Wapello steamrolls Columbus 49-7

The Columbus Wildcats football team was steamrolled 49-7 at home Friday night by the Wapello Indians.

The Wildcat defense was no match for the Indians, who racked up 426 offensive yards – 167 through the air and 259 on the ground.

After Wapello scored on its opening drive, Wildcat running back Will Schwab fumbled a backfield toss, and the Indians took over on the Columbus 7-yard line, setting up a 2-yard touchdown run by Wapello's Jake Gustafson, giving the Indians a 14-0 lead.

The Wapello offense scored two more touchdowns in the opening period, before the Indians' defense got in on the scoring.

Wapello's Brantley Palmer recovered a high Wildcat snap in the end zone, giving the Indians a 35-0 lead at the end of the period.

The Columbus offensive line struggled to open holes against a much larger Wapello defensive front.

'They're bigger than us, and they controlled the line of scrimmage,” Columbus head coach Dave Lewka said. 'When we can't get our stuff going, especially on the interior part of our line, it's tough for us.”

The Indians added a touchdown in both the second and third quarters to take a 49-0 lead.

Late in the third quarter, Columbus' Tucker Bright recovered a Wapello fumble on the Indians' 27-yard line.

Bright's fumble recovery set up the Wildcats' only score of the game, a 24-yard touchdown run by Kaden Amigon-Suiter to open the fourth quarter.

The loss moved Columbus to a 2-3 overall record, while Wapello moved to 2-2.