On Campus: R-B grad Luke Eckardt finds groove with Iowa Western Community College

As the starting left tackle on Iowa Western Community College’s offensive line, Luke Eckardt is used to being on the move.

“We run a lot of gap scheme stuff, so you’ve got to be able to move,” said Eckardt, a Richmond-Burton graduate. “I’m able to use my hands and move my feet. Plus, I’ve got good arm length. Those pair well together.”

Moving is something Eckardt has done plenty of in his college career, especially off the field.

Eckardt spent one season at the University of Arizona out of high school, where he redshirted. When the coaching staff was fired, he was recruited again by former Arizona offensive line coach Kyle DeVan, who had moved on to Colorado.

Like dozens of other Colorado players, Eckardt departed after one season when new Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders’ staff brought in more than 50 players from the transfer portal.

At Iowa Western – a school he considered before choosing Colorado – Eckardt has found a home that is providing plenty of on-the-job training.

“I just needed the experience,” he said. “Since I got to college, I hadn’t actually played in a game. It helps to be able to get into a game and take what I learned in practice and apply it.”

Eckardt and the Reivers (10-0) have applied those lessons in an impressive fashion this fall. IWCC is the nation’s No. 2 team in this week’s NJCAA Division I poll, ranks sixth in rushing offense (199.3 yards a game) and 10th in passing offense (238.9).

“We run the ball very well. That leads to opening it up in the passing game,” the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Eckardt said. “We’re pretty physical, too.”

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Eckardt and IWCC will be part of a marquee matchup against No. 1 Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

“It’s the biggest game of the year for us,” he said. “It’s been very anticipated.”

Hutchinson (9-0) is the only other unbeaten team in NJCAA D-I. Last season, the two teams split a pair of games, with Iowa Western winning the second meeting 31-0 in the national title game.

“I think we can get to the national championship,” Eckardt said.

Soon after the NJCAA playoffs end, Eckardt expects to be on the move again. He will graduate from Iowa Western in December and plans to transfer to a new program to begin classes in January and play spring football.

So far, he has offers from schools on both NCAA Division I levels – FBS Coastal Carolina, Utah State, Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech and FCS Eastern Kentucky. Because of his previous moves, Eckardt knows just what he’s looking for and who to ask about potential schools.

“I’m looking for a family atmosphere,” he said. “It really just comes down to asking the players because they’re the ones who know day to day.”

Top 10 at Calvin: The Calvin University men’s basketball program, which features senior forward Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley) among four returning starters, was ranked No. 10 in the preseason D3Hoops.com national poll Oct. 31.

Egekeze earned third-team all-region honors last season from D3Hoops after posting career highs in scoring (14 points a game), rebounding (5.6) and 41% shooting from 3-point range.

Egekeze, who also had a career-best 59 steals last season, was named first-team All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Calvin opens the season Saturday against Denison.

OVC’s best at Eastern: Dundee-Crown grad Adam Swanson and Crystal Lake South’s Mackenzie Aldridge were the top finishers Oct. 28 for Eastern Illinois, leading the Panthers’ men’s and women’s cross country teams to Ohio Valley Conference team titles.

Swanson, who earned OVC Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year, won the 8-kilometer race in 23 minutes, 33.57 seconds to help EIU win its fourth consecutive men’s team championship.

Eastern’s women’s team won its second title in a row, thanks to Aldridge’s 6K time of 21:11.85, which was good for second place.

Coe cracks rankings: Senior offensive lineman Nicholas Mattran (Prairie Ridge) has helped the Coe College football team crack the D3Football.com national rankings for the first time since 2016 this fall.

The Kohawks (8-1) landed at No. 24 after beating Luther College 64-2 on Oct. 28. After last weekend’s 23-20 overtime win against Dubuque, Coe remained in the rankings at No. 25.

Mattran, who plays right guard, has started every game this season. The offense has been a highlight for Coe, averaging 40.3 points and 464 yards per game. The Kohawks are in second place in the American Rivers Conference behind No. 3 Wartburg (10-0), which is the only team to defeat Coe.

• Barry Bottino writes about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.