Norse News

By Grayson S. The 1-2 Norsemen take on the 2-1 Cyclones at Kerry Van Winkle Field at the Roland-Story Sports Complex. The Norsemen are looking for their first home win of the season to get them back to .500. Field conditions weren’t too great due to rain earlier in the day. The football game still turned out to be exciting with touchdowns and turnovers. The Norsemen received the ball first, and the opening drive ended in a touchdown, but Cael Faber missed the extra point, so the score was only 6-0. The Cyclones took the lead by a touchdown of their own. They also missed the extra point, but it was redone due to an offside on the Norsemen, and they made it the second time, making the score 6-7. The Norsemen ended up going three-and-out on their next drive, but Jackson Joerger would throw an interception to Luke Thoreson on the Cyclones' next possession. Colin Willis would then throw an interception back to the Cyclones, and they almost extended their lead by a touchdown, but Jackson...

By Maddie T. The Roland-Story football team is starting strong in district play, going 1-0 after defeating a tough opponent, Denver. The environment on Homecoming night was absolutely electrifying, and the boys played a really strong game. Quarterback Collin Willis led the charge, racking up 267 passing yards and aiding in scoring 21 points to defeat the Denver Cyclones, 21-14. The defense was equally crucial to the victory. The defensive line was in the right mindset all night and held strong against the Cyclones' attack. Chance Georgius notably ended up with two sacks, setting Denver back at key moments. This performance helped secure the important district victory. Let's continue to stay strong and fight till the end! Sail Norse!

By Coyt N. On Friday September 5th, Roland-Story Norseman faced off against Des Moines Christian. The Norse coming in off a strong and dominant win against Pella Christian, meanwhile Des Moines Christian also coming in off a win over #2 Van Meter. Des Moines Christian line is way bigger than the Norse but the Norse have the leverage play and they are strong and gritty and are determined to keep there 2 year win streak against DMC going. The first quarter goes by and the score is 0-0 both defenses giving not an inch. The Norse were real close to scoring but through a pick inside the 10 yard line. Through out the second quarter it’s still 0-0 but at the end of the half with 10 seconds DMC drives down the field and scores a touchdown in the final seconds and goes 7-0 going into changing the momentum of the game.  Coming out of the half the Norse receive the kick but can’t get any points on the board throughout the third quarter but neither can DMC. Going into the fourth quarter the sc...

By Chance G. On Aug. 29, 2025, the Norsemen of Roland-Story travel to play their first game against a stingy opponent, Pella Christian. The Norse are coming off a good year, having a 6-2 record, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, losing to Crestwood. The Norse have a significantly different team than last year, starting with Sophomore QB Colin Willis and a brand new Offensive Line that is untested, except for one returner, Gavin Jeter. Also, the Norse on the defensive side have 2 new inside Linebackers who are also untested at the Varsity level.  In the contest, though, the Norse were not faced by their young team, which is full of talent. Also being down 2 starting running backs. The Norse prevailed in a dominant victory over Pella Christian. The score was 32 to 13. The Norse gave up a first-play touchdown, then would proceed to score 32 unanswered points. In this effort, the Norse were 17 yards away from breaking the school record for total yards in a game. T...

By Jake K. On August 22, 2025, the Gilbert Tigers hosted the annual Varsity Football Scrimmage against the Roland-Story Norsemen. Entry to the event was a donation of Gatorade or other sports drinks. The scrimmage was split across the field, with the Varsity teams on one side and the Junior Varsity on the other. Each game consisted of only two 12-minute quarters. For the Varsity game, Gilbert immediately set the pace, scoring a touchdown on their first play to take an early lead. The Norsemen quickly answered when Collin Willis threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Luke Thoreson, followed by a successful PAT from Cael Faber to tie the game at 7 with just under six minutes left in the first quarter. Following a strong defensive stop, Roland-Story took the lead. Willis connected with Aiden Frey for a 38-yard touchdown pass, and Makenna Springer's PAT gave the Norsemen a 14-7 advantage with three minutes remaining in the quarter. However, the momentum shifted in the second quarter. The No...

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...

By Blake N. Coming off a win the Roland-Story Norsemen had another easier opponent this week. They will face off against the Greene County Rams this week in Jefferson. Despite not being on their turf, the Norsemen brought home a well-deserved win vs. Greene County. To start the week the coaching staff and players received news that Blake Larson will be out for 4-5 weeks with a broken wrist. He started two games and had at least one interception in each; to say the least, it was a big loss for the Norse.  This week was like any other week for the players, same practices but a different game plan for the new team. The Norse all around played a great game, but a few people stood out. First was Cody Long with an amazing game. Cody finished the game with 10.5 tackles and 2 tackles for a loss of yards. This is impressive because the Rams leading tackler only had 8. Another player who had an outstanding week was Sophomore Ben Mazyck. Mazyck finished the game with 170 rushing yards with 20...

By Nolan O. In a one sided affair, the Roland-Story Norsemen beat the Southeast Valley Jaguars with a score of 42-17. After the first quarter, the game was out of hand for SE Valley. They got behind early and weren't able to fight back after that. The Norsemen were excited to get a win on their homecoming game! First quarter kicked off at 7:00 after slow starts. With 9:51 left in the first quarter, Sam Knoll finds Luke Thorsen for a 5-yard touchdown set up by Heston Mcllrath's 40-yard reception downfield. After forcing a Jaguars punt, Sam Knoll finds Luke Thorsen once again for the 21-yard touchdown catch. To top off the first quarter, the Norsemen defense forces another punt, and this time finds a wide open Heston Mcllrath for the 52-yard strike. The score at the end of the quarter is 21-0 Norsemen. The Jaguars get the ball back and break free on a long touchdown run from their quarterback closing the lead to 21-7. The Norsemen after getting the ball back, drove down the field...

By Cael F. Each fall when the Roland-Story Norsemen and the South Hamilton Hawks face off you can feel the excitement in the air for this small-town rivalry game. However, Friday night was different, the air was heavy and it was more than a football game after the death of a recent South Hamilton graduate.  Before the game, there was a moment of silence for reflection and remembrance, and after the South Hamilton victory bell was rung six times it was time for kickoff.  From the first kickoff, it was all Norsemen. The Norsemen 61-yard opening drive was capped off after a 1-yard rush from senior quarterback Sam Knoll. They would continue to use their dominant rushing backfield to continue the scoring. With 9 different players receiving carries, the Norsemen would combine for 250 yards on 29 for 6 touchdowns. This rushing attack was headlined by Norsemen sophomore Ben Mazyck who would find the endzone 3 times while also rushing for 113 yards. Sophomore Logan Smith and senior Bra...

By Evan B. It’s a Friday night, and everyone is getting ready for the big game in Story City. People are walking into the football field's entrance, gathering around to either get food from the concession stand or find their seats in the stands. Everyone tries to get here early to get the best spots or to save seats for others. This was a game that people did not want to miss due to the big rivalry between the Norsemen and Nevada. The Norse and Nevada Cubs walked into this game with a record of 1-0; each looking to deliver a loss to the opposing team. Both teams were looking to start their season undefeated in their first two games but only one of them would win tonight.  Both teams' players are warming up on the field with only 10 minutes left until kickoff. People from Roland-Story and Nevada are all here cheering for their own teams. The stands are packed full of people waiting for the game to start.  Both teams have now sent out their 4 team captains to decide who starts w...

By Cael V. The team moral was left nothing short of ecstatic after varsity football dealt a stunning blow on the South Tama Trojans on August 28th. A final score of 47-0 complemented the Norsemen’s hard work in the offseason leading up to a week 1 shutout.  Expectations leading into the game favored the Norse by a high margin, and a score of only 17-0 left many young vikings frustrated as they entered the locker room. An expectation to obliterate the the other team contributed to this frustration. As far as stats come, the Norse led in both passing and rushing yards, which didn’t come by surprise. The Trojan defense started to crumple after Carlson continued to rack up yards, ending with 101 yards in total, and the team finishing with a whopping 221 yards for the night. This number contradicts the Trojan’s feeble run game which only scratched out 7 whole yards. The Norse also completed 122 yards passing, with Knoll’s arm accounting for 4 touchdowns, with the other TD  provided...

By Ryan F. The Roland-Story Norsemen ended the season hot with a record of 6-2. With that 6-2 record, they got 2nd in their conference making them eligible for a home playoff game. The last time they hosted a playoff game was 2008, making it 15 years. For the first round, they would play Clarke. The Norsemen started the game off well, with a monumental interception in the endzone by Boaz Clark. This set the Norsemen up with the football as they would score on that very drive. By half, the Norsemen were up 21-0. They would eventually win the game 42-7 with Clarke getting a late touchdown to not go scoreless. It was very easy to see the Norsemen would win with great performances from Sam Knoll who went 6/8, 139 passing yards, and 3 touchdowns. Jonovan Wilkinson had 2 receptions for 92 yards, 28 rushing yards, and 2 total touchdowns. The offense was not the only thing coming easy to the Norsemen, as Charlie Watts and Heston Johnson both combined for 21.5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1...

By Carson B. The Roland-Story Norsemen took on the Carroll Kuemper Knights on Friday, September 15th. The Norsemen were looking to improve to 3-1 for the first time since the 2016-17 season. This was the first home game on the new Kerry Van Winkle Field with the student body theme being white out. Coming into the game the Norse were led by junior Sam Knoll who has 332 passing yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Hesston Johnson leads the teams in tackles with 24.5 and rushing with 342 yards and seven touchdowns.  The first half did not turn out how the Norsemen expected it to be: being down 21-0. The Knights had scored two offensive touchdowns and had a punt return touchdown. At halftime there was still the belief that the Norse could turn it around and win. The first drive the Norse looked strong with senior Jonovan Wilkinson taking a 30-yard rush to the house. The score was now 21-7. The defense got a stop and set the offense up with good field position. Then the Knights took back contr...

By Tristan P. Homecoming: a time filled with tradition, festivities, spirit, colors, and energy. One of the best things of high school is being able to experience homecoming: the sounds of students screaming at the top of their lungs and celebrating their school spirit, and the sounds of instruments from the band to make it just as memorable.  Roland-Story has been having homecoming since 1969, a total of 54 years. Students are reminded during this week how much support they have from the community. Parents and former students come to enjoy the parade, Powder Puff game, crowning of king and queen, and the Friday night football game. The tradition of painting the faces of middle school and elementary students leaves everyone with a smile that can last a lifetime. From dress-up days to the picnic on the field, and finally ending the week with the dance, homecoming week is filled with so much joy and memories.  It is an extraordinary week, but what does it look like for the footb...

By Caty E. The Roland-Story football team faced off against Kuemper-Catholic Friday, September 15th, but this game wasn’t like the others. After months of anticipation, Kerry Van Winkle Field is finally completed. It is named to honor Roland-Story's longtime football coach. The new football stadium has many new upgrades, such as spacious seating, new concession areas, larger bathrooms, and lots of other amazing improvements.The high school athletes are all very excited about the new area, whether they are enjoying the game from the bleachers, running the sound board, or playing out on the field.  First, walking up to the stadium there is a new ticket booth and entrance gate. The new visuals—including the large sails and lit up areas—show a sense of school pride and heritage. The aesthetic of the new stadium is branded to the school’s mascot, the Norsemen. The community appreciates the addition of a few hundred bleacher seats as well. When asked about his view on the new field, assi...

By Brooke A. It was September 8th and a beautiful night for football: the air was warm, and the sun was just setting. The Roland-Story versus South Hamilton game was a big game for Roland Story, so the stadium was bound to be packed. Around 6:00 p.m., everyone started getting seated for the game. The Norsemen started getting warmed up with good intentions and attitudes. They were telling their teammates what they needed to remember and encouraging one another.   The Norsemen football players were cheering very loudly and praising their teammates for their successes in the plays. The coaches and players were locked in. The game was fairly close, with back-and-forth touchdowns. During the third quarter, the Roland-Story Norsemen were two points ahead (22-20), and that’s when the energy of both sides of the field started getting loud. Coaches were yelling, and players were on their toes for every play. Close to the end of the game, Fiston Carlson picked up a fumble and scored an amazi...

By Krystal R. On any normal Friday at Roland-Story High School if you were to walk from class to class, you would see a few white jerseys sticking out of the crowd. Everyone is excited and ready for 3:30, because when the bell rings, it’s a mad dash. This week it’s neon and glow-in-the-dark themed, facing Nevada. All of the students and parents start to show up right around 7:20 to get settled in for the game. All of the student section is dressed from head to toe in flashy vests, shoes, and just about everyone has a glow stick. The seniors always get the front right next to the fence, then juniors on the very first couple of benches, right after them the sophomores, and at the very top the freshmen.  Once we hear the Nevada crowd start to roar and see the Nevada players running on the field, then we know we're one step closer to kick-off. Once we hear the introductions of the coaches and the football players, we all get ready to cheer and rally. The Cheerleaders are on the field a...

By Sam K.  The 2023 Roland-Story football team had its opening game in Tama on Friday, August 25, playing the South Tama Trojans. The Norsemen are now into their fourth season under head coach Matt Finn. The expectations are set high for this season, with hopes to have a winning record for the first time under Coach Finn.  The Norse had a strong showing, beating the Trojans 40-0. Some notable stats from the game were senior runningback Hesston Johnson’s 159 rushing yards on 15 carries tallying 3 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Sam Knoll was 10/15 with 181 yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Jonovan Wilkinson also added 1 touchdown for the Norse with 4 receptions for 98 yards.  Defensively sophomore Cody Long led the team in tackles with 7 and picked up a fumble. Charlie Watts and Hesston Johnson each added 6 a piece. The Norsemen forced 6 punts from the Trojans and held them to only 72 rushing yards and 21 passing yards.  “I think we played really well and really hard. It w...