The Norwalk football team returns to Mineart Field tonight for a Homecoming matchup with Class 4A seventh-ranked Newton at 7:30. The game will be streamed live on kniakrls.com (KNIA3), starting with pregame coverage at 6:30.
Both teams enter the contest with a 1-1 non-district record. The Warriors are looking to bounce back from last week’s 28-3 loss at Indianola while the Cardinals try to build on a 28-7 win over Dallas Center-Grimes. Norwalk actually outgained Indianola in total offense on the night, but quickly fell behind 14-0 and struggled to finish multiple drives inside the red zone.
Head coach Paul Patterson tells KNIA Sports that the Warriors have responded well in practices following last week’s defeat. He says that team confidence remains high, albeit a little more guarded than a week ago.
“We were pretty sure of ourselves going into last Friday night and had a little bit of a wakeup call, and I think that’s a good thing for us,” Patterson said. “We’re going to see how we respond to somebody else coming in who also is very good. Newton is a really good football team. They’re solid defensively. They do things differently than what we’ve seen so far this year, and then offensively they throw a lot of things at you and they’ve got a great athlete at quarterback. So we’ve got to be ready to respond with discipline and effort.”
Newton’s option offense revolves around junior quarterback Caden Klein, who has passed for 322 yards and rushed for 253 during the first two games. The Warriors must also keep eyes on junior receiver Finn Martin, who leads the team with 11 catches for 155 yards. Patterson is impressed by Newton’s 3-4 defense, noting the play of nose guard Coleby Revell and inside linebacker Nick Milburn.
Patterson says that the Warriors must limit Klein’s big plays – running or passing – and force some turnovers. Offensively, he adds that Norwalk has to run the football effectively and finish drives much better to be successful. Third down stops and conversions will be another big key in the football game.