Destination: Dome!

WAYLAND — One year ago, the WACO football team stood on the field after losing a heartbreaking Class 8-Player quarterfinal 34-30 against Audubon. A year later, the Warriors were standing victorious after a blowout win, and a ticket punched to the Dome.

No. 2 WACO smashed Montezuma 52-7, ending the Braves’ season and earning a spot in Cedar Falls when the state football semifinals start up at the UNI-Dome next weekend.

“This is big,” WACO coach Chad Edeker said. “We were four points short last year, and we were not going to be short this year.”

The game didn’t exactly start out according to plan. A high-scoring Montezuma offense needed just two plays to score on its first drive, cashing in on a deep ball to start the contest, and then putting it in the end zone on a 16-yard pass from Owen Cook to Garrett Watts.

That touchdown, plus the extra point put Montezuma up 7-0. It was the first time WACO had trailed all year long.

“I told my coaches, it would be interesting to see if they come down and score, how we would respond,” Edeker said. “To come out and score 52-straight points, we responded pretty well.”

Indeed, WACO responded with a power run attack that has buried teams all year long. The Warriors broke loose on a long run by Simeon Reichenbach, and, and Louden Huisenga punched in the first score of the game to make it 7-6 after a missed PAT.

“Falling short last year was tough,” said Huisenga. “It hurt, a lot. It's emotional. We wanted it.”

The Warriors would score once more in the first quarter. This time it was Reichenbach who wound up in the end zone on a 32-yard scamper from a 4th-and-4 situation. Isaac Oswald hit Oleh Shtefanchuk on a two-point conversion, and the Warriors had their first lead, at 14-7.

The Warrior defense turned Montezuma away on four-straight plays inside the 5-yard line to end the first quarter. Then, early in the second quarter, WACO stood tall again, turning a Montezuma red zone chance into a missed field goal.

On the ensuing possession, Reichenbach busted out a big one, running 58 yards to the house to give WACO a two-possession lead. With 7:58 to go in the first half, the Warriors led 21-7.

And the WACO train never stopped rolling from that point forward. The Warriors would score three more times over the next four minutes of play.

Huisenga scored his second touchdown of the night on a 4-yard run to make it 28-7. Reichenbach dashed 40 yards to the end zone after a Montezuma punt, stretching the lead to 34-7, and Reece Oswald had the defensive play of the day, intercepting a pass and running it 26 yards back for a pick-six.

“I dropped back and he didn't see me,” Oswald said. “I read it perfectly, and then Louden had a massive lead block for me, got me open and led me in for an easy touchdown. I wouldn't have gotten into the end zone without his block.”

The two-point conversion made it 42-7 and a Mason Miller interception just before halftime sent the Warriors into the locker rooms with all the momentum and a 35-point lead.

“This night feels pretty special,” said Isaac Oswald. “After last year, coming one game short, it feels good to be on top this time.”

And on top the Warriors stayed. Reichenbach scored the only two touchdowns of the second half, busting through the Braves’ defense for scores from 63 yards and 40 yards out, the finishing touches of a win that puts WACO in the Dome for the first time since 2010.

“It’s really awesome,” Reichenbach said. “The fans, the team, the coaching, the staff. Everybody is making it real fun.”

Reichenbach only needed 13 carries to rack up 264 yards and four touchdowns to lead the offense. Huisenga finished with 19 yards and a score, to go along with his one receiving touchdown.

Oswald completed three passes for 37 yards and one touchdown. Ty Egli was the leading receiver with two catches for 33 yards.

The Warrior defense gave up just 213 yards all night long. On the ground, they let Montezuma rush for just two, stuffing attempt after attempt from the Braves’ ground game.

Colton Leichty led the way with seven tackles, including three sacks and four tackles for loss. Reichenbach had six tackles. Huisenga and Shtefanchuk ended with five apiece, and Egli had a pair of sacks.

The interceptions by Reece Oswald and Miller were the only two takeaways of the ballgame.

The win is WACO’s 12th of the year. That ties a school record. The Warriors haven’t lost since the 2021 quarterfinals.

“This is where it all started last year,” Edeker said. “Those seniors worked their tail off all summer because we lost on this field.”

WACO will host No. 8 Newell-Fonda in the first Class 8-Player semifinal on Wednesday at 1 p.m. No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s will take on No. 4 Lenox in the following contest.