The Norwalk Warriors’ postseason basketball journey continues tonight with a Class 4A, Substate 2 semifinal at Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. with live coverage on 94.3 KNIA and kniakrls.com (KNIA3).

The third-seeded Warrior boys, now 17-5, advanced to the semifinal round with a resounding 72-37 win over Des Moines Lincoln on Monday night. The No. 2-seeded Yellow Jackets (18-3) received a first-round bye.

This is truly a turnaround season for Thomas Jefferson boys basketball, which won only five out of 65 games during the previous three years. The Yellow Jackets are a senior-led team averaging 70 points per game and riding a six-game winning streak. Norwalk head coach Aaron Pelzer tells KNIA Sports that TJ is very potent on offense with multiple shot makers and a free style of play. Seniors Jordan and Jaden Dewaele are both 6-foot-6 and give length to the team’s active 2-3 zone defense.

Pelzer adds that the Yellow Jackets play with a ton of confidence and will be in front of an excited fan base on their home floor. “I know that (their) school has really bought into what they’re doing and (is) really excited, and I’m pretty sure we’ll go into a pretty hostile environment on Friday,” he said.

Both teams feature a top-10 scorer in Class 4A. Five-foot-8 senior guard Jayden Calabro leads Thomas Jefferson with 20.9 points per game, 67 assists and 49 steals. Senior Redek Born paces the Warriors with 22.5 points per game, 88 assists and 31 steals.

Coach Pelzer says that avoiding a string of turnovers and getting a shot on every possession against TJ’s zone will be a key for Norwalk. Defensively, he says the Warriors must replicate what they’ve been doing all season: guarding the dribble, contesting shots and rebounding.

Pregame coverage on 94.3 KNIA will begin at approximately 6:45 p.m. Tonight’s winner advances to the Substate 2 final and will play West Des Moines Valley or Urbandale on Tuesday at a site to be determined.