Cole Filloon is enjoying a breakout season with Southeast Polk. He’s received some help from his dad, Jon, who played for Iowa under Hayden Fry.<\/b>
\nPLEASANT HILL \u2014 Cole Filloon\u2019s dad, Jon, played receiver for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1988-91, so of course Cole is going to ask him about the finer points of being a receiver when he has questions. Lately, the two have talked a lot about &mldr; blocking. Really. \u201cJust to help take my game to the next level,\u201d says Cole Filloon, a senior receiver for Southeast Polk. \u201cAfter every game, he\u2019s got something else to teach me.\u201d Look no further than Week 2, in the Rams\u2019 40-21 win over West Des Moines Valley. Filloon had five catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns that night \u2014 a 61-yarder where he flashed his all-state track speed after the catch, and a 30-yarder where he used his 6-foot,200-pound frame to hold off the defender in the back of the end zone. But the play Filloon thinks of first was actually a block that sprung Titus Christiansen\u2019s 55-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter. He included it in his Hudl cutup after the game \u2014 which dad thought was pretty cool. \u201cHe\u2019s having fun, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Jon Filloon says. \u201cI\u2019m happy to see he\u2019s getting the chance. It\u2019s been fun to watch him.\u201d That was the breakout week in what\u2019s become a breakout season for Cole Filloon. He currently leads all 5A receivers with eight touchdown receptions after six weeks. His 457 receiving yards are the third-most in 5A, and his 19.9 yards-per-catch rate is fourth. He is a big reason why the Rams are 5-1 and ranked third in the Register\u2019s latest Class 5A poll, behind only unbeaten Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Iowa City High. Filloon has always felt like he\u2019s had something of a receiving cheat code at home in Jon. If he ever has questions about the position or is seeking advice on the nuances of receiving, Jon normally knows the answer. \u201cHe\u2019s played at a high-level and knows the ins and outs of the position,\u201d Cole Filloon says. \u201cIt\u2019s been a blessing. What else can I ask for? I\u2019ve got a receiver with some high-level experience at home. He taught me everything I know.\u201d Jon Filloon was an all-state receiver for Manson in 1986, then turned a walk-on opportunity with the Hawkeyes into playing time in 38 career games. Older Iowa fans might remember his 7-catch,107-yard performance against BYU in the 1991 Holiday Bowl. Jon joined the Iowa program during Fry\u2019s heyday. Between 1981-91, Iowa went 91-38-5, posted a winning record 10 out of those 11 years, and won at least eight games nine times. They earned three trips to the Rose Bowl, three more to the Holiday Bowl, two to the Peach Bowl, and also played in the Gator Bowl and Freedom Bowl. In 1988, Fry had Bill Snyder as his offensive coordinator. Snyder went on to two separate successful head-coaching tenures at Kansas State, but while in Iowa City, Jon Filloon took his word as gospel. \u201cWe sat in film sessions five days a week, and there were times when Snyder would rewind 60-70 times,\u201d Jon Filloon says. \u201cLiterally every film session, he dissected every play. If you weren\u2019t hustling or he saw you standing around, you weren\u2019t going to be on the field. \u201cThat was key for me \u2014 hustle to get across that guy\u2019s number if you\u2019re a backside block, or sustaining a block for a wide run coming your way. You just had to stay with him.\u201d Jon Filloon finished with 79 receptions for 1,150 yards and three touchdowns. He was never the star, playing alongside various All-Big Ten and All-American players as well as 19 NFL draft picks during his Iowa career, but he played his role and was an invaluable part of those Hawkeye teams. All these years later, Cole Filloon is playing a similar role with the Rams. This year\u2019s Southeast Polk team is highlighted by its recruiting stars. Quarterback Jaxon Dailey is a three-star prospect who\u2019s committed to Arkansas State. Xavier Nwankpa is a national must-have safety who’s considering Ohio State, Iowa and Notre Dame. Kadyn Proctor is a five-star lineman who is considered a top-10 overall recruit nationally in the 2023 class. And there\u2019s also Filloon, the ultra-productive receiver who\u2019s starting to get his own recruiting love. He\u2019s heard from Iowa, Northern Iowa and Iowa State, among others. He\u2019s caught multiple touchdowns in three games this season. The Rams have averaged 29 points per game against the toughest schedule among all 5A teams this season. «He\u2019s just playing with a lot more confidence,» Southeast Polk coach Brad Zelenovich says. «He was in the mix last year, but he\u2019s really elevated his game. He\u2019s always been athletic. He\u2019s got elite high school track speed. He\u2019s a big body with great hands. «It\u2019s going to be a team deal to win (a state championship). It\u2019ll take everybody. We\u2019ve told them that. No matter what your role is, you have to come ready to play.» Cole Filloon is hearing those words both at practice and at home. Jon has been in Cole\u2019s ear about the importance of his role, both as a receiver and a teammate. That\u2019s why Cole immediately mentions blocking when asked about the biggest lesson his dad has taught him, and why he includes it on his highlight reels each week. \u201cHe\u2019ll have five or six catches, and that\u2019s a great night, but all the rest of the plays, he can still make a huge difference,\u201d Jon Filloon says. \u201cBlocking is key. That\u2019s what I remember from my time at Iowa. Shoot, blocking is 90% of the game.\u201d Jon Filloon has enjoyed watching Cole this fall and the recruiting attention that\u2019s come with his success. He was especially excited for Cole\u2019s gameday visit to Iowa last month. He laughs at how fast this is all coming. There\u2019s a funny story here, he says. Cole actually didn\u2019t start seriously playing football until sixth grade. He tried it in third grade, but not in fourth or fifth grade. He pursued basketball and track instead. That was a little strange at first, Jon says, but he supported his decision. Then in middle school, Cole\u2019s football buddies convinced him to try again, and when Jon dropped him off at practice, he immediately saw why. \u201cIn sixth grade, you\u2019re able to throw the ball a little bit at that age, and that really caught his attention,\u201d Jon says with a smile. \u201cHe was able to catch and run and have some fun. \u201cThat was it. He\u2019s been hooked ever since.\u201d Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.<\/p>\n