PUNXSUTAWNEY — Punxsutawney Phil would have been elated at the performance of the Chucks football team Friday night at LaMarca Stadium.

Scoring the first three times they touched the ball, the Chucks built a 23-0 lead before cruising to a 45-16 KSAC win over Moniteau.

Not only did the Chucks light up the scoreboard, they did it with big plays.

Nick Wehrle scored on a 36-yard run, Brennan Niver ripped off a 60-yard TD jaunt and Wehrle scored for the second time in the game when he hauled in a 73-yard pass from quarterback Logan Weaver.

"We have been working hard and trying to play hard, and tonight we executed, which we didn't do the first two weeks," said Punxsy coach Alan Nichol.

When you fall behind early, it makes the situation that much more difficult, lamented Moniteau coach Jeff Campbell.

"It is tough to battle from behind, but kudos to (the Chucks). I knew coming that they were better than 0-2," Campbell said.

Not only did the Warriors fall behind early, they compromised their position by committing numerous penalties and mental errors.

"We came out and made the same mistakes we made Week 1 against Clarion with pretty much the same result," said Campbell. "Last week, we played aggressive and tough (in the win over Clarion-Limestone) and the result was a win.

"We played last week like (Punxsutawney) played this week. They needed a win, they played hungry, and we didn't do that tonight," he added.

Facing the 23-point deficit, the Warriors finally dented the scoring column with a 36-yard run by Kyle Armagost.

But the Chucks went right back to work to tally a pair of touchdowns on a 40-yard run by Weaver and a 5-yard run by Niver.

Having scored only six points through the first 23-plus minutes, the Warriors tacked on three more when Tony Miller drilled a 29-yard field goal.

With the issue pretty much decided, the teams traded touchdowns in the second half.

The Chucks put the game into the mercy rule situation four minutes into the third period when Weaver hooked up with Braedon Pennington for a 17-yard scoring aerial before Warriors running back James Shope outraced the Chucks defense for an 80-yard TD on the first play of the final period.

For Punxsy, the 45 points they scored were the most since 2001.

"We needed this win and we just have to keep working and trying to get better," said Nichol.