In local high school football action, Waterloo and Columbia posted convincing wins Friday night. 

Waterloo (5-1) won 50-15 at home over Jerseyville for its homecoming game. Derez Sayles ran for 138 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. 

It was Waterloo running back Austin Crider that got the scoring started, however, with a 27-yard TD scamper at 8:15 of the first quarter. 

A Jerseyville TD run tied the game at 7-7, and that’s how the score remained after one quarter.

Another Sayles TD run, this one from one yard out,  was followed by another TD run by Jerseyville in the second quarter. Sayles, however, quickly answered with an 87-yard TD scamper with just 37 seconds remaining in the first half.

The second half was all Waterloo. 

First, Crider scored on a 19-yard run with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter. 

Then it was newly crowned homecoming king Patrick O’Donnell’s turn. He  made two interceptions on the night, one of which was returned 28 yards for a score just seven seconds after the long Sayles run. 

Sayles added his third TD run of the night to close out third quarter scoring. 

In all, Waterloo rushed for 304 yards on the night behind a stout offensive line.

Sayles scored his fourth TD run of the night for good measure with 5:21 left in the game.

In addition to Sayles’ 100-yard rushing night, Crider ran for 119 yards on seven carries. 

Now at 5-1, Waterloo is playoff eligible. The Bulldogs play this Friday at Civic Memorial (2-4).

Columbia (4-2) won 60-12 over Wood River on Friday night. It was the most points scored in a single game for the Eagles since a September 2017 contest.

Logan Hicks scored four TDs on the night – two rushing and two receiving. 

The Eagles defense recorded a safety and three fumble recoveries, returning one for a TD.

Hicks got the scoring started with a 67-yard TD run just 16 seconds in. Following a short Mason Voegele TD run, Hicks caught an eight-yard TD pass from Voegele at 1:42 of the first quarter for an early 21-0 lead.

Wood River ran in a score in the second quarter, so the Eagles took a 21-6 lead into halftime.

Hicks started off the second half much like he did the first, ripping off a 22-yard TD run. Keegan Thompson added a short field goal, and then Voegele passed to Hicks for a seven-yard TD at 4:03 of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Thompson ran it in from 14 yards out, and then the Eagles got a safety, a 55-yard kick return TD by Jase Nelson and a Carson Campbell 23-yard fumble recovery return for a TD – all in the matter of a few minutes of gametime clock.

Hicks finished with 105 yards rushing on just four carries.

Voegele was 9-of-11 passing for 174 yards and also ran for 30 yards.

Leading the way on defense for Columbia was Talon Simshauser with 12 tackles. 

Columbia hosts Salem (1-5) this Friday for its homecoming game.  

Dupo (4-2) lost at home against Red Bud (4-2) on Friday, 21-20. 

The Tigers trailed 21-7 at halftime but clawed back to make for a nailbiter at the end.

Dupo hosts Chester (5-1) this Friday night. 

Red Bud plays Friday at Wesclin (1-5).