Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, September 24, 2015, Page 10

Members of the Mount Ayr Community Raider Football team for 2015 include:

Front Row, L-R - Jacob Hoveland, Eian Adams, Hunter Campbell, Gavin Dine, Hunter Arends, Nathan Hauge, Tucker Darrah, Lucas Wurster, Andrew Belzer and Brayden Swank.

Second Row - Trevor Anderson, Russell Holmes, Myles Greene, Bradley Phelps, Cole Paxson, John Young, Logan Stark, Devin Russo and Drew Willis.

Third Row - Zane Powell, Cauy Bickel, Coach Daniel Leonard, Coach Brad Elliott, Coach Derek Lambert, Coach Delwyn Showalter, Coach James Smith, Coach Nathan Weeda, Mason Smith and Trevor Henry.

Fourth Row - John Shields, Cal Daughton, Clay Wimer, Marcus Daughton, Trenton Stull, Dylan McAlexander, Lew Knapp, Zach Murphy, Trenton Stewart and Hunter Haveman.

Fifth Row - Josh Cox, Lincoln Lutrick, Rhett Murphy, Cade Clymer, Bradley Wurster, Wyatt Jackson, Jay Blair, Nick Wurster, Caleb Schnnor, Jacob Tayler.

Back Row - Jed McCreary, Justin Wehling, Trevor Gooding, Kyle Dolecheck, Hunter WIlson, Tristan Holmes, Mitchell Lutrick, Ty Taylor, Noah Shelman and Jacob McCreary.

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2015

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, September 24, 2015, Page 10

It was a banner week for Mount Ayr athletics. On Friday the Raider football team claimed its second consecutive district championship with a victory over previously undefeated Pleasantville. It was the Raider's seventh championship since district football started in 1991, and only the second time that Mount Ayr has won consecutive championships.

(Last Tuesday the Raiderette volleyball team captured the Pride of Iowa tournament championship, their first crown since 1996. The Mount Ayr cross country teams hosted their annual Ron Lanphair Invitational, their only home meet of the season.)

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2015

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 05, 2015, Page 1

Mount Ayr defeated Colfax-Mingo [42-20] Monday evening to advance to the quarterfinals of the state football playoffs. Advanced tickets for the Raiders quarter-final playoff football game Friday night in Mount Ayr are on sale now in the superintendent's office.

The Raiders will host Lynnville-Sully at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the semi-finals in the UNI-Dome Friday, November 13.

Tickets are required for everyone kindergarten-age and above. All tickets at $6.

Playoff and district championship shirts are also still available in all sized, long and short sleeve.

The Bill and Suzie Schaefer family got into the spirit as this hay bale uges the team on.

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2015

  Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 12, 2015, Pages 1, 4, 6, 7, 13 & 14

Last Friday night the Mount Ayr Raiders hosted the quarterfinal playoff round, and last home game against the Lynnville-Sully Hawks. After the final gun had sounded, the Raiders had defeated the Hawks, 34-15, to advance to the Class A state football playoff semi-finals for the second year in a row.

The Raiders will face Akron-Westfield at 1:06 p.m. Friday, November 13 in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The winner will advance to the championship game Thursday, November 19 against the winner of the Denver - Gladbrook-Reinbeck semi-final game.

The 2015 season is the 175th consecutive season of five or more wins for the Mount Ayr football. The Raiders have finished with a record of .500 or better in 32 of the last 36 years.

The Raiders have won 75 of their last 92 regular season games.

Friday's semi-final game is the second consecutive season the Mount Ayr team has played in the state semi-finals.

In their first-ever trip to the quarter-finals and their first game ever played in the Dome last year, the Raiders fell to eventual champion Logan-Magnolia, 28-7.

This is the 15th season that Mount Ayr has qualified for the state playoffs. It is also the eighth consecutive year of post-season play for the Raiders, which extends their record streak. Mount Ayr has appeared in the playoffs each year since the format was expanded in 2008.

Mount Ayr has an overall post-season record of 10-14.

The 2013 victory at Panorama marked the first and the only time that the Raiders have ever won a road playoff game.

This season also marks the fourth time that Mount Ayr has played in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. In their previous appearances, the Raiders lost to St. Albert, Council Bluffs in 2006, and 2012 (both games played at St. Albert), they defeated Earlhgam in 2014 (at Raider Stadium), and last week they defeated Lynnville-Sully, 34-15.

Thirteen of the Raiders' post-season appearances were in the Class 1-A. Dave Still led 1-A playoff teams in 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1996. Under co-coach Delwyn Showalter and Derek Lambert, the Raiders qualified for the 1-A playoffs in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; and the Class A playoffs in 2014 and 2015.

Mount Ayr's first round games in 1996, 2005, 2006 and 2015, second round games in 2012 and 2013; and the quarterfinal games in 2014 were all re-matches of regular season contests.

Besides the players, coaches and managers, four other Raider fans will be on the side lines at the UNI-Dome Friday afternoon.

The Mount Ayr chain crew of Mick Still, Neil Weehler, Craig Winemiller and Brent Wurster has been selected to work the semi-final game between Mount Ayr and Akron-Westfield.

According to IHSAA procedures, the "away" team is responsible for providing the chain crew, and Mount Ayr will appear as the visitor on the scoreboard Friday.

The semi-final will mark Mick Still's last game on the chain crew. Mick is retiring after 32 years in order to watch his grandson play at Lenox.

Television coverage of the semi-final game can be found on KDMI, Channel 19.1, Channel 19 on Directv and Dish Network systems, and on Channel 20 on Medicacom systems.

Radio stations covering the game include KSIB in Creston, KSOI in Murray and KAAN in Bethany.

The game is also being streamed online at www.ihssn.com.

Pep Rally will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday in the high school gym. No school on Friday.

Photographs courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2015

  Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 12, 2015, Pages 1, 18

The streets of Mount Ayr were pretty much deserted Friday afternoon as the Raiders took on Akron-Westfield in the Class 1 state semifinals at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. A large contigent of Raider fans made the trek to the Dome while those who couldn't get away were glued to TV sets or listening on the radio. The Raiders lost a heartbreaker during the final seconds of the fourth quarter on a two-point conversion.

"I can't say enough about our seniors and the work ethic they have," said coach Derek Lambert. "These guys put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears over the summer. To come up here and see them perform the way they did was absolutely outstanding."

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2015

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 26, 2015, Page 11

Photographs courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2015