Surrounded by his parents, Renee and Bob, Dalton Lape signs his national Letter of Intent to play football at Upper Iowa University. Both Bob and Renee are UIU alums. Afterwards Bob, who is the head football coach for North Fayette Valley said, “It’s a great moment anytime you can get a kid into a DII level program, but when it’s your son and your alma mater its very special, and I’m very proud. Lape quickly added, “But it was his decision. He has to live there, he has to play with the guys, so it’s his decision where he wants to play.” (Jerry Wadian photo)

By Jerry Wadian
Sports Editor
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

Wednesday, Feb. 5, North Fayette Valley All-State tackle Dalton Lape signed a national Letter of Intent to play football for Upper Iowa University.

Also signing a Letter of Intent was Jordan Wymer, a defensive back from Solon who is Wymer is the grandson of former North Fayette football head coach Ron Wymer. Both athletes will probably redshirt their freshman year.

Defensive coordinator Erv Otten said of Lape,  “Like almost all freshmen linemen he needs to grow and develop, but we look upon him as a solid inside player who can get low and plug some holes.”

Lape is expected to be a defensive lineman for the Peacocks who chose UIU, because “I wanted to play at the highest possible level of competition and DII allows me to do that.”

Lape chose football over wrestling, where he is the school’s all-time leader in pins, because, “I love both sports, but I’ve always been more comfortable playing football.”

Lape will be following his father, Bob’s, footsteps. Bob, the head coach of the North Fayette Valley football team, was an O-linemen for UIU from 1985-1990, and the team captain his senior year.

Dalton will be a fourth generation Peacock. Beside Bob and his mother Renee (class of 92), his grandfather Fred Chapman (class of 1970) and great grandmother Leona Wendland Chapman (class of 1931) are UIU alums.

Wymer of Solon also signed to play for Upper Iowa. Otten stated, “He has good speed. We will probably play him at safety, but he can also return kickoffs and punts, so he could help us a number of different ways.

Wymer and Lape are two of the 34 new Peacocks who signed Letters of Intent this week.

Of the 34 recruits, there are six offensive linemen, five linebackers, five defensive linemen, five wide receivers, four defensive backs, three quarterbacks, two running backs, two kickers and a pair of athletes. Fourteen of the signees are from Iowa, while eighteen others hail from four neighboring states (nine from Wisconsin, four from Minnesota, four from Illinois, and one from Nebraska). The final two commitments come from California and New Jersey.

The only other UIC player to sign with Upper Iowa is Clayton Ridge linebacker Dylan Preston.