CHERRY TWP — Cody Wise runs angry.

The 6-foot, 215-pound senior seeks out contact when he is rumbling with the football as a battering-ram of running back for the Moniteau football team.

He isn't happy unless he has a chance to run over an opponent.

Or three.

“It feels good,” Wise said. “It makes the rest of the team feel better.”

But certainly not the player — or players — trying to bring Wise down.

“He plays tailback like he plays linebacker,” said Moniteau coach Bob Rottman.

And how does Wise play linebacker?

“You gotta be crazy,” Wise said.

“He initiates contact,” Rottman added, “He makes it go back there.”

Through two weeks, Wise has rushed for 273 yards and two touchdowns.

He had 160 yards and a touchdown in a Week Zero win over Kane and added 113 yards and a score in a loss to Clarion that was much closer than the final.

After falling behind 28-0 at the half, the Warriors dominated the line of scrimmage in the final two quarters.

Wise was particularly effective.

Wearing the opponent out is the goal in every game for the Warriors.

A training camp that had the players running up the steep hills at the high school stadium has had a lot to do with the endurance, Wise said.

“I think it's helping out a lot,” he said. “We're in much better shape than we were last year.”

The offense is also much different that 2017.

Rottman, in his first year as the head coach after serving as an assistant under Wade Vogan and Jon McCune, scrapped most of the spread offense and instilled a more traditional I-formation attack.

It's been a much better fit for Wise.

“This is the offense for me,” Wise said. “We didn't have the players to run the offense we did last year. Not that we don't have athletes, but this fits our style more. This is what Moniteau is about.”

And Wise seems to be what Moniteau is about.

Wise didn't have a hard time explaining what that is.

“Punish people,” he said. “That's pretty much what we want to do.”

Wise has a good line and fullback to run behind, which has helped him get off to such a good start.

Nick Martino, another bruiser, is the fullback.

The goals are high for both Wise and Martino.

“Our coaching staff set some for us and we set some for ourselves,” Wise said, “We want two 1,000-yard rushers. No fumbles. Stuff like that.”

The main goal, though, for Wise and the Warriors is to serve notice to the rest of District 9 that they are a team to watch.

“We want to be better than last year,” Wise said.