The 2022 football season showcased a big step forward for the Roland-Story program under Matt Finn, as the Norsemen finished the regular season with their first .500 or better record since 2016. Even a first-round playoff exit to Clarinda could not dampen the view that the Norsemen program is beginning to recapture the spirit which made them a regional power for decades in Class 2A. The Norsemen lose some productive seniors, that includes Luke Patton, Kale Lande, Dillon Lettow and Carter Flattebo, but have some big experience coming back in 2023.
Offense
The Norsemen offense a season ago was able to balance pass and run at a successful clip with new starter Hesston Johnson. The rushing attack appears to be ready to take off in 2023 as Jonovan Wilkinson looks to build off a year where he ran for nearly 800 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Jake Berggren could provide a good backfield mate to help take some of the load off of Wilkinson. The offensive line brings back nearly every starter in Christian Chelsvig, Jake Jennings, Aaron Peyton and Charlie Watts, while Thomas Tjaden, Ian Tripp and Jaxson Kadolph could vie for that 5th starting spot.
However, the Norsemen do need to rebuild to the receiving core as Roland Yates and Garrett Nerem headline the tight end room that sees a large departure in Luke Patton. Boaz Clark, Trevor Britten and Heston McIlrath will look to headline the wide receiver group that replaces Kale Lande, Dillon Lettow, Carter Flattebo and Gavin Carpenter, who accounted for nearly all the Norsemen’s production in the receiving game.
Defense
Defensively, the strength of the Norsemen unit will be the linebacking core. Roland-Story returns 3 of their 4 backers, including leading tackle Charlie Watts, who amassed 81.5 tackles in 2022. Also returning are Christian Chelsvig and Hesston Johnson, while the edge linebacker spot will be up for grabs, which could go to rising junior Garrett Nerem. The defensive line will look to solidify themselves early, as Thomas Tjaden and Aaron Peyton will lead a group that saw their production rise as the season went along. Jaxson Kadolph, Roland Yates and Carson Barber are others that will contribute to that group.
The defensive backfield will have a total makeover, with the only returning starter being interceptions-leader Boaz Clark. It’s likely Jonovan Wilkinson moves to the secondary full-time, while others such as Trevor Britten, Hesston McIlrath and Sam Knoll will also be names to watch in the secondary.
Roland-Story opens their season with a road trip to Tama on August 25th, as they take on the South Tama County Trojans.