The Norwalk football team continued its mid-to-late season surge on Friday night, shutting out Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 45-0 on the road to stay unbeaten in district play. In a game heard live on the KNIA3 stream, the Warriors won their third straight game to improve to 4-3 overall and 3-0 in Class 4A, District 6, setting up a much-anticipated Week 8 showdown at undefeated Council Bluffs Lewis Central.

The Norwalk defense, which has not allowed a point in 11 consecutive quarters, did some scoring of their own against TJ. With the Warriors up 14-0 early in the second quarter, Luke Brewer pressured Jayden Fujii into a pass that was picked off by 260-pound defensive tackle Kolton Borcherding-Johnson and returned more than 30 yards through heavy traffic for a touchdown.

Not to be outdone, Kolton’s twin brother Kadan Borcherding-Johnson, who also had a first-half INT, scooped up a Yellow Jacket fumble in the third quarter and returned it 25 yards for a score to make it 38-0. 

After the game, Norwalk coach Paul Patterson pondered the unique aspect of his team’s two defensive scores. “How many times in a high school football game (have) twins scored defensive touchdowns?” Patterson asked. “Not offensive touchdowns or special teams, but two defensive touchdowns scored by twins. Just a fantastic night for both of them, and the defense in general.”

Offensively, Norwalk quarterback James Hatlevig had another strong game with three touchdown passes, giving him seven in the last two weeks. Hatlevig opened the scoring with a 39-yard TD pass to a wide-open Brewer and connected with Eli Robbins for two scores. Dominic Tigner added a six-yard touchdown and ran the ball effectively both inside and outside the tackles.

Tavin Ferner’s 24-yard field goal gave the Warriors a 24-0 halftime lead that might have been more if not for penalties that nullified Norwalk scores on both offense and defense late in the second quarter. Following a spirited halftime discussion, Patterson tells KNIA Sports that he was pleased with the team’s much-cleaner play in the second half.

Norwalk returns to Council Bluffs next Friday to take on defending 4A state champion Lewis Central in a battle for the district lead. The Titans erased a 17-point second-half deficit at Winterset on Friday to improve to 7-0 on the season.