Nine-and-a-half months ago – on a sunny, 70-degree day with minimal wind – Urbandale soccer took the field at Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines.
One goal and a couple of hours later, the J-Hawks lifted the Iowa high school state championship trophy, claiming the boys soccer program’s first state title since 2002. Small pockets of celebration followed, including a community event four days after the title match and a spot in the city’s Fourth of July parade.
And then, the calendar flipped.
It’s late March: 50 degrees, which feels colder at night, and winds blowing at close to 20 miles per hour. Several athletes wear simple gray T-shirts with ‘Urbandale’ across the chest; some shirts are hidden beneath long-sleeve tops and sweatshirts.
Players laugh and joke and talk through the movements, with each sound interrupted by the radio play-by-play of the Iowa-Nebraska basketball game bleeding through a large duffel bag-sized speaker on wheels parked in the middle of the field.
With each drill, with each instruction, it’s easy to see that this is a connected group – one that hopes to carry last season’s success into this year’s campaign.
“It just seemed like a whirlwind,” head coach John Mullins said. “We were just so focused on the process. We worked hard at practice, we tried to make sure the guys stuck to the game plan…and all of a sudden we’re in the state tournament.
“I still pinch myself sometimes; it’s hard to believe we did that. But then you have to move on because, well, we’ve got to do it again next year.”
On paper, Urbandale wasn’t a state title favorite at the start of last season.
The J-Hawks graduated nearly a dozen seniors in 2024, and the program hadn’t been to the state tournament since 2022. Sophomores and juniors rounded out most of last year’s starting lineup, and it was a true team effort – with no individual athlete scoring more than four goals.
Urbandale opened the season with a draw against Des Moines Hoover – which was later converted to a win after the Huskies forfeited all wins due to an ineligible player. But then, things started to click.
The J-Hawks put the pieces together on the field, and Urbandale ended the season on an eight-game winning streak that led them all the way to a state title. With all but six players returning from last season’s squad, it’s easy to see why expectations are high within the program heading into 2026.
“We started off the season a little rough,” said junior defender Aaden Troja. “But after that, everything started ramping up, and then as we got to the end of the season, (we) went on a… winning streak. It started the momentum, and now we’re staying with it.”
Winning games is always the goal, and the J-Hawks proved that they could hang with the best of the best last season. But there’s a reason why the team was able to take home the title, and it started with off-the-field connections.
“We’ve just been pushing each other,” said senior forward Timmy Dang. “We love each other like brothers; we’re going to fight for each other no matter what. Every single one of us knows we’ve got each other’s back, and that makes us want to fight for this team and fight for our community.”
And that’s what sets Urbandale apart from some of its opponents.
When he took over as head coach two seasons ago, Mullins wanted to instill standards across the program that would benefit the J-Hawks not just on the field but in life, as well. He wanted to teach his players things like grit, selflessness and support that, sure, would benefit them in games but would also assist them in the real world.
So, those lessons come to life in moments that don’t end up on a score sheet.
It’s offering a high five to a teammate who made a huge 60-yard run, even if it didn’t result in a score. It’s going through warmups with a positive attitude. It’s volunteering for the youth clinics, where Urbandale players get to interact with possible future J-Hawk players.
At the end of the day, soccer is a game and Mullins knows there will be life after the sport for his players.
“I, as a coach, believe that our job is to try to help these guys become better humans,” Mullins said. “We created these standards to try to raise who they are as people, and it’s going to make them better teammates. But at the end of the day, we want them to be better sons and eventually better husbands, fathers, employees and people of our community.”
The J-Hawks will kick off the season with a game against Des Moines East on Monday, March 30.
This season’s squad – filled with several players who helped Urbandale to a state title – hopes to pull off a repeat, but 16 games stand between the J-Hawks and the state playoffs. If Mullins’ team focuses on the process – which is what worked last year – Urbandale could experience similar success.
But even if the season doesn’t end with the J-Hawks hoisting the championship trophy, it will be a win if the players take those lessons learned on the field into real life.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Urbandale boys soccer looks to carry on-field success into life off the field
Reporting by Alyssa Hertel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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