Bison receive All-District football honors

     Five members of the North Iowa Bison football team have earned All-District recognition for the 2017 season. Junior Isaiah Walk was named to the First Team All-District, while senior Thomas Blodgett and freshman Tyler Murray were named to the Second Team All-District. Meanwhile, senior Nathan Beenken and sophomore Cody Smidt received All-District Honorable Mention.

     Isaiah Walk played running back for the Bison and was a team captain this season. He led the team with 166 rush attempts for 666 yards and four touchdowns. Head Coach Brad Bengtson says Walk was an all-around leader for the team, and he led by example. “We look forward to him doing really big things for us next year as a Senior,” said Bengtson.

     Thomas Blodgett was a defensive end for the Bison and was the team’s second leading tackler. He totaled 35 solo tackles and 52 assists. Coach Bengtson said Blodgett was a steady player for the Bison this season, as he was on the field for almost every play of every game – both on defense and offense. Blodgett was also a team captain.

     Tyler Murray played linebacker for the Bison and was the team’s leading tackler. He racked up 62 solo tackles, plus 53 assists. He was the fifth leading tackler amongst Iowa’s eight-man football teams ahead of the playoff season.

     Nathan Beenken played wide receiver and had the most receiving yards of the year for North Iowa. He made 11 catches for a total of 226 yards and two touchdowns. Bengtson says Beenken was the team’s biggest deep threat receiver.

     Cody Smidt was the Bison’s top offensive lineman this fall. “We tried to run behind him as much as possible,” said Bengtson. “Cody was a lot like Thomas, as he played almost every play both offensively and defensively.” Smidt had 17 solo tackles for the season, along with 26 assists.

     Additional awards also go to Blodgett and Walk, who were named to the Academic All-District team this fall.