Aiden Smitherman

WAUKEE — Waukee quarterback Beckett Bakker threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Warriors past Marshalltown 55-13 in Friday’s Class 5A football game.

Bakker was 14-for-19 with an interception that gave the Bobcats hope early on. Marshalltown (3-3) trailed 13-7 when Drake Gersema picked off Bakker’s pass into the end zone, but Marshalltown was unable to convert. Instead, Waukee regained possession and control, scoring on six of its final seven drives to put the game away.

A 92-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Aiden Smitherman helped MHS answer Waukee’s opening touchdown, but the Bobcats didn’t score again until quarterback Jamison Niehouse found paydirt on a 4-yard plunge late in the third quarter.

Niehouse led MHS with 89 rushing yards, Tyler Englund had 68 yards, and Smitherman added 48 more according to statistics provided by KFJB. The Bobcats were held to two pass completions for 13 yards, but rushed for 258 yards in the loss.

Waukee (2-4) piled up 449 yards of total offense. Ben Case Haub had six carries for 75 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bobcats are back at home next Friday with a game against Dallas Center-Grimes.