With just two weeks left in the regular season, the Norwalk football team likely needs at least one more win to qualify for the 2023 playoffs. The Warriors can take a big step toward making that happen tonight when they host Lewis Central at 7:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live on kniakrls.com (KNIA3), with pregame coverage starting at 6:30.
The visiting Titans, who won the Class 4A state title in 2021 and finished as last year’s runner-up, are 5-2 overall and 3-0 in District 6 following last week’s 42-6 win over Winterset. LC is ranked third by BCMoore and boasts the No. 3 RPI in Class 4A.
Norwalk, which routed Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 62-6 last Friday, stands 5-2 overall and 2-1 in District 6 – part of a three-way tie for second with Glenwood and DC-G. The Warriors are ranked 12th by BCMoore and are positioned well in the RPI at No. 7.
Norwalk coach Paul Patterson tells KNIA that slowing down Lewis Central’s powerful rushing attack is a necessity in order to hang with the Titans for four quarters. Junior Brody Patlan leads LC with 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. The offensive line is anchored by 6’6” 295-pound left tackle Garret Rutledge.
“They do a fantastic job of setting their formation, shifting to see how you adjust to that, and then they’re going to run power,” Patterson said. “They just try to hammer away with you because they’re big up front. They pass the eye test when they’re getting off the bus.”
LC quarterback Brady Hetzel has passed for 1,426 yards and 15 touchdowns and veteran receiver Curtis Witte has five TD catches and three interceptions for a Titan defense with 16 takeaways on the year. Patterson adds that senior H-back and middle linebacker Owen Thomas is another LC player to watch.
Offensively, Patterson says that Norwalk must take what the Titan defense gives them and not go for the deep ball too often against tight man coverage and pressure. The Warriors spent a lot of time this week on blitz pickups and how to react accordingly. Patterson adds that winning the turnover battle and eliminating penalties will also be huge factors in determining field position and ultimately tonight’s winning team.
Warrior volleyball team 2nd at conference tourney
The Norwalk volleyball team went 2-1 and placed second in Thursday’s Little Hawkeye Conference Volleyball Tournament at Newton.
The Class 4A 9th-ranked Warriors won their three-team pool on a tiebreaker after going 1-1. They defeated Newton 21-12, 21-13, then lost to 4A No. 13 Dallas Center-Grimes 21-11, 21-19. In the championship match, 4A 2nd-ranked Indianola swept Norwalk 25-22, 25-16.
Norwalk coach John Fulton tells KNIA-KRLS Sports that he was proud of his players for battling all night and stepping up when asked. Fulton credits Ava Carlson for doing a great job playing some big rotations in the front row.
The Warriors will take a 19-14 overall record into Saturday’s Winterset Tournament in their final competition of the regular season. Norwalk’s first match is at 9:00 a.m.