The WACO Warriors have established themselves as one of the best 8-player football teams in the state. But only one team can win the biggest prize, and the road to the UNI-Dome for second-ranked WACO starts tonight when they host Martensdale-St Marys in a playoff game you can hear on the KCII2 app and KCIIradio.com.

WACO is 9-0 for the second straight year and has won every game by at least 25 points. The Warriors are averaging 48 points per game with a balanced offensive attack. Senior quarterback Isaac Oswald has passed for almost 1,100 yards and 18 touchdowns. Senior receiver Oleh Shtefanchuk has hauled in seven of those TD throws, while senior Simeon Reichenbach is closing in on a 1,000-yard rushing season and has scored 20 times.

On defense, WACO has been pretty close to elite, giving up less than 14 points a game. Senior linebacker Drew Diers leads the team with 68-and-a-half tackles, while junior Colton Leichty has been a force with 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. Senior Ty Egil has also been a great edge rusher with 11 tackles for loss and five sacks, but as often as the Warriors invade the backfield, they also take the ball away consistently. Led by Leichty’s three fumble recoveries and six interceptions from senior Mason Miller, WACO has come up with 24 total forced turnovers.

The Warriors’ primary objective will be to slow down Martensdale-St Marys running back Kade Mullins. The junior is over 1,200 yards on the ground and has 20 touchdowns. On defense, juniors Jaxson Bowlin and Sampson Henson have been the main game-changers for the 4-4 Blue Devils, combining for 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks. WACO won last year’s playoff meeting with MSM 50-0 and hopes for similar results tonight.

Our coverage begins live from Wayland with the Washington HyVee Pregame Show at 6:30 leading up to the kickoff at 7. Tune in by downloading the free KCII2 mobile app or by going to KCIIradio.com, clicking Listen Live and selecting KCII2.