hahn, Dakota Johnson and Brady Benzing.
Defensive linemen Gates and Rhodes each earn their first district honor. Gates provided 19 total tackles (15 solo, 8 assists) with one sack and 3.5 tackles for a loss, while Rhodes was there for 27.5 total tackles, including 21 solo stops, three sacks and six tackles for a loss. Rhodes also had one fumble recovery.
Hahn moves up from a second team honoree to first team as an offensive lineman. The junior helped the Vikes score 35 touchdowns and gain a total of 2,769 offensive yards.
Leading the rushing attack for Decorah with 1,358 yards for the season on 156 carries, Johnson received his first all-district nod. The senior averaged 8.2 yards a carry and scored 21 touchdowns as a Viking running back.
Benzing was the top defensive man for the Vikings, leading the squad with 50 total tackles, including 34 solo stops and a trio of tackles for a loss.
Second team
Four Vikings received their first all-district selections on the second team. Among the honorees were senior Brady Bohner, Gavin Groux, Trevor Kuennen and Kaiden Quandahl.
As one of Decorah’s offensive linemen Bohner provided protection for the quarterbacks who threw for 795 yards and the running backs who rushed for another 1974 yards, allowing the Vikes to average 3.5 touchdowns per game. Playing defensive end, the senior had 10 solo and 10 assisted tackles, including four for a loss.
Groux, a junior, earned his first all-district honor as the Vikes’ leading receiver. He caught 22 passes for 256 yards, averaging 11.6 yards per reception and scrambled for 138 yards on the ground with 29 carries. Defensively he had 20.5 total tackles (16 solo, 9 assists).
Playing in a linebacker position, T. Kuennen stepped up for 46 total tackles during his sophomore campaign. As the second-leading tackler, he had 32 solo stops, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Additionally he had two fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown. He also provided some offensive with 49 receiving and 23 rushing yards.
Earning his second straight second team designation, Quandahl was there for 22.5 total stops with 19 coming as solo tackles. The senior also had four receptions for 79 yards and scored twice.
Academics
The Vikes also were recognized for their efforts in the classroom. In total 20 Vikings were named academic all-district.
Among the honorees were Kelley Gates, Brady Bohner, Andrew Rhodes, Brody Hanson, Joseph Stammeyer, Will Teslow, Fisher Tweten, Kaiden Youngblood, Louis Bucksa, Carter Dhly, Gavin Groux, William Hahn, Jackson Pipho, Jameson LaBelle, Dakota Johnson, Trevor Kuennen, Noah Milburn, Creed Monroe, Kaiden Quandahl and Tommy Sexton.
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