The Roland-Story Norsemen football team returns to action on Friday night, as they make a long, 3.5 hour road trip up to Lyon County to take on the #1 team in Class 2A in the Central Lyon/George-Little Rock Lions in the Class 2A Playoffs at Dick Null Field in Rock Rapids. The Norsemen enter at 7-2 and 4-1 in their district, while the Lions entered at 9-0 and 5-0 in district play.
Central Lyon/George-Little Rock has looked dominant as the Lions aim to defend their state title, after winning Class 2A in 2022. The CL/G-LR offense is led by senior quarterback and Iowa commit Reece Vander Zee, who’s thrown for 989 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for another 1,145 yards and 15 touchdowns. Vander Zee’s favorite target has been senior receiver Isaiah Johnson, who’s caught 34 passes for 504 yards and 3 touchdowns. Johnson’s 3 touchdowns is tied with Reide Folkens for the team lead, while Matthew Dieren and Drew Denekas have 2 touchdown receptions, as well as Vander Zee himself. The rushing attack is split between Vander Zee and fellow Iowa commit Graham Eben, who’s rushed for 880 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, tied for 2nd in Class 2A. The Lions also feature one of the best offensive lines in Class 2A, which has paved the way for 2,500+ yards on the ground.
Defensively, the front seven of the Lions has led the way, especially behind the play of the front four. Junior Jack Krall leads the way with 37 tackles, 7 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Fellow defensive lineman Gabe Schulte has 28.5 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and a sack, while defensive end Xaccai Ditsworth has 13.5 tackles, but 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. The linebacker core has been high-producing group, led by senior Drew Denekas, who has 29 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and an interception, while junior Drew Kupferschmid has a team-high 44.5 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and an interception. The defensive backfield has been prolific as well, with Graham Eben leading the unit with 35 tackles and a team-high 3 interception. Isaiah Johnson also plays at corner and has 2 interceptions and a pick 6, while Reece Vander Zee has 31.5 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception.
The key for Roland-Story will be slowing down the Lions rushing attack, which has gashed teams all season long. The Norsemen offensive line will likely have to play their best game all season, and control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, while shortening the game.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM from Dick Null Field in Rock Rapids on Friday night.