By Matt Wilson

For the FCT

The Vina Red Devils got a win for the first time in a long time, but they did it in a convincing manner, beating Waterloo 40-6 at home Friday night.

Starting off the scoring barrage for the Red Devils was Joseph Emerson who ran for a touchdown in the opening quarter to put Vina on top, 6-0.

The Vina defense played strong all game, limiting the Cougars in yardage and points all evening. Ryder Steele and Eli Hiser started the trend of big stops and stingy defensive play early in the first half and Tyler Renfrow had an early interception as well.

Half way through the second quarter, Eli Hiser caught a touchdown pass to extend their lead to 12-0. Just before halftime, Andrew Upton caught another touchdown pass and with a two-point conversion, the Red Devils had put together a solid first half and stretched their lead out to 20-0.

But the scoring in the opening half wasn’t done yet. After another solid bought of defense from Zack Creekmore and Dakota Lovett, Vina took over on downs.

Joseph Emerson hauled in a touchdown to make it 26-0 for the home team heading into the locker room.

The third quarter was the quietest of the contest as both teams swapped possessions on interceptions and stout defense.

The fourth quarter saw the Red Devils tack on another touchdown to open the final frame before Waterloo finally made its way onto the board. With the score 32-6 and 25 seconds left, Emerson rushed for a final touchdown of the evening. Creekmore tacked on a two-point conversion to seal the final score at 40-6.

The Red Devils are now 1-1 on the season. Vina has an open week Sept. 12 before traveling to Decatur Heritage Sept. 18.