While at Colo-Nesco, Joe Brannen participated in football, baseball and basketball. Joe was named all-conference in both basketball and 'baseball. In football, Joe was a three-year "starter, starting 27 consecutive games, was a team captain and was named first team all-distnct.
While at Coe College m Cedar Rapids, Joe was a three-year starting quarterback, starting 32 consecutive games. In his time at Coe, Joe helped Coe College win the Iowa Conference Championship two times. His sophomore year, Joe (along with NFL running back Fred Jackson) led Coe to its first NCAA playoff win in school history. He was twice named the first team All-Iowa Conference quarterback, twice named to the NCAA Midwest Region team and selected as the Iowa Conference Most Valuable Player in 2005.
After finishing his playing career at Coe College, he sat at the top of the record books as Coe's leader in career passing yards and completions and also in the top three in TD passes m a career and completion percentage; all records that have since been broken. Joe is currently in the top five in each major passing category at Coe College in career, single season and single game records.
He was selected to represent the USA in the Aztec Bowl, a game that puts the top 44 Division 3 football players against the Mexican National team in Cancun, Mexico. In 2004, Joe was named the Coe College Most Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. In 2006 Joe was offered a contract to play professional football in Europe. He joined the Eidsvoll 1814's in Norway. In his lone season in Europe, Joe led Eidsvoll to a 12-1 season. He threw for 33 touchdowns and rushed for 13, all while only throwing three interceptions in over 450 pass attempts. Eidsvoll won the Norwegian National Championship and Joe was named the National Championship Player of the Game and was also named the Norwegian Offensive Player of the Year.
After winning their league championship, the 1814's were invited to play in the European Federation of American Football Cup (EFAF Cup), pitting the top teams from all over Europe in a championship playoff. The 1814's made their first berth in franchise history in the EFAF Championship, falling to the Graz Giants from Austria. Although losing the championship game, it was the first time a team from Norway finished with a top-five ranking in Europe, with Eidsvoll finishing ranked number two in all of Europe. While playing in Eidsvoll, Joe was also the head coach of Eidsvoll's high school club team. In four years of existence, the youth team had not won a game. Under Joe's tutelage, they finished with an 8-2 record before falling in the youth national championship game.
Upon completion of his athletic eligibility, Joe was asked to join the Coe College coaching staff as the quarterback coach. Coe went on to win the Iowa Conference Championship again that season, with its quarterback being named first team All-Conference. In 2008, Joe was offered a contract to play for the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL. Joe spent three seasons with the organization. After falling to an 0-2 start, the Barnstormers inserted Joe into the starting lineup and won their next three games. As a rookie, Joe started 14 games for the Barnstormers, throwing for over 3,500 yards, 56 passing TD's, and also rushed for 14 TD's. That season was highlighted by two wins where Joe threw for eight and nine touchdowns respectively.
In 2011, Joe accepted an opportunity to play arena football in Abilene, Texas for the Abilene Ruff Riders. In the first game of the season, an 88-27 win for the Ruff Riders, Joe accounted for eight touchdowns and was named League Player of the Week. In the following week, Joe suffered a season and ultimately career-ending injury.
After the team slid to last place Joe was offered the head coaching position on an interim basis. The following year, in 2012, Joe was named the head coach of the Abilene Ruff Riders. In his first full season as head coach, Joe led the organization to more wins in the 2012 season than it had in the previous three seasons and narrowly missed making the playoffs for the first time since 2007 by a last second field goal in the last game of the regular season.
After the 2012 season, the Abilene Ruff Riders re-branded and are now known as the Abilene Bombers and play in the Lone Star Football League (LSFL). The Bombers rewarded Joe with a two-year contract extension, keeping him in Abilene through the 2014 season. Joe is currently living in Abilene and is building his roster for the 2013 season, which kicks off training 'camp in early March.
Inducted in 2013
Andrew Gogerty is a 1993 graduate of Colo-Nesco and a native of Zeanng. At Colo-Nesco, he was a member of the National Honor Society and lettered in band, chorus, jazz band, swing choir, student council and basketball. Andrew was a freshman participant on the 1990 Colo-Nesco Class A State Championship basketball team. He was also an active participant in the Zearing community, working as a bank teller during the summers of 1991-1996 at Security State Bank. Andrew was presented with the "Citizenship Award" by the Zearing Auxiliary Committee in 1993.
Upon graduation, Andrew attended Iowa State University, where he was honored at the end of his freshman year for finishing in the top 2 percent of the Iowa State University freshman class.
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business (marketing) in 1997 and has been employed by the Sherwin-Williams Company as a manager and sales rep for the last 15 years. In 2009, Andrew authored the book "Royal Reign," a 170-page inspirational true story that documents the successes of the NESCO and Colo-Nesco basketball programs during the 1980s and 1990s. The book also documents the merger of the Colo and NESCO school systems and the courageous story of Brian Wildeboer. the All-Stater who battled cancer his senior season, the same year the Royals won the state title.
Andrew resides in Huxley with his wife Jennifer, and three children: Sawyer, 13, Logan, 10, and Amelia, 7.
Inducted in 2013
Mindi (Harrison) Heitland is a 1994 graduate of Colo-Nesco and a native of Zearing. While in high school, Mindi was involved in the National Honor Society, band and speech, and she was senior class president.
In softball, Mindi earned three varsity letters. As a pitcher, Mindi set the school record for most wins in a season (30), best winning percentage (83 percent) and tied the record for strikeouts. Mindi threw two perfect games and five no-hitters, and hit an average of .340 during her career. Mindi was honored sis an" all-conference player in softball, twice being named first-team all-conference and once a second-team all-conference selection. In addition to the all-conference honors, Mindi was also named All-Mid- Iowa, All-District and All-State for the Royals.
In basketball, Mindi was a captain and three-year letter winner. She was named first and second-team all-conference, as well as being selected to All-Mid-Iowa and Honorable Mention All-State teams. Mindi was also a two-year letter winner in volleyball and a three-year letter winner in track and field. She was honored as a second-team all-conference and honorable mention All-Mid Iowa selection in volleyball.
After graduation, Mindi attended Coe College, where she received a bachelor's degree in business administration. At Coe. Mindi was a four-year member of the Softball team as a pitcher and infielder. She was a three-year letter winner for the Kohawks, earning first-team all-conference honors her senior season. Mindi was also a member of the Coe basketball team as a two-year letter winner. Mindi received her master's degree from Drake University and is currently the School-to-Work coordinator at Waukee High School, as well as an adjunct instructor for AIB. She resides in Waukee with her husband, Brent, and two children: Mack, 4, and Turner, 1.
Inducted in 2013
The Colo-NESCO Booster Club held its 4th annual Hall of Pride night after the varsity boys' basketball game Saturday, Jan. 12. To be inducted into the Hall of Pride, each candidate must have achieved tremendous personal accomplishments through their years in high school and on into their professional lives. Colo-NESCO graduates who were inducted this year are (from left) Mindy (Harrison) Heitland, (class of 1994); Andrew Gogerty, (class of 1993); and accepting the award for Joe Brannen (class of 2001) were his parents, Lesli and Mike Brannen.