The Norwalk boys basketball team defeated Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 72-47 in the first round of Class 4A Substate play on Monday night. The Norwalk boys bowlers, meanwhile, finished their season by placing fifth in the 2A State Team Tournament at Waterloo’s XBC.
BASKETBALL:
The Warrior basketball boys used unselfish passing, balanced scoring and solid defense to end the Yellow Jackets’ season for the second straight year. With the score tied at 19, Norwalk finished the second quarter on an 18-5 surge to lead by 13 points at halftime. They continued to gradually pull away in the second half, improving to 11-11 overall and advancing to Friday’s 4A Substate semifinal round at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln.
The Warriors made six 3-pointers and shot 10-of-11 at the free throw line, adding a number of close-range baskets on transition layups, aggressive drives and sharing the basketball. Cam Thomas scored a game-high 16 points to lead Norwalk, Grady Sigrist and Kaleb Foltz both scored 14 and Tim Koerselman added nine. Thomas Jefferson, which finished 3-19, was led by Jaden Hill’s 14 points and 13 from Junior Gatkuoth.
The Warriors will now travel to Council Bluffs for Friday’s Substate 1 semifinal against the ninth-ranked Lynx, who are 18-2 overall. Norwalk coach Aaron Pelzer tells KNIA/KRLS Sports that his team must play their best basketball of the season to beat AL, putting together four quarters of disciplined defense and consistent offensive execution to create quality shots.
BOWLING:
Competing at state bowling for the first time in 15 years, the Norwalk boys were eighth out of eight 2A teams in the pre-bracket Baker Games, then regrouped in bracket play to place fifth.
Each team started the meet by bowling 15 rounds of Baker Games. The Warriors knocked down 2,664 total pins, topping the 200 mark just twice in 15 tries. In bracket competition, however, Norwalk exceeded 200 in six out of nine games, defeating Clinton 3-2 and Burlington 3-1 to place fifth overall.
Norwalk junior Tanner Housley returns to XBC Lanes today to compete in the Class 2A Individual State Tournament at 9:00 a.m.