By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

You’d have to go back nearly a year to find the last time the Peabody Warrior football team tasted victory.

And outside the 2017 season finale against Cedar Vale when the Warriors came within 62-58, competing has been a struggle let alone winning with Peabody being held to just 14 points in two games.

The hosting Chase County Bulldogs were just the team the Warriors needed to see Friday to bury frustration, which they did, using a 32-point second half to top the Bulldogs, 46-24.

The Warriors’ first victory of the season snaps a six-game losing streak dating back to last year and boosts them to 1-2 on the year.

Peabody had to come from behind, though, with Trint Rogers scampering 42 yards to give the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead 1:30 into action.

But Rogers was the Bulldogs’ only weapon, accounting for all 267 yards, including a game-high 201 yards and four scores, five turnovers left it Chase County’s game to lose.

Peabody climbed into the driver’s seat late in the first quarter with quarterback Rocco Weerts going long for Andrew Hauck on a 68-yard touchdown.

Landon Rives capped the drive bulling his way in on the two-point conversion, and Peabody was ahead 8-6 with 2:50 left in the first.

Hauck’s touchdown sparked three straight, which stretched the Peabody lead to 22-6 before Rogers could answer on the first drive of the second half.

The other two touchdowns came courtesy of Jess Philpott, who nearly matched Rogers’ numbers, running for a team-season-high 183 yards and pacing a 301-yard ground attack.

Two carries alone supplied Philpott with 105 yards, and he scored on runs of 10, 50, and 55 yards to leave the Bulldogs trailing 28-12 with 2:35 to go in the third quarter.

The Bulldog defense simply had no way to corral the Warriors, who steamrolled them for a season-high 452 yards, including 151 through the air.

Weerts pitched in a trio of scores of his own, pushing the lead to 34-12 to start the fourth quarter, taking it in on a 13-yard quarterback keeper.

Rogers cut the lead to 34-18, taking the ensuing kick 79 yards 15 seconds later.

The Warriors’ other touchdown came courtesy of Rives with 6:17 left in the game, plowing in from 3 for a 40-18 lead.

The Bulldogs’ had one gasp left with just over 4:00 left and Rogers closed out Chase County’s scoring with a 61-yard touchdown.

Weerts slammed the door on the Bulldogs with 1:37 to go, scoring on a 24-yard run with the two-point try no good.

Peabody returns home Friday to host Herington at 7 p.m.