The Roland-Story Norsemen football team returns to action on Friday Night, as they host the Des Moines Christian Lions for senior night in Class 2A, District 8 action at Kerry Van Winkle Field in Story City. Roland-Story enters at 4-2 and ranked #8 in Class 2A, while Des Moines Christian enters at 4-2 and ranked #10 in Class 2A. Roland-Story won last season’s meeting in Urbandale 41-14 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Des Moines Christian enters Friday with their 4-2 record with wins over Pella Christian, Clarke, Southeast Valley and Saydel, and losses to Kuemper Catholic and defending-Class 2A state champions Van Meter. After years of having pass-heavy offenses, the Lions feature a balanced attack in 2024 under the direction of offensive coordinator and former Iowa State quarterback Grant Rohach. Directing the offense is senior quarterback Jett Each, who’s thrown for 870 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, while rushing for another 151 yards and 3 touchdowns. Each’s two favorite targets have been senior Jake Kistenmacher and junior Tyler Drefke, as Kistenmacher has caught 24 balls for 407 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Dreske has caught 25 passes for 274 yards and 5 touchdowns. John Doohen has also provided contributions in the passing game with 15 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. The rushing attack has been split between sophomore Davis Tokheim and senior Jace Fadden. Fadden leads the Lions with 425 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Tokheim has added 364 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Lions have excelled in creating pressure throughout the season. Jace Fadden makes up one of the Lions edge rushers, as he’s tallied 17.5 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 5 sacks, while his counterpart Landon Mumm has 21 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Linebacker as a whole is a strength for DMC, as Ethan Bickel leads the team with 40.5 tackles, 3 TFL and a sack, while Kyle Friend has added 25.5 tackles 4 TFL and 2 sacks, while Caleb Bailey has 26.5 tackles, 6 TFL and 2.5 sacks. The defensive backfield has produced at a high-level in 2024 with 10 total interceptions. Sophomore Tate Olsen leads the unit with 3 interceptions and a pick six, while fellow sophomore Drake Braun also has 2 picks on the season. Braden Williams leads the secondary with 23 tackles, while Max Town has 17.5 tackles.
A year after rushing for over 400 yards against the Lions, Roland-Story will likely rely on their big, veteran offensive line to set the tone. Ben Mazyck is coming off the best performance of his young career, while Cody Long has provided a nice counterpart while the Norsemen wait for Fiston Carlson to get fully healthy. Sam Knoll’s legs could be a big X-Factor offensively, while the Norsemen secondary, which has held up nearly all season, will receive a big test.
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 PM on Friday Night, the game will be broadcast on 95.7 KQWC or streaming online at kqradio.com