Big challenge awaits Norwalk

NORWALK — There is no hiding from it. "Our kids know what we're up against," Norwalk football head coach Keith Mora said. The Truckers (3-4, 0-1) travel to Perkins (6-0, 2-0) — the No. 2-ranked team in this week's Division IV Associated Press state poll — for an SBC Lake Division game at 7 p.m. Friday at Firelands Health Stadium. The Pirates have earned that ranking by beating six opponents by a combined score of 331-68, good for an astounding average score of 55-11. That included a week ago when Perkins cruised past Edison 6-1), which had entered the game unbeaten and ranked No. 8 in the Div. V poll. "Social media exists, and you can see all the highlights and clips," Mora said. "You go through a week of practice to prepare to try and find a way to win a game, and you hope for a little luck a long the way to have them to make some bad plays. Our kids understand that they have to play a perfect game." Quarterback Logan Lesch finished 21-of-28 passing for 428 yards and six touchdown passes. Weston Sturzinger caught eight passes for 200 yards and 3 TDs, while Braylon Collier had nine catches for 175 yards and 3 TDs. For the season, Lesch is 81-of-114 passing for 1,527 yards with 20 TDs and just two interceptions. Collier now has 27 catches for 524 yards with 10 TDs, while Sturzinger adds 27 catches for 597 yards and 7 TDs. Through five games, running back Isaac Bunts had also totaled 557 yards and 11 TDs on 80 attempts. "They have so many different ways to attack you offensively, and it's one of those things where they can make it a really long night — and have so far — for their opponents," Mora said of the Pirates. "They can run the ball if they want to, they have receiving threats with a quarterback who is as good as any in the area, and one of the best in the state. "The offensive line creates a great pocket for him, and if you give him time to throw it, he's going make the right reads," he added. "If you find a way to create some pressure on them, you also give up coverage, so it's kind of a catch-22 where you have to pick and choose how to attack. They do a lot of different things, and do them well." Defensively, the Pirates are also well balanced, with Reagan Kaufman leading with 44 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Cam Fosco and Hayden Bollini also each have 4.5 sacks, while Brady Legend, Braxden Martin and Sturzinger each have two interceptions. "Again, a very solid, even front on the defensive line," Mora said. "They do a nice job of creating pressure without having to blitz because their line is strong, aggressive and big. They just really come off the ball well. "They do a lot of things with their corners, who also provide great coverage with the ability to press off the line of scrimmage and make it hard on receivers to get off the line." Norwalk is coming off a 48-12 loss early. The Truckers jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, only to see the Blue Streaks (4-3, 1-1) score on several busted plays, including three on third downs. Sandusky's three losses have come by a combined 13 points. "They also have dynamic playmakers, and if you see what they've done all year long, they've been explosive against every team they've played," Mora said of the Streaks. "Defensively, they gave us trouble and sent a lot of pressure and created havoc in the backfield." Freshman Brayden Viock is 47-of-88 passing (53 percent) for 670 yards with 2 TDs and 4 INTs. Jarren McLendon has 846 yards and 10 TDs on 110 attempts, while Ben Rothhaar has 16 catches for 232 yards and 2 TDs. Sam Konik adds 10 catches for 92 yards and 17 rushes for 65 yards with a TD. Defensively, Rothhaar has 43 tackles and an interception, while Grant Maloney has 40 tackles and Mason Canalos has 34 tackles and a sack. AJ Weilnau has two sacks and Nate Kessler adds two interceptions. Though Mora said the coaches and players are well aware of what type of challenge they are in for this week, they can't let it consume them. "We have to focus on ourselves and getting better with every practice and every game," he said. "We can't be making the same mistakes from the first two weeks. We should be way beyond those. We have to rely on the guys who make plays for us on both sides of the ball. "But again, there's no hiding from it," Mora added. "It's one of those things where you can tell them to turn off social media for a week. It kind of is what it is. We're in the SBC Lake Division, and every week is tough. It's one of those things where we are in a tough division, and we have to be prepared to play every week."