STORY CITY, Ia. — The Roland-Story Norsemen football team returned to the field on Friday Night, as they hosted the Grand View Christian Thunder in the first round of the Class 2A Playoffs at Kerry Van Winkle Field. The Norsemen entered at 6-2 and ranked #9 in Class 2A, as Grand View Christian entered at 5-3.
Roland-Story took the football first and quickly marched down the field, scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run by Fiston Carlson to put the Norsemen ahead 7-0. Following a punt on GVC’s opening drive, the Norsemen went to the air as Colin Willis hit Cooper Triggs with a 53-yard bomb on the first play of the drive as Roland-Story went ahead 14-0 midway through the first quarter. The Norsemen then scored again late in the 4th quarter on a 22-yard touchdown run by Ben Mazyck, as Roland-Story led 21-0 after the first quarter. Grand View Christian would run a fake punt inside their own 10-yard line in the 2nd quarter that proved unsuccessful, as the Norsemen scored on the very next play on a 6-yard touchdown run by Fiston Carlson to put Roland-Story ahead 28-0, before Carlson scored his 3rd touchdown of the night on a 35-yard run as Roland-Story led 35-0 at the halftime break.
Action was minimal in the 2nd half behind running clock and Roland-Story’s ball control offense, as the Norsemen coasted to a 35-0 first round victory.
The KQWC Ace of the Game, presented by Ace Hardware of Webster City, was Roland-Story senior Fiston Carlson, who tallied 12 carries for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns, while catching a pass for 42 yards as well. Colin Willis went 5-for-12 for 119 yards, a touchdown and a pick, as Sam Scarrow and Jake Knoll led the Norsemen defense with 7 tackles each.
Roland-Story football advances to the Round of 16 for the 3rd time in 4 years, as the Norsemen will travel to Eastern Iowa to take on the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks in the Class 2A 2nd Round at Mid-Prairie High School in Wellman, with kickoff at 7 PM on 95.7 KQWC, online at kqradio.com and on the KQWC App.