WACO football 1 win away

WAYLAND — On Thursday night, one of the two teams playing on the WACO football field will be celebrating the accomplishment of their high school careers. Either No. 2 WACO or Montezuma will be heading to the UNI-Dome and the Class 8-Player semifinals.

It’s a chance for the Warriors to jump one-step further than last season, when WACO lost a heartbreaker to Audubon 34-30 in this exact game.

Both the Warriors and the Braves come in red hot. WACO comes in with an undefeated 11-0 record, and Montezuma is 9-2, having won its last six games.

The two teams have been a lot different in how they’ve won games, however. WACO has been dominant in all 11 contests, scoring a minimum of 42 points in every single contest and never allowing more than the 26 they allowed in a 54-26 shelling of Iowa Valley.

Montezuma, on the other hand, has been the team of destiny. The Braves were just 4-2 after a blowout 52-20 loss to the same Southeast Warren team WACO beat at the beginning of the year, but since then has won three nail-biters along with a couple of runaways.

Among those nail-biters for the Braves was a 64-62 regular season home win against Baxter, a thrilling 44-42 win over Iowa Valley in the first round of the playoffs, and a comeback win last week at No. 5 English Valleys, where the Braves rallied from a 30-7 deficit to win 60-38.

WACO’s stats aren’t too eye-popping, mostly due to the blowout fashion of most of the Warriors’ wins, but also due to an incredible balance between the pass and the run.

Quarterback Isaac Oswald has thrown for 1,313 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also throwing five interceptions. He has also rushed for 182 yards and eight scores.

Oswald’s top receiver has been Oleh Shtefanchuk, who has caught 17 passes for 392 yards and nine touchdowns. Mason Miller has caught the most passes, with 19, and has went for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

In big games, however, the Warriors have often relied on their workhorse running back, Simeon Reichenbach. Reichenbach has gobbled up yards, getting 1,187 of them and 26 touchdowns this season.

The WACO defense has been as good as advertised all season. Not only have the Warriors stifled opposing offenses points-wise, but they’ve also created 30 turnovers.

Miller, who picked of a school-record nine interceptions last season has a chance to break that on Thursday. He currently has eight interceptions. Shtefanchuk has four picks. Clayton Miller, Louden Huisenga and Reichenbach all have three, and both Huisenga and Reichenbach have taken one back to the end zone.

Overall, the Warriors have 22 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Colton Leichty has three of those fumble recoveries, and also one pick. Kohl Hildebrand has recovered two fumbles.

As far as pure tackles are concerned, Drew Diers leads the way for the Warriors. He has 82 tackles on the season.

Montezuma quarterback Owen Cook slings the ball around the field with the best of them. He has thrown for 2,340 yards and a ridiculous 46 touchdowns, while only throwing eight interceptions.

The Braves have a two-headed monster at receiver, as Garrett Watts has caught 44 passes for 1,034 yards and 21 touchdowns, and Masin Shearer has caught 68 passes for 834 yards and 16 scores.

When the Braves do run it, it’s usually with sophomore Brett Plants. Plants has rushed for 903 yards and eight touchdowns.

Montezuma’s defense is led by Brady Ogan, who has 70 tackles on the year. The Braves have picked off 11 passes, and also recovered 11 fumbles led by three fumble recoveries apiece from Kennen Roadcap and Tod Geiger.

Montezuma has had a little magic in the return game. Freshman Brady Boulton has taken two kick returns to the house.

The winner of the game will be playing in one of two Class 8-Player semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls next Wednesday.