Norwalk eyes win in home finale

One last time. Thirteen seniors for the Norwalk football team will play their final game on the turf and under the lights at Contractors Stadium Friday night. The Truckers (2-6, 0-2) host Sandusky (1-7, 0-3) in a game that, on paper, may not appear to have high stakes. But for Norwalk, there is plenty on the line still. Norwalk is looking to end a 21-game losing streak in the SBC Lake Division, which dates back to Sept. 25, 2020. The current seniors were in the seventh grade when the Truckers beat Clyde, 30-14, for their last league win. The Truckers are also looking for multiple home wins for just the second time in the past five seasons. Norwalk also has not won its final home game since 2020. "When I came here, they were going into their sophomore years," Norwalk head coach Keith Mora said of his senior class. "I always felt close to this group because they gave a lot of effort all the time. It's hard looking at the standings, and we have two wins and two games left. "But these kids won't shut it down or throw in the towel, and it's a testament to them and their families," he added. "Ultimately, we hope to get them one last win on the home field. But I'm proud of these guys and what they've given to our program." The Truckers are coming off a 48-3 loss at Perkins, which marked the first time this season they weren't competitive in a game over the course of four quarters. "We knew what they could do on both sides of the ball," Mora said of Perkins. "There weren't a lot of opportunities for us offensively, and we had one of our better nights running the football. We saw some things we liked, but it still goes back to being able to run the same play multiple times against the same defensive look with success. "Obviously you're not going to make a play that goes for 10 yards every time, but at the same time, we need to find consistency to where it's not becoming a four-yard loss or a false start penalty. Overall, I thought we did some things well, but then there were some things we just didn't match up with against a very good team." The Blue Streaks have had some success through the air but have struggled to run the football this season. Quarterback Dale Johnson is 63-of-151 passing for 1,026 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His top two targets are Dante Shipp Jr., with 18 catches for 392 yards and 5 TDs, and Terrell Ruiz, with 15 catches for 282 yards and 4 TDs. On the ground, Sandusky has 503 yards and 3 TDs through eight games. Johnson leads the way with 159 yards and a TD on 66 attempts, and Daviyon Jackson adds 125 yards and a TD on 44 attempts. "The offense definitely moves through Johnson and his ability to move the ball down the field vertically and to create for himself in the run game," Mora said. "It's not so much designed runs as much as it's passing plays that break down around him and he's able to escape the pocket and create for himself." Mora said the Streaks are not an offense looking to "nickel and dime" a defense down the field. "They are going to take shots over the top and try to score quickly and often by doing that," he said. "We have to stay over the top of the coverage, keep the ball in front of us, tackle well, and know where Johnson is at all times." Defensively for Sandusky, Terrance Randleman has 64 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble, while Shipp Jr. has 55 tackles and four INTs, two of which he returned for TDs. Issaih Johnson adds 46 tackles and 2 INTs, while Donovan Gant has 39 tackles and five sacks. For Norwalk, AJ Weilnau has 236 yards and 2 TDs on 74 attempts, while Gavin Lepley has 109 yards and a TD on 28 attempts. Quarterback Brady Singer also has 106 yards on 38 attempts. The Truckers also have contributions from Gabe Bellamy (68 yards), Colby Ferguson (59 yards, TD), and Kaedyn Warner (50 yards rushing, 58 yards receiving). Singer is 29-of-70 passing for 281 yards with 2 TDs and 4 INTs. Carter Harp has 13 catches for 123 yards, and Cade Evans has five catches for 85 yards and 2 TDs. "Offensively, we want long drives to keep the ball out of Johnson's hands as much as possible," Mora said. "I think that's something we're set up to do well. We can put together long drives. We've done it before and even did it at times last week. "As long as we're not putting the ball on the ground or committing penalties, we think we can move the ball consistently and eat up some clock."