NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Eric Medina (#5), junior, running back, first team all-district offense.

On Monday night, Nov. 10, the STC football team gathered one final time this fall to celebrate their 2025 season. Attending the fall sports banquet at the STC high school gym, the program honored a season that coaches and players recognized as special.

With a final record of 5-4, the program secured its highest win total in a decade. Finishing in 3rd place in Class 2A, District 7, STC qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Trojans finished 2-1 in non-district play, and 3-2 within the district. Their four losses all came at the hands of playoff-qualifying teams with a combined record of 32-9 to date. STC fell to Van Meter, 45-6, in the first round of the playoffs. Van Meter plays for the 2025 class 2A championship this Friday, Nov. 21, in Cedar Falls.

It was a strong turn-around year for an STC program that had six wins in the previous five years combined. Their opening season win against Vinton-Shellsburg snapped a 25- game losing streak.

“I feel proud of our team’s effort, dedication, and grit,” said junior co-captain Manny Cervantes. “I am glad to be a part of the change in the program and see our hard work pay off.”

Reflecting on the season, head coach Nate Doran spoke to what he appreciated about the team.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Kyle Youngbear (#61), junior, linebacker, first team all-district defense.

“For me, the most memorable highlights revolved around how the team faced adversity and responded. We made several comebacks and competed with top ten teams without ever backing down,” he said. “When we lost several key players, others immediately rose to the occasion, taking on new roles and giving their all.”

Doran also praised the make-up of his players.

“What made us as coaches proud was the players’ commitment to prioritizing the team and holding one another accountable. They weren’t afraid to call each other out when they felt effort was lacking or attitudes were poor,” he said. “They demonstrated a strong desire for success, and showed a willingness to invest in each other and trust the coaches’ plan. The team had an unwavering determination and refused to give up.”

STC had an eye-opening 15 players who were recognized with district honors. They were led by junior running back Eric Medina, who was placed on the district’s first team for offense. Medina rushed for 1,145 yards on 186 rushes this fall. He is only the 5th Trojan rusher in the last 16 years to go over 1,000 yards on the season. The others include: Kyle Stepheson in 2012 (2,133 yards); Jerry Lowe in 2015 (1,633 yards); Payton Vest in 2020 (1,276 yards); and Jerry Lowe in 2014 (1,197 yards).

“It feels good,” said Medina, who received second team all-district honors last season. “I knew I wanted to be better this season so I worked harder, got stronger, and I ran the ball hard every chance I got.”

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Marcus Bear (#10), senior, defensive end, first team all-district defense.

Joining Medina on the district first team were four Trojan defensive players: senior defensive end Marcus Bear, junior defensive back Eli Cruikshank, junior safety Michael Henry, and junior linebacker Kyle Youngbear. Bear was second on the team in tackles (56); Cruikshank was eighth on the team in tackles (26); and Henry was third in tackles (51.5) and led the team with three interceptions.

Youngbear led the Trojans in tackles with 92 on the season. That total placed him in 4th place in all of class 2A for 2025. He is only the second STC player in the last 16 years to record over 90 tackles for a season (Austin Lowe: 98 in 2012). Also, in that same time frame, Youngbear is only the 4th Trojan to lead the team in tackles during back-to-back seasons (Youngbear 2024-2025; Gavin Bridgewater 2022-2023; Peyton Rutledge 2014-2015; and Austin Lowe 2011-2012).

“It feels great to receive first team district honors,” said Youngbear. “It is important to me because it symbolizes all of the work that I put in during the offseason with my teammates.”

Seven Trojans earned the district’s second team honors. These included, on the offensive side of the ball, senior wide receiver Nick Upah; senior offensive lineman Drew Mellies; sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant; sophomore running back/return specialist Izak Schroeder; and sophomore offensive lineman Lakyr Peska. Second-team honorees from the Trojan defense included senior defensive back Tanner Large and senior linebacker Garrett Surman. Three STC players earned district honorable mention: senior offensive lineman Ayden Vest; senior defensive lineman Josh Strong; and junior offensive lineman Manny Cervantes. Cervantes, Upah, Youngbear, and senior Wes Hanus served as team captains this season.

“It’s always rewarding to see your players acknowledged for their hard work and commitment,” Coach Doran said. “When you have several members of our team represented, it signifies that we’ve achieved some success.”

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Eli Cruikshank (#2), junior, defensive back, first team all-district defense.

Though STC graduates 11 seniors, they will return key players next season on both sides of the ball. This includes 8 of the 15 players who received district honors this year. Coach Doran spoke to what the successful season means for the program moving forward.

“We’ve shown what we can achieve when we unite as a team and this success has brought us more support. I think the young athletes will gain even more backing from the community and peers, which should motivate them to keep growing,” he said. “This season’s achievements should inspire the upcoming seniors to step up as leaders, put in the needed effort, keep a positive attitude, and focus on what it takes during the offseason to build resilience and trust.”

With an exciting future ahead, the players and coaches will look back on the 2025 season knowing it was a key year for the program.

“I am proud of the effort this year,” said Cervantes. “We battled through adversity and hope to continue our success into next year.”

Medina agreed.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Michael Henry (#22), junior, safety, first team all-district defense.

“I’m proud that we made a change in our program and that we never gave up and continued to battle,” he said.

Youngbear noted the chemistry of the locker room.

“I feel like the biggest thing that allowed us to have success as a team this year was building our relationships and growing together. We’ve built strong friendships and it allows us to communicate well on the field,” he said.

Coach Doran spoke to the same chemistry as he summed up the season from the coaching staff’s perspective.

“The greatest highlight for me was the unity we displayed as a team. We played together and we fought together,” he said.