The Iowa Zealots were founded out of Empigo Academy in Des Moines, Iowa, by Fig Newton in 2025. Working as a club sport founded through the private school, the Zealots have recruited students from Empigo Academy and throughout the state of Iowa. Purposefully recruiting no 18 year old students in their first season, allowing more time for developing the team, the Zealots also offer scholarships for many of their students to allow them to play football.
With developing younger players as a goal, the Zealots have a number of rising stars. These include Sophomore QB and receiver Jaka Newton from Des Moines Christian, as well as running back Eli Cosby, who’s signed with Simpson College. Chase Harden is a freshman who starts on the 18U team, going against older athletes and excelling, and Torrion Cotton, a student from Aimes who Coach Newton believes is an overlooked athlete.
Besides improving their football skills, the Iowa Zealots aim to use 7v7 as a platform for character development, learning business skills, and team bonding. Off the field the team works on learning marketing skills, setting up professional social media accounts, and watching film to learn from their past games. While traveling for tournaments, the team also makes educational field trips to places near tournament locations, helping to expose the players to things besides football to better their understanding of the world around them.
According to Coach Newton, the players are drawn to the communal aspect of the team, and enjoy being given opportunities outside of football while still getting to play the game they love. With such a young team, the Zealots had expected to experience “some bumps and bruises”, but a holistic approach allows them to “always win.”
After a rough start to the season, the Zealot’s got their first win in Topeka, and with it a boost to their confidence. Pushing themselves to shoot for the stars, the Zealots want to be the best 18U team in Iowa by record and performance. Analyzing their games and learning from mistakes, the team has rapidly improved. As Coach Newton put it, “We don’t compete against others, we compete against our own potential.”
For more information about the Iowa Zealots or to get into contact with them, check out their website and socials below:
Website: https://empigo.academy/
Instagram: Zealot_Athletics
Instagram: EmpigoAcademy