For Brady Pope, seeing the Iowa Central offense clicking on all cylinders was a welcome sight ahead of a key three-game stretch on the horizon.
The Tritons step back into ICCAC play this Saturday, taking to the road for the first time to play Ellsworth in Iowa Falls. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Iowa Central, ranked ninth after a 41-7 victory over the Grand View JV, is 2-1 overall and 0-1 in conference after a tough loss to Iowa Western.
"It felt good to win last week and to be able to get the offense rolling again," Pope said, "especially because our next three games are big."
Along with meeting the Panthers for the first time, the Tritons will travel to Council Bluffs on April 24 for a rematch with the Reivers. They have a week off before welcoming Snow to Dodger Stadium on May 8.
Pope, a transfer from Charlotte, has completed 37 of 69 passes for 376 yards with four touchdowns. He also has 48 yards rushing and a score.
In the win over Grand View, Pope hit 62 percent of his passes for 110 yards with two scores. He has a touchdown in every game this season while sharing duties with Byron Jarrett under center.
A native of Stateville, North Carolina, Pope was a standout at South Iredell High School, leaving as the Iredell County all-time passing leader with 10,624 yards and 112 touchdowns. Those numbers rank in the Top-10 all-time in NCHSAA history.
"Coming from North Carolina, it was definitely an adjustment, but since Iowa Central is a great place to be, everyone here has made the adjustment easier," Pope said. "Coach (Mitch) Buhler and our coaches have really pushed me to be consistent each and every day as a quarterback and as a leader."
Pope comes from a family of athletes, as his dad, Robbie, played baseball at Catawba College. His brother, Brett, played baseball at Western Carolina and in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
"Throughout my career, I have had a lot of influences," Pope said. "But I would say my dad has had the biggest influence on me because he has pushed me to be the best me I can be from day one."
-By Dana Becker