Xavier Football

Wilson packing bigger punch for Saints

Maliki Wilson used his great quickness and agility to rush for 1,273 yards as a 160-pound scatback for the Xavier Saints last season.

Imagine what he might do this year as a 200-pound tailback with more power and even more speed.

"I feel a little faster than last year. I worked hard on that," Wilson said before practice Tuesday.

"I'll be able to hit a lot harder this year. The defense will have a little tougher time trying to handle the weight with it, too."

Wilson was not boasting. He never has, never will. But he's confident heading into the big showdown with Iowa City Regina in the season opener at Saints Field Friday night.

The kickoff is scheduled with 7 p.m. with no preliminary game.

Wilson said he feels a lot stronger this season. And even though he gained about 40 pounds in less than a year, there does not appear to be an ounce of fat on him.

"I totally worked on the weightlifting part," he said. "It should all work out pretty good."

Read more...

Xavier's district ends soph/varsity twinbills

Xavier High School football fans who like seeing the sophomore and varsity teams play on the same night will be out of luck this season.

The Saints will have only one soph/varsity doubleheader this year due to a vote by the schools in Xavier's Class 3A football district. Only five of the eight schools in District 3 have sophomore teams this season due to a lack of players, so the district has switched to playing freshman games as the preliminary contest before varsity games on football Friday nights.

Charles City, Vinton-Shellsburg and South Tama in Class 3A District 3 do not have sophomore football teams, according to their school websites. Xavier, Benton Community, Decorah, Independence and Waverly-Shell Rock do have sophomore teams in Class 3A District 3, but the Xavier sophs will play those four opponents on Monday nights this season.

Xavier will play a traditional soph/varsity doubleheader when it visits Linn-Mar on Friday, Sept. 2 for a non-district game, but that will be the only soph/varsity twinbill this season for the Saints.

Xavier will play frosh/varsity doubleheaders against all seven of its district opponents.

The Xavier varsity football team will open the season this Friday night with a home date against Iowa City Regina at 7 p.m., but that will be the only game at Saints Field this Friday. Xavier will host the Regina sophomore team on Monday, Aug. 29 instead.

Read more...

Schulte welcomes new role with Saints

Bryce Schulte established himself as Xavier's top quarterback two years ago when he was only a sophomore, but now he's excited about playing an even bigger role with the Saints this season as a senior.

Schulte has been getting a good look in preseason drills as a "rover" on defense, working as a hybrid strong safety and linebacker in certain situations.

"We're going to put him where we need him, and that includes defense," Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said Friday night after the Saints had a scrimmage with Western Dubuque.

The Saints host Iowa City Regina in the season opener Friday night at 7 in a battle of Catholic school powers.

Bryce Schulte, the head coach's son, welcomes the opportunity to play defense in his final year at Xavier.

"The past two years I've practiced defense before the first week of the season," he said. "Last year I played on one drive versus Assumption and then I got pulled. And I went in a couple times over the year when guys got hurt."

His playing time on defense figures to jump significantly this year.

Read more...

Linn-Mar, Xavier will meet in football

Linn-Mar High School has changed its mind and has agreed to play non-district football games against the Xavier Saints in 2016 and 2017.

Two years ago, Linn-Mar athletic director Scott Mahmens said his school was not interested in playing any games against a Class 3A school. The Lions compete at the Class 4A level and he said at the time they wanted to play other 4A schools in non-district games in 2014 and 2015.

Linn-Mar changed its mind and put Xavier on its preferred list of non-district games for the next two-year cycle of games in 2016 and 2017, but Mahmens declined comment when contacted by the Metro Sports Report Friday morning after the Iowa High School Athletic Association released the schedules for all teams.

Xavier athletic director Mike Winker has wanted to play games against any of the 4A Metro schools - Linn-Mar, Kennedy, Washington, Jefferson and Prairie - but they all turned him down during the 2014-15 cycle.

Mahmens told the Metro Sports Report several weeks ago that he put Xavier on his preferred list of opponents. The IHSAA has the final authority on putting the schedules together and they arranged for Xavier to play at Linn-Mar on Friday, Sept. 2. The Lions will visit the Saints in 2017 in the return engagement.

Read more...