Ad Astra Radio will preview area high school football teams, based on county. Today, we preview the teams from Rush County.
Previous previews are listed below. Click on the county to see those previews.
Rush County high school football preview
La Crosse Leopards
Coach: Jon Webster, 18th season (112-63)
Classification: Eight-player Division 2
District 6
2025: 4-5
Postseason: Lost to Hill City 56-8
Top returning players: Marcus Thielenhaus, jr., RB; Hunter Hobbs, sr., RB; Eli Morgan, sr., OL/DL.
Key game: Sept. 25 vs. Ellis. The schedule after this gets brutal for La Crosse. The Leopards cannot afford to lose this one if they want to make the playoffs.
Outlook: La Crosse will be young this season, having graduated eight seniors that competed well against a brutal schedule. Things don’t get much easier this season, as La Crosse drops to Division 2, but its district includes the likes of state runner-up Victoria, Division 1 runner-up Sylvan-Lucas, and perennial power Little River. But the Leopards have some talent back, including Marcus Thielenhaus, who scored five touchdowns last season. Where the Leopards have questions is in the trenches, where Eli Morgan will provide the anchor.
Otis-Bison Cougars
Coach: Marc Cowles, third season, 24th overall (10-10, 114-111 overall)
Classification: Six player
District 2
2025: 4-6
Postseason: Beat MDCV 54-0; lost to Cunningham 46-0
Top returning players: Aiden Ochs-Lohrey, RB/LB; Marcus Starr, TE/DL; Travis Ross, DB; Maddox Firebaugh, QB
Key game: Oct. 23 at Pawnee Heights. While Tescott is the heavy district favorite, second place should be open for grabs. This game could very well decide second.
Outlook: Otis-Bison has been a steady program so far in its transition to six-man football. Marc Cowles said the players and program has grown to enjoy and understand the different style of football. This year, the class sizes are fairly even, which should allow the upperclassmen to get more playing time while the younger players can develop at a slower pace. The roster size is smaller, which is always a challenge for small schools, but there are some talented players, such as Maddox Firebaught and Aiden Ochs-Lohrey. The schedule has some interesting games, including a matchup the second week against a new six-man program, Palco. Tescott will be one of the state championship favorites, but once October hits, the schedule should allow Otis-Bison to build momentum going to the finale with Pawnee Heights.
