Football: Wausau West has no answers for Chi-Hi run game in loss.

It was a tough Homecoming game for the Wausau West football team as Chippewa Falls came to Thom Field and beat the Warriors 41-0 in a game broadcast on Wausau Area Sports. The combination of a Chippewa Falls running game that put up 359 yards and averaged more than 11 yards per carry and the Warriors stat of moving inside the Cardinals' 20 yard line 5 times without scoring was too much to overcome.

Chippewa Falls took charge early with long scoring runs on three straight offensive plays from scrimmage in the first quarter. First it was a 30 yard run on 4th down by Talen Shilts with 7:18 left in the 1st quarter to put Chi-Hi up 7-0. After a blocked punt that started their next drive on the Warrior 21, Chippewa Falls made it 13-0 on the next play when Gavin Shilts took it to the end zone with 5:20 left in the quarter. The Cardinals then started their next drive on their own 40 and made it 3 straight touchdown plays as Talen Shilts scored his second touchdown by going 60 yards with 2:25 left in the 1st and it was 21-0.

Wausau West would then drive deep into Chippewa Falls territory early in the 2nd quarter. The Warriors faced a 3rd and 13 from the Chi-Hi 15 when Miles Waldvogel gained 10 yards to the Cardinal 5. Waldvogel, who had already gained 71 yards on 10 carries in the game, was injured on the play and would not return. Then, on 4th and 3, Jackson Riley's pass intended for Luke Saari in the end zone was picked off by Gavin Shilts and Shilts returned the interception 100 yards for the touchdown to put Chippewa Falls up 28-0 with 7:23 left in the 2nd quarter. Gavin Shilts would then add a 14 yard scoring run for his 3rd TD of the half with :59 left in the quarter to make it 34-0 at halftime.

The final Chippewa Falls score came on the first series of the 2nd half as Talen Shilts made it 3 TD's for himself with a 28 yard run with 9:50 to go in the 3rd and it was 41-0. The Warriors would drive consistently throughout with those five drives in the "red zone" but could never finish the drive in the end zone. Talen Shilts had 5 carries for 141 yards with those 3 scores while Gavin Shilts had 5 carries for 81 yards. Chippewa Falls attempted and completed just one pass for 3 yards in the game.

Waldvogel had the 71 yards on 10 carries in less than a quarter and half to lead the West offense. Jackson Riley hit on 11 of 25 passes for 142 yards and 1 interception. Marcus Koenigs had 4 catches for 30 yards while Finn Christensen had 2 catches for 49 yards and Madden Moua 2 catches for 40 yards for the Warriors.

Chippewa Falls improved to 6-2 with the win while the Warriors are now 5-3. West will finish the regular season next Friday night at Eau Claire North in a vital game for the playoff situation of the Warriors. Wausau West at Eau Claire North will be broadcast live on Wausau Area Sports starting with the pregame at 6:35 pm and kickoff at 7.