DENVER, Ia. — The Roland-Story Norsemen football team returns to the gridiron on Friday Night, as they make the drive into northeast Iowa to take on the Denver Cyclones in their Class 2A, District 4 opener at the Denver Football Field. Roland-Story enters at 2-1 and ranked #2 in Class 2A, While Denver enters at 2-1. Roland-Story leads the all-time series between the two program 1-0, winning their first ever meeting in 2025 by a score of 21-14.
After sneaking into the 2A playoffs in 2025, the Cyclones are 2-1 to start the season with an opening week loss to rival Wapsie Valley, followed by a 35-0 shutout of Sumner-Fredericksburg and an 8-6 slugfest victory over Charles City last Friday. The Titans return their top skill players from 2025, as quarterback Jackson Joerger has thrown for 187 yards and a touchdown, as well as rushing for 90 yards and 2 scores. The Cyclones have a strong backfield, led by sophomore Jameson Johnson with 184 yards and 3 touchdowns and junior Jeb Ebaugh with 164 yards and a touchdown. Brayton Hovey is a dynamic playmaker in the rushing and passing game, running for over 100 yards and catching 9 balls for 143 yards so far in 2026. The Cyclones offensive line is young in varsity experience, but does have seniors leading the way in Ryan Moran, Gage Matthias, Colin Knowles.
Defensively, it’s been a strong start for the Cyclones, who have allowed just 6 points in the past two weeks. Sophomore Jameson Johnson has been the bellcow at linebacker, tallying a team-high 20 tackles, 2 TFL and 1.5 sacks. Jeb Ebaugh has added 10.5 tackles, while Brayton Hovey has provided big plays with 3 TFL and a sack. Max Pagel leads the defensive backfield so far with 7.5 tackles and an interception, as Jackson Joerger has added 8 tackles and 2 TFL from his safety spot. Sophomore Kyce Jacobson and senior Gage Matthias lead the defensive line with 8.5 tackles each, as Matthias has 2.5 TFL and a sack to his name.
Roland-Story enters district play off a statement victory over West Marshall, as the Norsemen struggled early but managed to find their balance and outscore the Trojans 21-0 in the 2nd half. The Norsemen offense will test a, to this point, untested Cyclones secondary, while the Roland-Story defense will look to limit a physical rushing attack for the 3rd consecutive week.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM from the Denver Football Field on Friday Night.