Solomon opened last Friday’s contest at Wakefield with a punt and the Bombers started their first possession around midfield. On the first play from scrimmage, speedy junior running back Zack Melius raced for a touchdown. As the night continued, Wakefield’s high-powered offense continued to keep a basic plan. They ran a lot of power football with some toss sweeps and just five pass attempts. The line gave Melius big holes, and his quickness, solid stiff arm and breakaway ability continually yielded scores.
“We just kept that tempo all throughout,” Melius said. “Just being able to score pretty much every time we got the ball. It was awesome.”
Solomon’s defense started to take notice in an eventual 96-46 Wakefield victory. Melius finished with 27 carries for 324 yards and nine rushing scores and also caught two passes for 50 yards and two TDs. His 11 total touchdowns and 66 points each tied the eight-man single game state record set by Chase’s Jake Kizzar in 2009, according to Kansas Sports Hall of Fame records.
“The Solomon players on the other team, after I think my ninth or 10th one, they started talking to me, ‘Oh, how many touchdowns do you have?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know. Enough,’” Melius said. “I knew I had around ten. I didn’t know I had eleven. I didn’t know especially that I tied the state record.”
Melius didn’t find out until KPreps posted the mark on Twitter on Saturday night and friends started to retweet and contact him. Wakefield coach Chris Freeman, who attends the same Baptist church as the Melius’ family, first heard about it Sunday morning.
“He had not mentioned it one time to me,” Freeman said Monday night. “Pretty humble kid.”
The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Melius and senior quarterback Keenan Westerman, a four-year starter, form the backbone for an explosive Bomber squad that averaged 44.4 points per game in 2013. This fall, 2-0 Wakefield paces Kansas in scoring with 146 points. The Bombers haven’t made the playoffs since 2006 and have just two postseason wins in school annals, but will have an opportunity for a big statement Fridaynight.
Wakefield plays host to 2-0 Hanover, ranked No. 1 in Eight-Man, Division I. It marks the first of several key district games in District 4 that also includes No. 2 Osborne, explosive Lincoln and solid Rock Hills and Clifton-Clyde teams.
“We always have that mindset to make it to the playoffs, and we haven’t really been successful in the past, but this year, I believe we will go pretty far,” Melius said.
Freeman is in his 12th year at the school and seventh as head coach. After just seven wins from 2007-09, Wakefield is 21-17 since and has averaged 40 points per game in that span.
“Blessed with great kids,” Freeman said.
Melius has played football since fourth grade. His dad was formerly in the Army, but started the Baptist church in Wakefield and is a pastor there. Melius plays guitar in the church band.
Even as a youngster, Melius had a “running back mentality” and Freeman noticed the talent. Melius has always been a fan of Adrian Peterson’s running style. Peterson is able to run around and past people when needed, but also run through defenders, too.
Melius, who can clean 225, bench 275 and squat around 320 pounds, has similar traits. Freeman calls Melius (three top-six finishes at 1A state track last spring) the fastest player in his tenure.
“I think he is faster with pads on,” Freeman said.
Wakefield has had trouble reaching the playoffs mainly because of a schedule that has routinely included perennial powers Hope, Baileyville, Clifton-Clyde, Osborne, Rock Hills, Peabody-Burns and Hanover. Wakefield is 1-25 against those five squads in the last 10 seasons, but the margins have grown closer.
When Freeman took over as head coach, the Bombers’ numbers were down. Freeman wanted to figure out a way to compete against the top squads.
They worked heavy weight for several years, and have incorporated CrossFit the last couple of years. Freeman credited his assistant, Adam Keating, and his wife, Shanna, with helping. Shanna is an avid CrossFitter and trains with the team. Freeman has used some sport-specific workouts that not only help in football, but also basketball and track.
“There is nothing that we can do on a Friday night or in a practice that is going to be harder than what we see in the weight room at 6:30 in the morning,” Freeman said.
Melius collected 203 rushing yards and three TDs as a freshman before he delivered 1,205 yards and 24 rushing scores as a sophomore. Wakefield, still a junior-heavy team, brought back seven starters on each side of the ball for 2014. Junior James Williams and Dean Glovier start at guard and senior Trey Adams is at end. Junior Cody McMurtrey, at center, is the lone new offensive starter.
“They are just quick,” Melius said. “… They will get off the ball and they will hit you hard.”
Against Solomon, Wakefield ran just 50 offensive plays and tallied 577 offensive yards. The Bombers led 30-0 after the first quarter and 62-24 at halftime. By game’s end, Melius was in the record books – and Wakefield could be on the cusp of some more history this season, starting this week.
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