Names like John Hill, Keagan Parks, Connor Larson, Gavin Dinsdale, Robert Frederiksen, Zane Williams and Trey Mathis — they’ve all taken their turns as the featured back in Howard’s single-wing system and the results speak for themselves.

Over the past 10 seasons, WCHS has had its district’s rushing champion nine times, including the last eight in succession. That streak is likely to end this season, but not because the Lynx don’t have a tailback capable of adding to the lore.

They have two.

For the first time since the 2008 season when Hill and Ross Haren opened the season splitting carries at the position, Howard has opted for a platoon at tailback between junior Connor Hanson and sophomore Jaxon Cherry this fall. Both could be full-time starters in the backfield, but that would diminish what each can do on defense. Hanson is a multiple-time all-district nose tackle, while Cherry is one of the team’s most dependable tacklers at middle linebacker.

WCHS junior tailback Connor Hanson (33) breaks a tackle on a second-half run against LeMars last Friday night. Hanson has rushed for 301 yards while sharing time with Jaxon Cherry entering tonight’s key road game at Spencer. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“They both know we do it because of them playing defense too. We need to try to keep them fresh,” Howard explained. “It’s worked out pretty well I think.”

Yeah, it has.

Cherry enters tonight’s battle for the Class 4A District 1 lead against Spencer with 305 yards and six touchdowns. Hanson has accumulated 301 yards and has scored five times. Combined, their 134 carries, 606 yards and 11 TDs would rank first, second and first, respectively, in the district had it been accomplished by a single player.

Howard says both players knew they were going to split carries before the season started, so nothing has come as a surprise. And it’s a genuine platoon; it’s been every other series on offense for Cherry and Hanson throughout the Lynx opening six games.

“We don’t want them carrying the ball a ton because they’re so important on defense.” Howard said. “I’ve never asked them how they feel about it, but I don’t think it’s bothered them.”

Wingback CJ Hisler is actually the Lynx leading rusher with 487 yards, which ranks third in the district behind Fort Dodge’s Jon Presswood (642 yards) and LeMars’ Elijah Dougherty (544 yards). If Hisler remains atop the team’s leaderboard, it would be only the second time in Howard’s 15 years at WCHS that the tailback wasn’t the team’s leading rusher.

The Lynx (4-2, 2-0 District 1) will need Hisler, Cherry, Hanson and spinback Ty McKinney (496 yards rushing, 341 yards passing) all at the tops of their game this evening when they attempt to take down Spencer (5-1, 2-0 District 1) on the Tigers’ home turf at 7:30 p.m. Spencer enters on a five-game winning streak, it’s lone loss a 27-13 decision against No. 7-ranked (2A) Spirit Lake in Week 1.

Both of the Lynx losses are also to ranked foes — No. 4 (3A) Humboldt in Week 1 and No. 4 (4A) Waverly-Shell Rock in Week 3.

In reality, tonight’s winner will likely celebrate a district championship later this month unless something unforeseen happens over the final two weeks of the regular season. But the No. 1 goal is to grab one of the district’s two playoff spots and both sit in a good position regardless of what happens tonight.

Still, a district crown would be nice, and yet Howard says his players are trying to approach it as just another game.

“The kids know it’s going to be a big deal and there’s going to be a big crowd, so I don’t need to try to hype them,” he said. “But it’s just one of nine games and they’re all pretty important. We have a 365 days of the year approach where we want to keep everything the same all of the time.”

Spencer, which is listed as a 9-point favorite by the BC Moore computer, hasn’t allowed a point to a district foe and owns the No. 4-ranked defense in 4A, allowing just 9.3 points per game. The Tigers blanked Fort Dodge, 28-0, last week. WCHS handled the Dodgers, 41-14, two weeks ago.

“They’re in the Waverly-Shell Rock zip code as far as athletes goes,” Howard said of the Tigers. “They’re big up front and their linebackers are very athletic.

“If we’re second-and-long a bunch, we’re going to have a long night. But it’s the same for them, quite honestly.”

If it’s possible, Spencer likes to run the ball even more than WCHS. With its triple-option scheme, the Tigers lead the district on the ground with 1,764 yards — the Lynx are No. 2 with 1,552 — and, like WCHS, they have four more than capable ball carriers. Speedster Taron Green has scary numbers for an opposing defense — 399 yards, 16.6 yards per carry and seven TDs — and fullback Cadence Hoffmeyer is right behind him with 392 yards. Fellow fullback Calvin Tighe (353 yards) and quarterback Evan Johnson (279 yards) will lug the ball as well.

Johnson has thrown for 305 yards.

“They rotate just like we do,” Howard said. “The Green kid is very fast and they spread it around. They don’t have a guy that’s going to carry it 15 straight times.”

Tonight starts a stretch of three straight long road trips for WCHS. It will travel to Storm Lake (0-6, 0-2) and Denison-Schleswig (3-3, 1-1) in Weeks 8 and 9.

TONIGHT

WCHS (4-2, 2-0) at Spencer (5-1, 2-0)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Last Meeting: Webster City won, 21-7, in Week 1 of the 2020 season on Aug. 28, 2020.

Notes: Spencer is coached by WCHS graduate Jim Tighe, the son of Hall of Fame coach Dick Tighe, who directed the Lynx to a program-record 219 wins from 1967-97 … WCHS has won 2 of the previous 3 meetings and is 8-5 all-time against the Tigers.