Nov. 12—It’s been a record-setting season for the Newton football team. And while none of the offensive records have directly been set by the Cardinals’ offensive linemen, it’s safe to say, the records were able to be broken because the big guys up front provided a hefty punch throughout the fall season.
“They do all the dirty work so I can stay clean and the running backs and receivers can make plays,” Newton senior quarterback Caden Klein said. “It all comes down to them. Without those guys performing like they have, we wouldn’t have been able to do much of anything.”
Nicholas Batawui
Klein set several offensive records this fall as the leader of the Cardinal offense.
But a big reason why Newton leads Class 4A with 61 touchdowns, 4,437 total yards and a 7.7 yards per carry average is in part because seniors Rylan Modlin, Koltt Ahn and Will Rawlins and juniors Jake Mace-Maynard and Nicholas Batawui have created plenty of space for the skill position players to work.
And perhaps the most impressive thing about this year’s unit is that only two of them were starters on last year’s squad.
“I’m really proud of the way those kids have gelled,” Newton head football coach Andy Swedenhjelm said. “I felt really good about that group, but you could probably have said that was a question mark coming into the season. It’s a lot of new guys in there, but I had confidence in them.
“They do a lot of the dirty work that being an offensive lineman is all about. They’re all kids who fly under the radar a bit. They’re great leaders and great character kids who work extremely hard.
One of the returners is Ahn, who is the starting center but also plays on the defensive line.
He’s undersized at 5-foot-11, 215 pounds. But his leadership is unmatched and he’s one of the team’s main three captains.
Rawlins, the 225-pound returning starting right tackle, was the second of three newcomers on the offensive line who joined the team the past three seasons.
Cardinals offensive line
Jose Benitez started the three-year stretch and Rawlins moved to the district from Texas a few seasons back.
This year’s transfer addition is Batawui, who moved to Newton after playing for Sioux City West his first two high school seasons.
“It’s a testament to our kids. They’ve welcomed those guys with open arms,” Swedenhjelm said. “They take them under their wing, show them the way and we got two of those guys during the school year before the next season so they had offseason programs and stuff.”
Despite so many moving parts this season, the big guys up front have yet to allow a sack in 2025. They also have helped Newton rank third in 4A with 2,737 rushing yards.
The Cardinals also are tied for third in the class with 41 rushing touchdowns.
“Not allowing a sack all season is something I have talked a lot about because we’ve gone against a lot of teams who have been able to get sacks against other teams,” Rawlins said. “We’ve just stuck to our fundamentals.”
The unit will have to play their best football of the season on Thursday as the Cardinals face a Cedar Rapids Xavier squad which has 44 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and seven fumble recoveries.
The undefeated Saints also have a plethora of pressures that has led to a 4A-best 15 interceptions by the defense.
“(Klein) having all the time he’s been given to throw the perfect passes has helped us,” Newton junior running back Qhjuan Coley said. “(The offensive line) has worked so hard to get better and to help this team be successful.”
Jake Mace-Maynard
All five linemen agreed that a big reason why the squad was able to integrate new players into the lineup every year and not miss much of a beat is a testament to the coaching staff.
“We can take anyone from anywhere and put them in to the program and they feel right at home,” said Mace-Maynard, who put on 30 pounds in the offseason. “I’ve only known (Batawui) for eight months, but I feel like I’ve known him my entire life.”
Mace-Maynard, a 6-1, 255-pounder who starts at left guard, is one two 2025 starters who was sidelined with an injury last year.
Modlin, the 230-pound starting left tackle, was the other injured Cardinal. He realized how much he missed the game when he was sidelined last fall.
“It was terrible,” Modlin said. “I’m still injured some, but it makes you realize how great the game is.”
Modlin gave a ton of credit to Newton’s skill position players after the Cardinals’ win over Gilbert last week. He thinks they make his job easier.
Klein leads 4A with 39 total touchdowns this fall. He also ranks second with 2,469 total yards, seventh with a school-record 1,700 passing yards and fourth with a school-record 20 passing TDs.
Klein and junior tailback Isaiah Hansen rank 1-2 in 4A with 19 and 18 rushing touchdowns, respectively.
Nicholas Batawui
Hansen’s 1,271 rushing yards is fifth in 4A, while senior wide receiver Finn Martin leads the class with a school-record 1,078 receiving yards and a school-record 14 receiving TDs.
Newton has a 1,000 yard passer, rusher and receiver for the first time in school history, too.
“It’s awesome to be a part of it,” Ahn said. “They can make something out of nothing a lot, too. Even if we trip up a bit, they can make some pretty cool things happen with the ball in their hands.”
Batawui, who is the largest of the bunch at 270 pounds, said the transition from Sioux City West to Newton was made easier by the rest of the linemen and a coaching staff who has put a lot of value on being one big family.
“There’s really good leaders here,” Batawui said. “As soon as I got here, I started getting friend requests and was asked to hang out. They asked me to lift with them. I just felt connected, and that relationship in the offseason has helped us be cohesive during the season.”
Newton’s 4A semifinal matchup with Cedar Rapids Xavier is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. on Thursday inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
A key to keeping their no sacks allowed streak going against the Saints will be identifying blitzing linebackers.
“There’s lots of linebackers flying around,” Mace-Maynard said. “You have to have your eyes up, which we’ve done a good job with so far. I think we can get a good push on their defensive line, too.”
