The 2025 football season for the North Butler Bearcats was highlighted by a playoff berth and four wins, including three victories over district foes South Winneshiek, Starmont and Postville.
The Bearcats opened the season with senior Brody Wangsness quarterbacking the offense before he was sidelined due to injury after Week 4. In Week 5, the Bearcats turned the offensive reins over to sophomore Wade Wangsness. Both finished the season with just under 400 yards passing.
On the ground, the Bearcats ran the ball by committee and collected more than 1,500 yards. Junior Tucker Pecha paced the running game with 661 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior Jack Bartels and sophomore Evan McCormick also had strong seasons, providing the Bearcats with five rushing touchdowns. Sophomore Bryce Schroeder led the offense in receiving touchdowns with three.
Defensively, the Bearcats were led by junior Peyton Knoll, who had 67 tackles, 45 of them solo. Sophomore Jarrett Shear led the team with seven tackles for loss and finished in a three-way tie for most sacks with senior Dillon Eberline and junior Brecken Uhlenhopp.
Reflecting on the season, Head Coach Jordan Vanderloop was pleased with how the team handled adversity this year.
“We’re very proud of where the boys were at,” says Vanderloop. “It didn’t end how we wanted it to, but they overcame a lot of obstacles. They never gave up. They kept fighting through. And we’re just happy the progression that they made and watching some of them grow and step up into leadership roles.”
With the 2025 season in the books, Vanderloop says the offseason will be all about continued growth and versatility.
“We want them and encourage them to be in all kinds of activities, as much as they can,” says Vanderloop. “This offseason for football we need to make sure we’re getting back in the weight room, getting stronger, doing some speed and agility stuff so we can get agile and quicker, just becoming an overall athlete.”
The Bearcats will graduate eight seniors in the offseason but will return several experienced underclassmen for the 2026 campaign.
Full interview with Head Coach Jordan Vanderloop
