The No. 2 ranked Iowa Western Community College football team is set to appear in its fifth consecutive national championship game on Wednesday night, while honoring head coach Scott Strohmeier’s late daughter, Emily.
Emily unexpectedly passed away in May at the age of 22 at home, 10 days before she was set to receive a kidney transplant. Emily was born with down syndrome and faced medical hardships throughout her life, but her father Scott said she would never complain.
The team and staff members surprised Coach with purple “EM” decals to wear on their helmets throughout the season.
“What I told the team is that things aren’t always going to go your way… We’re injured, we’re in pain,” Scott said. “That sticker symbolizes someone who never complained about that stuff.”
Scott says Emily was the Reivers’ biggest fan and when she couldn’t attend games, she’d watch the team from home. Scott holds onto a fond memory after a certain away game she couldn’t go to.
“After the game, she kept going up to the TV trying to rewind it, to see if the outcome would change because we got beat,” Strohmeier told Hurrdat Sports. “That was her life too … Dad was coaching the entire time and she grew up around football.”
Now, the team is looking to win a title in Emily’s memory against No. 1 Hutchinson Community College on Wednesday night.
“I think just from all the things we went through, to focus on the season and obviously to do so in a way to honor that, it would be really meaningful,” Strohmeier said. “They’re all important, but this one would mean something a little bit more.”
Iowa Western holds an 11-1 record with its only blemish coming against its championship opponent. The Reivers fell to Hutchinson at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson, Kansas, on Sept. 13 in a 30-27 thriller.
Now, the rematch takes place at a neutral site in Canyon, Texas, with a trophy on the line this time.
“As a coach, you want to be in games like this because schematically it’s kind of a chess match the second time you’re playing them,” Strohmeier said. “I think we’re prepared and I’m sure they’re going to be prepared too.”
The Reivers enter the game averaging 40.9 points per game while heavily relying on the pass game with sophomore quarterback Malachi Marshall.
This season, Marshall is completing 64% of his passes with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Defensively, the Reivers are giving up 13 points per game and own 65 sacks on the year, which is a school record. That side of the ball is led by sophomore defensive lineman Blake Hawkins who has racked up 21.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles.
“We’re playing at an extremely high level defensively, and I think the confidence from our d-line has always been the staple,” Strohmeier said.
Hutchinson owns an 11-0 record, averaging 42.5 points. On defense, it’s giving up 9.1 points per game, 212.5 yards per game, while forcing 36 turnovers and 50 sacks.
With two defensive-minded teams battling it out, Strohmeier has one message for his team.
“You never can get complacent if you’re up or down,” Strohmeier said. “Coaches say it all the time, but in games like this you have to focus on the next play regardless of the outcome on the previous play.”
As for the players, they’re keeping in mind what it would mean to win a national title in Emily’s memory.
“It would mean a lot, definitely just for Coach Strohmeier and how much he went through this season,” Marshall said. “So we’re just playing for him.”
Iowa Western travels to Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium to face Hutchinson on Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
