COLUMBIA - A little more than two minutes into the game, Helias scored a touchdown.
The Crusaders kept going from there.
Helias led 27-0 with five minutes remaining in the first quarter Friday night as the Crusaders cruised to a 68-18 victory against the Hickman Kewpies in their first-ever Central Missouri Activities Conference game.
"We started boom, boom, boom and took control of the game early," Helias coach Chris Hentges said. "We were able to execute our offensive and defensive game-plans to a T."
Hickman got the ball first Friday night and on its second play, quarterback TJ Turner was hit just as he threw the ball. It went straight up and settled into the hands of Helias defensive lineman Dylan Kopp for an interception.
The Crusaders needed just four plays to find the end zone, the score coming on a 19-yard pass from Jake Weaver to Cole Stumpe. The PAT was blocked and Helias led 6-0 with 9:56 left in the first quarter.
Helias got the ball right back when kicker Isaac Lopez fell on a loose ball to give the Crusaders the ball at the Kewpie 41.
Five plays later, Alex Clement took a Weaver pass 11 yards for a score and Lopez's PAT made it 13-0 with 7:37 left in the first quarter.
Helias got back on the board just :26 later. The Crusaders recovered an onside kick before Weaver connected with a wide-open Ethan Holzhauser for a 45-yard touchdown and a 20-0 advantage.
Hickman was forced to punt on his next series and Helias took over at its own 44. On first down, Weaver rumbled 56 yards for a touchdown and Lopez's PAT made it 27-0 at the 4:59 mark of the opening quarter.
It was the first of three touchdown runs in the first half for Weaver. The senior scored on runs of 17 and 1 yards in the second quarter as Helias took a 41-12 advantage into halftime.
The Crusaders got the ball first to start the third quarter and needed less than a minute to bring the running clock into play as Weaver connected with Clement on a 44-yard catch and run for a touchdown. Lopez's PAT made it 48-12.
That was it for Weaver, who finished with 13-of-20 passing for 226 yards and four touchdowns while running eight times for 84 yards and three scores.
"Jake had a great night," Hentges said.
In the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Zach Wolken connected with Kaden Hampson for an 8-yard touchdown pass. Philip Knox booted the PAT and Helias led 55-12.
Wolken then threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Carson Brauner two minutes later and it was 62-12. Brauner then ran 6 yards for Helias' final touchdown with 3:47 left in the contest.
Helias finished with 484 yards of offense, rushing 27 times for 188 yards and completing 19-of-27 passes for 296. The Crusaders did not punt in the game.
Hickman was 10-of-23 through the air for 164 yards - 85 of which came on a second-quarter touchdown pass - and had just three rushing yards on 28 attempts. Drew Higgins and Hampson joined Kopp with interceptions in the game.
"This was a good night all-around," Hentges said.
Helias (2-0 overall, 1-0 CMAC) will host Battle (2-0, 1-0) next Friday night at Ray Hentges Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m. Battle defeated Capital City 52-12 at home Friday.
Hickman is now 0-2, 0-1.