A shared Class 4A, District 1 championship delivered an entire legion of postseason honors to the Fort Dodge football program, the league recently announced.

Senior tailback Jamarius Green was named the district’s unanimous offensive player of the year. Green was flanked by Dodger teammates Jackson McQuillen, Gavin Pederson, Tytrell Mosley and Luke Fierke on offense as first-team representatives, along with FDSH defenders Jonathan Brown, Jesse Egli, Noah Daniel, Jayon Preston-Grady and Jayce Skow.

Royce Pederson, Albert Myrvold, Dalton Eckley, Taevon Feeley, John Hughes, Tru McBride, Will McElroy and Joe Constable were second-team selections, while Caiden Fraher and Sam Moser were honorable-mention choices. Of the 20 total honorees, six were seniors, eight were juniors and six were sophomores.

The Dodgers went 7-3 overall and were ousted last Friday at top-ranked North Polk in a 4A playoff opener.

“We talked after the season about how close we were, but also, how far we still have to go as a program,” FDSH head coach Nik Moser said. “It was a successful year, and our guys put a ton of work into getting better and trusting each other. But the job isn’t finished.

“I’m really happy for the kids who were recognized. They earned it. There were a lot of solid teams in 4A this season, but a ton of parity, too. I think that as things progressed, we really fought our way into the picture. So our players (being honored) is a direct reflection of that. They should absolutely be proud, even if they aren’t satisfied yet.”

Green burst onto the scene midway through the 2023 campaign and never looked back. After sharing time with all-stater Dreshaun Ross last fall, Green became the Dodgers’ main option on the ground with Ross injured and sidelined. He answered the bell, rushing for 1,277 yards – the most by a Fort Dodge player in a single season since Sam Cook in 2015 — and 13 touchdowns at 6.7 yards per carry.

“Even before Dreshaun’s injury, we’d discussed having Jamar as our feature back so Dreshaun could concentrate more on defense,” Moser said. “With Dreshaun out, Jamar shouldered the entire responsibility and just ran with the opportunity.

“He had a really strong district season, with about 800 of his yards coming in those five games (the Dodgers posted a 4-1 record). He wasn’t under 100 yards once. The coaches really thought highly of his consistency, toughness and productivity.”

McQuillen was a repeat first teamer. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder wasn’t the biggest offensive lineman around, but made up for it with his tenacity.

“Jackson plays football with an edge,” Moser said of the senior. “He’s undersized, but makes up for it with a relentless motor. He’s going to come after you and not let up.

“We often went as Jackson went on Friday nights. His best games were some of ours as well.”

The 6-foot, 260-pound Pederson “made incredible strides” as a senior lineman, according to Moser.

“Gavin led by example and set the tone for this program,” Moser said. “He lived in the weightroom, and his offseason work really showed once the season started.

“He was so much bigger and stronger than a year ago, and used that low center of gravity to his advantage (in the trenches). Gavin was a captain for a reason.”

Mosley emerged as the squad’s top receiving option, with 36 catches for 382 yards in his junior year. Moser said “Tytrell was about so much more than that, though.”

“No one out-works him,” Moser added. “Watch him block when the ball isn’t coming his way. That’s the sign of a real receiver. He’s always going all-out, regardless of whether the play goes to him or not.

“Tytrell has such an impact on so many plays throughout the game.”

The 6-foot-5, 335-pound Fierke already looks the part as a junior offensive lineman. Moser noted his productivity took a big step forward in 2024.

“We moved Luke to center and it made a huge difference to neutralize opposing defenses with odd (three-man) fronts,” Moser said. “He’s a natural interior lineman who just keeps getting better.

“We’re excited to see where Luke will be after another offseason of work, because his potential is through the roof.”

Brown, a 6-3, 170 pound defensive end, took advantage of an opportunity given to him two years ago and continued to make the most of it.

“We had Jay at wide receiver during his sophomore season, and we kind of just threw him in at defensive end on JV to fill a spot at first,” Moser said. “He was a natural, and he grew to love the position.

“He got better every week and every year. He wasn’t necessarily a traditional-looking defensive end, but had great length and the ability to disrupt plays. I’m really proud of the player Jay became.”

The 200-pound Egli emerged as the Dodgers’ leading tackler during a productive junior campaign. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

“Jesse’s just so versatile and active,” Moser said. “He’s one of our ‘positionless’ football players, because depending on the opponent or even the play, we can use him in multiple spots. He showed glimpses of greatness, so we’re really looking forward to his senior season.”

Daniel, a 190-pound junior, is cut from a similar cloth.

“Noah is a difference maker in so many aspects,” Moser said. “You had to gameplan for him in all three phases (Daniel returned three kickoffs of over 90 yards for touchdowns, recorded 56.5 tackles and had six receiving scores on over 22 yards per catch).

“He has sheer track speed, and for him, that translates to the football field. He doesn’t lose a step. We need him to become an even more dangerous overall player (in 2025), and I think he’ll accept that challenge.”

The 200-pound Skow was among the team leaders in tackles.

“Jayce is a football magnet,” Moser said. “He’s so active and aggressive. He’s exactly what you’d draw up from a middle linebacker. We will have that core group (of LBs) back, and Jayce is a huge part of our defense’s future.”

The 220-pound Preston-Grady became a “standout” at defensive end, according to Moser. Preston-Grady and Brown tied for most tackles for loss on the squad in 2024.

“Jayon is another kid who plays with an edge and who got better every week,” Moser said. “My guess is he’ll be up to about 240 or 250 pounds by next season without losing any of his athleticism.

“Jayon has a very high ceiling, and we still get him for two more years, so we’re excited about that.”

Pederson became a “jack of all trades” during his senior campaign, according to Moser.

“Royce is just a true program guy and someone who has been a tremendous captain for us,” Moser said. “His best attribute is his selflessness. Doing whatever it takes to help the team win. He’d block, he’d throw, he’d catch…it didn’t matter. He took pride in his work. A true Dodger who will be missed.”

The 6-foot-3 Eckley caught 20 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns as a junior.

“Dalton has all the makings,” Moser said. “He’s a solid athlete with a typical receiver body and good hands. He did a really nice job in our screen game, and returned a punt for a touchdown (against Sioux City West). We just need his confidence and consistency to keep growing, and it will with another offseason.”

Hughes, who moved to Fort Dodge from Texas before the year started, was a “huge pickup for us” as a junior linebacker, Moser noted.

“He’s physical, he takes on lead blockers and he’s really strong against the run,” Moser said. “John is more athletic than he might get credit for, given he’s a bigger kid at 230 pounds. We’re really excited to see what his senior year will bring.”

Feeley, a junior defensive back, returned an interception for a touchdown during the Dodgers’ dramatic comeback home win over Dallas Center-Grimes in September.

“Taevon is what modern cornerbacks are becoming, being long and athletic at 6-2 with a good wingspan,” Moser said. “He typically went up against the other team’s top receiver and did a nice job. He’s another kid who will grow and develop with another offseason under his belt.”

Myrvold, a foreign exchange student, was a late addition to the roster in the summer. He made an immediate impact, converting three field goals – including a 47-yarder – and 28 of 33 extra points, while averaging over 34 yards per punt.

“If any other kids are reading this from Norway, we’re open for business to follow in Albert’s footsteps,” Moser laughed. “He never got nervous and the moment was never too big. Even if he’d miss, Albert would say, ‘I tried.’ He gave it his all. We were fortunate to have him.”

Three sophomores also landed on the district’s second team: McBride (quarterback), McElroy (defensive line) and Constable (offensive line).

McBride threw for 1,518 yards and 18 touchdowns in the program’s second most productive 10th-grade season ever behind only Drake Miller.

“Tru’s just getting started,” Moser said. “He had a really good year overall. He’s a big kid (6-3, 195) with a strong arm. He really helped balance our offense.

“Once the playbook opens up more and he has another offseason under his belt, things could really take off. We’re lucky we have two more years with him.”

McElroy moved to nose guard and made the transition look seamless despite being undersized.

“Will is just a tough kid and a prototypical Dodger,” Moser said. “He plays so hard and is so strong despite being only 190 pounds on the interior. He got better every week. We’re really looking forward to his future as well.”

Despite being only 5-9, Constable “is the strongest kid on our team,” according to Moser.

“Joe’s will and want to be a Dodger is unmatched,” Moser said. “He just goes out there and does his job. He’ll move kids who are five, six or seven inches taller. He’s the kind of player you want to have on your side.”

Fraher (linebacker) and Sam Moser (defensive back) were two more sophomores recognized for their efforts.

“Caiden gives us his all,” Nik Moser said. “Before he got hurt (Fraher suffered a season-ending injury at Le Mars), he was one of our most impactful and hardest-working defenders.

“Sam got better every week, and showed versatility as a defender. He could play corner, safety, or even stand-up defensive end for us moving forward. Caiden could be a linebacker or a safety. They’ll both play key roles in what we’re doing next year. Again, we’re going to have a lot of ‘positionless’ defenders, so to speak, which is a good thing. It gives us options.”

Moser is obviously excited for the future, with 14 all-league players slated to return – as well as 2023 district defensive player of the year Dreshaun Ross, a junior four-star national linebacker prospect who missed this season with a shoulder injury.

“The next eight months of development are obviously important,” Moser said. “If we work hard and come back better on August 1 than we were on November 1, we could make some noise. But if we’re the same team, it will be an uphill climb.

“We had a strong season overall and were competitive against some very good opponents, but that doesn’t mean we’re there yet. We’re getting closer. We need to keep growing, evolving and holding each other accountable. And we have some terrific senior leaders we will have to replace both on and off the field.”