Despite an early two-touchdown deficit, the Waterloo High School football squad found its bearings and went on to throttle Mt. Vernon to open the season in style at home Friday night, posting a 34-17 win.

Mt. Vernon scored on a 71-yard touchdown run just 12 seconds into the game and then went up 14-0 on a 35-yard pass play just a couple of minutes later before the Bulldogs battled back. 

The game was halted for several minutes in the first quarter due to a scary leg injury sustained by Waterloo’s Carter Cozean, who was carted off the field and did not return.

A focused Bulldogs squad used a powerful rushing attack to eventually wear down Mt. Vernon’s defense, with two running backs taking advantage of an offensive line that features two players weighing over 300 pounds.

Derez Sayles rushed for 167 yards and three TDs, with Jaxson Mathenia churning out 138 yards and a pair of scores. Mathenia – who was impressive early last season before getting injured – serves as the thunder to Sayles’ lightning.

Mathenia scored first for Waterloo on a 14-yard run with just more than four minutes left in the opening quarter. Sayles scored next in the final seconds of the first quarter from four yards out.

Following a short field goal from Mt. Vernon to start the second quarter, Sayles scored again on a 24-yard scamper. 

The Bulldogs led 20-17 at halftime.

The second half was all Waterloo, with Mathenia running in from eight yards out and Sayles scoring from two yards out to help the host Bulldogs pull away in the third quarter. 

There was no scoring in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs celebrated a 17-point victory.

Waterloo ran for 373 yards as a team on 51 carries, which was good for a 7.3 yards per carry average. 

On defense, the Bulldogs got a sack from Mathenia as well as a pair of fumble recoveries from Peyton Rose.

Cannon Richard also got in on the action by recovering a fumble. 

Up next for Waterloo is a much-anticipated Route 3 Rivalry contest at home against Columbia this Friday at 7 p.m. 

The Eagles are eager to get back in the win column and resume bragging rights after falling to the Bulldogs each of the past two seasons.

This year’s rivalry showdown is taking place as part of the Great American Rivalry series presented by the U.S. Army and Marines. This series highlights high school football games around the country.

The winning team as part of this series is presented with the Great American Rivalry championship trophy, and the top senior student athlete from each football program receives a scholar athlete award.