The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk football team is just two days shy of their season opener. On the defensive side of the football, Mid-Prairie returns some key contributors from a 2016 where they finished at 5-4 overall.

A year ago, the Mid-Prairie defense surrendered 25 points per contest and forced 14 turnovers. The Golden Hawks graduated their top two tacklers from last season in Ricky Vargas and Duncan McCain who combined for 96.5 total stops. The Hawks do return their next three top tacklers including Keaton Duwa, Jason Tew and Karson Gingerich who totaled 125.5 tackles a year ago. Duwa is Mid-Prairie’s returning takeaway leader with two fumbles recovered in 2016. Along with Vargas and McCain, Mid-Prairie will try to replace defensive difference makers Levi Duwa, Jared Miller, and Carter Reinier. The Golden Hawks will look for big seasons from Keaton Duwa, Tew, Gingerich, Justin Schwartz, Josh Slaubaugh, Terrhyn Jacoby, Josiah Meader, Scott Winborn, Rex Peck and others to fill that void.

The Golden Hawks open the season Friday when they travel to Louisa-Muscatine. You can hear all of the action live on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee pregame show at 6:30 and kickoff at Paine Field at 7PM.