The Iola High football program may have failed its team goal of making the playoffs, but the Mustangs were rewarded on an individual basis when the All-Pioneer League Team was announced this week.
Five Mustangs made either the All-Pioneer League First or Second Team while three others qualified for honorable mentions.
Keanen Badders, a senior wide receiver, was Iola’s lone representative on the First Team.
Badders proved to be quarterback Ben Cooper’s favorite target this fall, finishing the year with the team’s most catches (13), reception yards (227) and receiving touchdowns (3).
Badders also racked up seven scores on the ground in addition to 478 yards rushing on 83 attempts — all of which were good enough to rank second on the squad.
Brice Aiello, one of the four Mustangs named to the Second Team, was Iola’s top rushing threat this past season.
Aiello, a senior running back, recorded 725 rushing yards on 133 attempts. His 12 touchdowns led the Mustangs.
The combined rushing attack of Badders and Aiello made up about 66 percent of Iola’s ground game or a little less than half of the team’s total offensive output.
Andrew Garber was a key factor in opening up lanes for both Badders and Aiello throughout the season. The senior offensive lineman was named to the league’s Second Team as a result of his efforts in his final year of high school football.
Iola’s defense was also represented in the All-Pioneer awards.
Isaac Vink, a sophomore defensive back, and Chase Regher, a junior linebacker, were each named to the Second Team.
Vink anchored a young secondary by finishing with a team-leading five interceptions. No other player for Iola finished the year with more than two picks.
Regeher seemed to be involved in nearly every play on defense, recording 64 solo tackles and 34 assisted tackles to give him 98 total tackles on the season.
The senior led all three of those categories for the Mustangs and it wasn’t even close.
Aiello and Brett Taylor, Iola’s second and third leading solo tacklers, combined for 61 solo tackles compared to Regeher’s 64.
Gus Luedke’s 46 total tackles were good enough to place second on the squad. But Regeher’s 98 total tackles more than doubled Luedke’s effort.
Regeher also added one sack.
Ethan Sigg, Colton Toney and Brett Taylor were Iola’s three honorable mentions for the All-Pioneer League Team.
Sigg, a senior, finished the 2015 season with 31 total tackles, two sacks and an interception on the defensive side of the ball. He also played offensive line.
Toney, a junior, was awarded an honorable mention due to his efforts on the offensive line.
Taylor, a senior, was the Mustangs’ third-leading receiver behind Badders and Ethan Scheibmeir. He finished with nine catches for 115 yards as well as one receiving score.
On defense, Taylor added 44 total tackles and two interceptions.
Iola will kick off the 2016 football season at Chanute in search for its first playoff appearance since 2008.
All-Pioneer League Team features several Mustangs
