Prep standout has ties to Iola

Brendan Steele, who has starred on the football field and cross country fields for Hiawatha High School this fall, has Iola ties.
Steele lives in Hiawatha with his mother and stepfather, Angie and Stephen Gilpin. He is the grandson of Cindy Troxel and Jim and Karen Gilpin, Iola.
Steele has been one of the stalwarts for the Class 3A Bi-District champion Hiawatha Red Hawks, who won their playoff opener Tuesday at home, 25-8, over Riley County.
Steele rushed for more than 100 yards Tuesday with a touchdown, his fifth consecutive 100-yard game.
He has racked up more than 1,100 yards on the ground for the Red Hawks (7-3). Hiawatha’s three losses have been by a combined eight points against some of the toughest schools in the state, including a two-point loss to Holton, Kansas’ top ranked team in Class 4A.
Hiawatha will face another perennial power on Saturday in its regional playoff match, squaring off against 9-1 Silver Lake, ranked No. 4 in Class 3A.
Football tells only half of Steele’s story this fall.
He also ran on the state Red Hawk cross country team, earning All Big Seven honors by placing 14th in his league meet. He finished 54th individually at the state meet, helping Hiawatha finish fourth out of 12 teams.