Norwalk makes its return to the Boys State Soccer Tournament at 4:10 today, taking on Humboldt in a Class 3A quarterfinal at the James W. Cownie Soccer Complex. Live coverage can be heard on 94.3 KNIA as well as kniakrls.com and the free KNIA/KRLS mobile app.
The Warriors are the No. 5 seed in the 3A bracket, entering state with an 11-7 overall record and five consecutive wins. They recorded Substate wins of 5-0 over Mount Vernon and 2-1 at Urbandale to clinch the program’s first state tournament berth since winning the 2A championship in 2017.
The Humboldt Wildcats are back at state for the second straight year, seeded fourth with a 16-1 overall record. They reached state by defeating Belmond-Klemme 9-0 and Newton 4-3 in postseason play.
Norwalk coach Dustin Kralik has guided the boys soccer program to 14 trips to state and four titles during a 23-year career. He is proud of this year’s squad for fighting through adversity and an extremely tough schedule to play their best soccer at the end of the season. Kralik calls Humboldt a physical and athletic opponent, but is hopeful that his team can take advantage of their depth on a hot afternoon.
“I think for us it’s just about how we move the ball and share the ball; that it doesn’t get stuck at our feet, that the ball moves quick and we make them chase a little bit in the heat and wear them down,” Kralik said. “We think we might have a little bit more depth in numbers, so we’ve got to keep the ball moving to create spaces to exploit, and then finish our chances when we get them.”
Senior Jack Brown leads Norwalk with 23 goals on the season, including four in postseason play. Humboldt is led by Cristhian Ramirez with 23 goals and 15 assists and Will Orness with 16 goals and nine assists.
Kralik believes that the Warriors are very capable of making a run in Des Moines as they chase title number five against a tough 3A field. Today’s winner will face either top-seeded Des Moines Hoover (16-1) or Cedar Rapids Xavier (6-10) in Thursday’s semifinal round at 4:00 p.m. The rest of the bracket includes Dallas Center-Grimes, Iowa City Liberty, Marion and Denison-Schleswig.