Among all Iowa Class 4A football teams to start 1-3 this fall, only Norwalk was able to finish the season with more than three total wins. The Warriors, in fact, won six games, finishing 6-4 overall following Friday’s 35-14 first-round playoff loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier.
Norwalk head coach Paul Patterson shared this fun fact with pride after his team’s season came to an end at Mineart Field. The loss stings, he said, but won’t define the season. What Patterson will remember most is the sustained growth that took place.
The Warriors lost their final three non-district games to very good opponents in Indianola, Newton and ADM. They righted the ship with a hard-fought 17-8 victory at Winterset in the district opener, then outscored Dallas Center-Grimes and Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson by a combined 83-0. The biggest win of the year came in Week 8 – an impressive 21-7 upset of defending 4A state champion Lewis Central – followed by an exciting 29-26 win over Glenwood in the regular season finale.
Norwalk claimed the District 6 title with a 5-0 record, combining an improved running game and dangerous passing attack on offense with a defense that scored three touchdowns in district play while allowing points in only four out of 20 quarters.
Patterson tells KNIA/KRLS Sports that this year’s team motto was “First Team All-Us,” and he believes his players reflected that slogan well during the final seven or eight games. Patterson says that it is important to reflect on all the progress that was made.
“I think that’s something that we need to make sure we remember with this group is what an awesome job they did after a 1-3 start,” Patterson said. “To be able to start that way and then rebound and do the things that we did is a testament to our kids and what a tremendous job they did. I’m really proud of them. I’m going to miss the seniors tremendously and I’m really thankful for all the things that they’ve done for our program and the mark they’ve left.”
The 2024 Norwalk football roster featured 16 total seniors, including nine players that started on at least one side of the ball.