Norwalk opens the 2024 football season at home tonight with a non-district rivalry game against Carlisle. The annual War-Cat Trophy battle kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and can be heard live on kniakrls.com (KNIA3). Pregame coverage begins at approximately 6:30.

The Warriors won last year’s matchup 52-32 behind Aidan Harder’s 398 passing yards and five touchdowns. The Wildcats won the three previous meetings by a combined 59 points.

Norwalk head coach Paul Patterson’s biggest points of emphasis this season are establishing the running game offensively and stopping the run defensively, and those will both be put to the test tonight. Carlisle’s veer option attack has been a staple for many years and slowing down the Wildcats often proves easier said than done. Patterson tells KNIA Sports that discipline and effort will be huge keys on defense tonight.

“We’ve got to make sure we take care of the phases of their option and their veer. They do such a fantastic job of running it,” Patterson said. “They’re always big and physical up front. They’re got running backs that run hard. They’ve got quarterbacks that read things well… Effort is something that we have talked about all summer. We continue to talk about how much it’s a skill; therefore it can be improved upon.”

Junior Eli Robbins, a standout receiver for Norwalk last year, will be the starting quarterback tonight. Blessed with breakaway speed, Robbins will likely take a lot of direct snaps and is a constant big-play threat. James Hatlevig, at 6’5” 195, will also see time at quarterback as more of a traditional drop-back passer. Senior running back Dominic Tigner is also a key piece of the Warriors’ rushing attack plans.