Hudson Ehrenfelt of Mid-Prairie, who was one of the top running backs in the state as a sophomore last year, is turning into a threat for the Golden Hawks passing game this year.

Three games into a new season, Ehrenfelt is not among the rushing leaders in Class 2A but he has become a passing target for senior quarterback Brady Weber. Ehrenfelt’s pass-receiving numbers have been bigger than his rushing numbers in two of three games, including last week when he caught 5 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in a 21-14 loss to Sigourney Keota.

And that makes this week’s District 2A-5 opener at West Burlington even more intriguing. The Falcons have won their first three games, averaging 35 points a game. Running back Quincy Collins’ 557 rushing yards rank fourth in the state and his eight rushing TDs rank first.

In last year’s game, the Golden Hawks held Collins to 53 yards rushing and Ehrenfelt ran for 183 yards and five touchdowns.

After losses to Wilton, Iowa City Regina and Sigourney Keota to begin the season, all nondistrict games, the Golden Hawks enter the district season as the only winless team in District 2A-5. Central Lee, West Burlington and Davis County are all unbeaten, and defending district champion Mediapolis and Mid-Prairie are the only ones with losing records.

It’ll all work out in the next five weeks.

Among West Burlington’s wins is a 42-point victory over Wapello, a Class A team that won just one game last year, and a 21-point win over Mount Pleasant, which didn’t win a game in 2023.

Mid-Prairie has never lost to West Burlington and defeated the Falcons 40-18 last year.

At the same time Friday, Central Lee faces Davis County, a battle of unbeatens.

And next week, Mid-Prairie will host Central Lee while Mediapolis hosts West Burlington.

Those two weeks will shuffle the district race enough to make sense of things.

A first- or second-place finish would send the Golden Hawks to the 2A playoffs. Last year, Mid-Prairie’s only district loss was to Mediapolis. This year, the rematch takes place October 4 in Mediapolis.

The Proud

Jackson Keller, who helped the Highland Huskies win their last two football games of the season in his senior year 11 months ago, is now one Proud Marine.

Keller is in California training with the U.S. Marine Corps. He applied for early graduation a year ago so that he could enter the Marine Corps.

He played on the offensive and defensive lines for the Huskies last year and had a fumble recovery and sack, in addition to multiple tackles. In his last game as a Huskie, they defeated Wapello 28-0.

Historic Ravens

An expanded Hillcrest Academy has been making history outside and inside.

Hillcrest’s middle school cross country team competed for the first time last week in Fairfield. Twelve runners, including 11 boys, ran in the meet that also included varsity runner Marie Yoder winning the girls race.

Monday, the school’s middle school volleyball team played for the first time.

Double-Doubles

Jovi Evans, a junior at Mid-Prairie, is redefining her setter position with stats that just can’t be found anywhere in the state.

She has already posted at least two rare double-double performances (kills and assists), including 16 kills and 17 assists last week against 12th-ranked West Liberty. Her 129 kills rank fifth in Class 3A and her 257 assists rank 13th.

But here’s the thing: Of the top 50 attackers in Iowa, all classes, only Evans is above 200 in assists. Of the top 50 setters in Iowa, all classes, only Evans has 100 kills.

The only person who even approaches Jovi’s uniqueness is her younger sister, Jeorgia, who is the only volleyballer in 3A with 75 kills and 100 assists. Defense? Jeorgia Evans is the top freshman in the state, all classes, with 180 digs, playing in the same back row with Dakota Mitchell, a senior who ranks second in 3A in digs, won a national championship with Iowa Adrenaline this summer and is a North Texas DI recruit.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul