A quick start and a dominant performance by quarterback Hayden Shelman pushed the WACO Warriors (2-0, 1-0) to a 41-22 victory over the Winfield-Mt. Union Wolves on KCII3 Friday night.

An early penalty set the Warriors up with good position early in the game as Shelman showed his athleticism early, starting off the night with a 34-yard touchdown run. 

The Wolves immediately gave the ball back to WACO with a fumble on a mishandled exchange, and Shelman punched it in again on a read option to make it 14-0 Warriors.

Winfield-Mt. Union scored next, capitalizing on a long, sustained drive with an 11-yard touchdown rush by sophomore running back Kade Sweezer.

Shelman took total control of the game from there.

On a play-action pass that initially looked like a broken play, he slipped his way out of trouble, spinning his way for a 45-yard touchdown run, hitting multiple cutback lanes and breaking four tackles on his way down the field. 

He worked his magic once again later in the half, breaking into the open field on another read option, dashing his way untouched into the end zone for his fourth score of the night and a 28-8 lead, which remained the score at half. 

Both teams went scoreless in the third, but the Wolves came roaring out the gates in the fourth in an attempt to make a comeback.

Quarterback Cody Milks found tight end Max Edwards on a post route for a perfectly-placed 26-yard touchdown pass, bringing the game within two scores.

That was as close as it got.

A series of penalties set the Warriors up with great field position yet again, and Shelman threw a short pass to Levi Brown for WACO’s lone passing touchdown of the night.

Milks hit Edwards again on another deep post touchdown, but Shelman proceeded to slam the door, slipping through a hole in the defensive line for a 67-yard game-sealing scamper and his 6th touchdown of the game.

Shelman finished the game with 275 total yards and six total touchdowns.

Warrior head coach Chad Edeker discussed what stood out about Shelman’s performance, “We try to focus on him, and other teams know that. That’s probably what’s most impressive about him, is other teams are trying to stop him and he still had a really good game.”

For WMU, Milks ended with 224 yards through the air, split fairly evenly between Edwards’ 115 receiving yards and Tayson Samuels’ 109.

Defensively, Colin Anderson stood out for the Wolves, collecting four TFLs on the night.

WMU will return to action next Friday as they hit the road to take on English Valleys.

WACO heads home next Friday as they take on HLV/TC for homecoming on next week’s KCII Area Game of the Week.