Football Recap

By Owen K.

The 2024 Norsemen football season has pleased Story City and Roland locals. The team's progression and culture-building over the past four years have earned the Norse a 6-2 record heading into the first round of the playoffs. 

The season started with a dominant win over South Tama but was followed by a tight loss late in the second game against Nevada. In the third game, the Norse shut out close rival South Hamilton with a score of 56-0. Heading into the 4th game, the Norsemen knew they would need to beat Kemper Catholic to strengthen their hopes of winning the district. 

The game was neck and neck the whole way, with both teams hurling punch after punch to fight to stay in it. The game was tied at the end of the 4th quarter and went into overtime. The Knights struck quickly in OT with a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. The Norsemen got the ball with only ten yards to go, but could not push through Kempur's tough red zone defense bringing up a 4&8. They ran a reverse jet sweep to Adain Frey but got stopped 6 yards short of paydirt. Some Norse fans were certainly upset at the risky play call by coaches which would lose them the game, putting them at 2-2. It was a tough loss to swallow but they knew they had to keep their heads up. 

The following week was homecoming at Roland Story, and there were high hopes and fun vibes all week at the high school. Come Friday, many students were hyped at the end-of-school pep rally for the Norse's game that night against the Southeast Valley Jaguars. When game time arrived, many fans attended to cheer on their Norsemen to victory. Roland-Story 42 Southeast Valley 17. The Norse beat Green County on the road in the next game 34-6, putting them at 4-2. 

Only 2 games remained on their schedule, Des Moines Chrisitan and Saydel. Roland-Story would host Des Moines Christian on a chilly October night in Story City. With playoff implications on the line, this would be a pivotal game for the Norsemen season. Des Moines Christian was 5-2 heading into this game and hungry for revenge from last year's thumping. Like the Kemper game, RS and DMC were neck and neck until half, with DMC scoring a last-second touchdown to tie the game at halftime 14-14. As the band played on the halftime show, the team contemplated their second-half action plan. The Norse came out in the 3rd quarter with a quick TD run by running back Ben Mazyck. They held DMC to zero points for the rest of the quarter. Roland-Story would score again late in the fourth to seal DMC´s fate. DMC scored a last-minute TD to narrow the loss to 21-28. Players were satisfied after a hard-fought game, and their record improved to 5-2, putting them on a 3-0 win streak. 

The Norse would end their regular season game with a win over the 1-7 Saydel Eagles 55-8, setting them up to host the first round of the playoffs. They will host the 3-5 Crestwood Cadets on October 25th, at 7:30 pm. In conclusion, the 2024 Roland-Story football season has been just as people expected. After countless weight room lifts, installs, and tiring practices, it is safe to say the hard work has paid off. Roland Story looks to make their 3rd straight second playoff run against the Cadets, with a stud at QB and a solid defense it will most certainly be a close game. 

Location: Story City, IA 50248, USA

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