MILLER — The Wolsey-Wessington Warbirds, ranked No. 3 in Class 9AA football, scored on six of their seven first-half possessions and overwhelmed the 2nd-ranked Miller/Highmore-Harrold Rustlers 50-0 in a mercy-rule shortened game that was the season opener for both teams.
The Rustler and Warbird fans had not even settled in with their popcorn before Wolsey-Wessington was lighting up the scoreboard. An onside kick to open the game set the Warbirds up at the Rustler 33-yard line. On the first offensive snap of the season, senior Lynden Williams scored and the Warbirds were up 6-0, with only 11 ticks off the clock.
The Rustlers managed a first down, but quarterback Karst Hunter was sacked on a third and 5 play, forcing a punt.
The Warbirds took over on their own 8-yard line and ground out a couple first downs before Devante Luelleman bounced outside and raced to paydirt from 63 yards out. Diedrich Offt ran in the conversion and it was 14-0 with 6:45 to play in the quarter.
Miller/Highmore-Harrold got a bit of momentum on its next possession, churning out a couple of first downs on the legs of Hunter, before missing a handoff and turning the ball back to the Warbirds.
With just over four minutes in the quarter, Wolsey-Wessington continued to chew up the yardage on the ground, as Williams, Luellman and quarterback Skylar Zomer methodically moved the ball down the field, with Luellman capping the drive with a one-yard plunge, as the clock rolled past the one-minute mark, giving the Warbirds a 22-0 cushion after one quarter.
After a Rustler three-and-out, the Warbirds took possession and promptly fumbled the ball back to Miller/Highmore-Harrold. They were unable to move the ball and turned it over on downs, putting W-W in business at its own 12-yard line.
Zomer controlled the entire Warbird possession, gaining nine yards on a run, throwing an incompletion, then calling his own number and converting from 79-yards out to make it 28-0.
The Warbirds were making the scoreboard flicker again a short time later, as Williams took a handoff and bounced off a couple of Rustlers, hit the jets and didn’t stop, scoring from 55-yards out. Zomer hit Brevan Hooks with a conversion pass to extend the Wolsey-Wessington lead.
Hunter led the Rustlers on their most promising drive of the half, running and passing Miller/Highmore-Harrold to a first and goal from the 7-yard line. But a tackle for loss and back-to-back sacks ended the threat and Wolsey-Wessington looked to run out the first-half clock, seemingly content with its 36-point lead.
But with 10 ticks on the clock, Luellman hit paydirt for the third time, toting the rock from 57-yards out, making the score 44-0 at the half, with the magical 50-point mercy rule looming.
It didn’t take long.
