CEDAR FALLS — Defense did the job for Kuemper Catholic in the Class 2A state football championship game.
The No. 1 Knights held No. 10 Van Meter to 188 yards and they forced four turnovers to roll to a 28-7 victory at the UNI-Dome on Nov. 21.
Kuemper Catholic’s Brayton Alford (1) high fives members of the Knights’ student section after defeating the Van Meter Bulldogs Nov. 21, 2025 in the Class 2A high school state football championship at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa."It's what you dream of and work for all the time" said Kuemper Catholic running back Jarin Hoffman. "It's a dream come true, and no better way to help our seniors out and end it like this."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKuemper Catholic had to hold off a feisty Van Meter comeback attempt as the Bulldogs scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. But it was not enough for the Bulldogs, who were competing in their fourth state championship game in five years.
An interception led to Kuemper Catholic's first touchdown and the Knights also took advantage of a Van Meter fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half.
Brayton Alford intercepted Van Meter quarterback Henry Lounsbury at the Bulldog 21 that led to a 14-yard Brock Badding touchdown pass to Charles Mayhill for the first Knight touchdown. They went up 14-0 after Jarin Hoffman capped a 67-yard scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.
The Knights put the game away after Van Meter fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half at midfield. Badding scored on a 1-yard run at the 10:27 mark of the third quarter to complete the 8-play scoring drive.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJarin Hoffman broke free on a 52-yard run to set up his own 1-yard touchdown run with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter to sew up the championship for the Knights.
Van Meter's touchdown came when Lounsbury hooked up with Andon Watson on a 50-yard touchdown pass with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter. Kuemper Catholic's fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave Van Meter life, but the Knight defense struck one more time as Theodore Perkins picked off Lounsbury to set up the final touchdown.
Kuemper Catholic prevailed behind a balanced offense. Badding completed 17 of 30 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown with one interception, and he added one score on the ground. But Hoffman was the star on that side of the ball for the Knights, rushing for 156 yards and two scores on 28 carries.
Braxton Vonnahme was the top receiver for Kuemper Catholic with seven catches for 48 yards.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDefensive lineman Lucas Diehl had 11 tackles and two sacks to lead Kuemper Catholic's dominant defensive effort. Brayton Alford had 10 tackles and an interception and Jack Badding two sacks for the Knights.
"Our defense played great, and our offense was able to exceed off most of the turnovers," Hoffman said. "They came up big and gave us so much momentum. The defense played their butts off."
The victory capped a perfect 13-0 season, and it gave the Knights their second state championship in school history. Kuemper Catholic won its first state title in 2013.
Van Meter ended its season at 11-2. The Bulldogs were playing in their fourth state championship game in five years.
Van Meter’s Henry Lounsbury (13) hands the ball to Christian Williams (34) Nov. 21, 2025 during the Class 2A high school state football championship against the Kuemper Catholic Knights at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa."It was really special," said Lounsbury. "We didn't expect it to happen after Week 4 and we came back, battled adversity and fought our way back here."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLounsbury had 131 yards passing and 48 rushing for the Bulldogs. Watson made four catches for 70 yards and Christian Williams ran for 19 yards and he had five catches for 35 yards.
Tate Doggett led Van Meter defensively with 17 tackles and one forced fumble.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Kuemper Catholic claims 2A football title with win over Van Meter
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