Grand View’s Joe Woodley is one win away from winning the title

The trophy case at Grand View is full of reminders of how close head coach Joe Woodley came to winning a national championship. It’s a reminder of how close he came to finishing the season perfectly and lifting a trophy. “You’re 14-0, and you lose a game, and that makes it 14-1,” Woodley said. “That doesn’t make you a bad team.”Woodley has accomplished a lot in his six seasons as head coach of the football program. He was named North Division Conference Head Coach of the Year in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023 and has not lost a single regular season game as a head coach. The one thing that has eluded him during his tenure: a national championship. Grand View has a chance to win one on December 21st when they face Keizer. It will be the program’s first title since 2013, when the team was led by Joe’s father, Mike Woodley. “I want him to win this because I know how important it is,” Mike said. Joe was on his father’s staff and served as the defensive coordinator for that team. He knows the feeling of winning a title. But now he finally wants to make it as head of the program. “I try not to think about how the game is going to end,” Joe said. “But it’s hard not to.” If the Vikings win on Saturday, it could cement Joe’s legacy as one of the all-time great coaches in Grand View history. And no one would be more pleased with his achievement than Mike. “I would be the happiest person in the world.” Download the free KCCI app for updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest headlines from KCCI