The WACO Warrior football team are making the long drive to West Des Moines today to face Coon Rapids-Bayard at Valley Stadium. WACO got the new started with a Week Zero victory over Central City, at one point score 38 unanswered points to take a 45-12 lead before going on to win 51-36.

Quarterback Clayton Miller showed off his arm, completing 14 out of 21 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns. It was an excellent follow-up to Miller’s first season as the starter, when he threw for over 840 yards, 18 TDs and only two interceptions.

Fellow senior Louden Huisenga scored three times running the ball last week and is coming off putting up almost 990 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns last year. Senior Gage Samo was the big-play threat in the passing game with four receptions for 70 yards and a score.

On defense, Huisenga flew around with a team-high 12-and-a-half tackles against Central City and was WACO’s leading tackler in 2023, piling up 11 tackles for loss as well.

WACO is taking on a Coon Rapids-Bayard team that has gone 3-5 for three straight seasons. The Warriors battle the Crusaders this afternoon, starting with kickoff at 3 o’clock.