Cedar Valley Athletes Sign National Letters

Ten area high school seniors plan to play college football beginning this fall. The group includes nine student-athletes from the Cedar Valley.

In all, 12 area prep athletes signed national letters of intent on Wednesday, February 5, 2014. Two of the signers plan to participate in track and field.

Ross Pierschbacher of Cedar Falls highlights the football recruiting class. The Parade All-American and three-time all-state offensive lineman signed to play at Alabama after initially committing to Iowa.

Three of Pierschbacher’s Cedar Falls teammates are staying closer to home. Alex Gary will play football at Wartburg, while punter Michael Kuntz and linebacker Jared Farley both signed with Northern Iowa (UNI). The Panthers are coached by Jared’s father, Mark Farley.

A trio of Waterloo West football players are heading to different schools. Blake Thomas has committed to UNI, Alex Young will play at national junior college powerhouse Iowa Western and Lance Dunn Junior is going to three-time defending FCS National Champion North Dakota State.

The other Cedar Valley football recruits are Jay Scheel of La Porte City Union and Josh Wright of Waverly-Shell Rock. Scheel will play at Iowa. Wright has signed with St. Cloud State.

Nashua-Plainfield’s Hunter Mueller also inked a football contract on Wednesday, agreeing to play at Upper Iowa.

The two track and field recruits are classmates at Waverly-Shell Rock. Abby Caldwell plans to compete at Iowa State and Thomas Bates is going to St. Cloud State.