Iowa Central CC and Iowa State got out of the blocks with an early-season clash this weekend, with Iowa Central coming away with a 51-6 victory.

For the Tritons, this wasn’t a particularly unexpected as Iowa Central started 12 players who were starters last year, plus on starter who was a regular bench player in 2020-21. This is a rarity for Iowa Central, as ICCC is a two-year school so there’s high turnover.

But the return of these players, the vast majority of whom are domestic USA kids, has resulted in a pretty unified team.

“This team has the best chemistry of any team I’ve coached,” said Iowa Central Head Coach Brent Nelson. “With the turnover we have there’s the danger of the team getting cliquy. But this year has been great, they just work together really well.”

The game itself saw Iowa Central play some excellent team defense, and that created chances for them offensively.

New fullback Phoenix Twala, who has joined the program from South Africa, was impressive on attack and defense. Herbert Evans scored two tries. Lock Tavius Sykora-Matthess is, at 6-7, an impressive force in the lineout and have been developing his ability to drive through defenders. And captain Dakota Southworth has taken another step forward, leading from the front with big carriers and some relentless defense.

Player Spotlight: Dakota Southworth

Next up for Iowa Central CC is Marian on September 4 and Northern Iowa on September 8.