The Columbia and Waterloo football teams picked up much-needed victories Friday, with both using their running game to do so. 

Columbia (1-5) won its first game of the season, 42-0 at home over Wood River. 

The Eagles ran for 306 yards on the night, led by junior quarterback Mason Voegele. He carried the ball five times for 102 yards and three touchdowns in Columbia’s homecoming game win. 

Logan Hicks started the scoring for the Eagles via a 58-yard TD run in the game’s opening seconds. 

Voegele added a short TD run to close out the quarter with Columbia on top 14-0. 

Voegele then ripped off runs of 50 and 23 yards in the second quarter. That was followed by his 25-yard TD pass to Lucas Riebeling in the waning seconds of the first half. 

Columbia led 35-0 at halftime. 

In the third quarter, Voegele threw a 10-yard TD strike to Jackson Buelteman, sending Eagles fans home happy for the first time this fall. 

Kason Moskop led Columbia’s defense with eight tackles on the night. 

The Eagles play at Salem (3-3) this Friday. The Wildcats lost 41-7 at Breese Central last week.

Similar to their neighbors to the north, Waterloo (2-4) emerged victorious Friday night. 

The Bulldogs ran for 264 yards in a 21-12 win at Jerseyville. 

Derez Sayles, a sophomore running back, led Waterloo with 177 yards rushing on 28 carries. 

The win snapped a three-game slide for the ‘Dogs.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Sayles put the Bulldogs on the board with a 34-yard TD scamper early in the second quarter. 

It was a 7-0 lead for Waterloo at the half. 

Koby Osterhage, a senior who started the season at quarterback but now plays at running back, scored on a 23-yard run at 8:23 of the third quarter. 

After Jerseyville scored early in the fourth quarter, Osterhage answered with a short TD run that put the Bulldogs up 21-6. 

Jerseyville added a short passing TD with 6:16 left in the contest, but there would be no more scoring on this night. 

Waterloo sophomore QB Conrad Lindhorst completed just two passes on the night – both to Osterhage for a total of 33 yards. Osterhage added 60 rushing yards. 

Waterloo’s defense had seven total sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception on the night. 

Gavin Lich picked up eight tackles, 10 assists, a sack and two fumble recoveries for the ‘Dogs, who host Civic Memorial for their homecoming game this Friday night. 

Civic Memorial (2-4) lost 63-8 to Highland last week. 

It was a different story for Dupo, however. 

The Tigers dropped to 3-3 on the season with a 63-12 defeat Friday at Red Bud (3-2). 

Dupo fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter to the Musketeers and never recovered. 

Deegan Prater, a sophomore QB, was 10-for-29 passing for 169 yards and four interceptions to just one TD pass. 

Connor Ballard had four catches for 103 yards to lead the Tigers, who play Friday at Chester trying to snap a three-game losing skid.

Chester (3-3) won 34-0 at Carlyle on Friday.