WEBSTER CITY — As they have done each time this season, the Webster City football team picked itself up after a loss and dominated.

The Lynx strengthened their hold on a playoff bid with a 55-7 victory over Storm Lake here Friday night. Webster City (5-3 overall) closes out the regular season this week against Denison-Schleswig.

After losses to Humboldt, Waverly-Shell Rock and Spencer this year, the Lynx have come out with a vengeance, outscoring their next opponents by a combined 158-21.

“Since all three losses have been against very good teams, it’s not always a case of bouncing back,” WCHS head coach Bob Howard said. “It’s staying focused on getting better each practice and sticking to what we do.”

Webster City scored 34 points in the opening 12 minutes, and led 47-0 at the break. Storm Lake finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth.

Jaxon Cherry ran for 154 yards and five touchdowns on just 12 carries, averaging almost 13 yards per tote. Ty McKinney had 63 yards rushing and was a perfect 3-for-3 passing for 88 yards and two scores, giving him a quarterback rating of 346.4 on the night.

Cael NIxon ran for 82 yards and a touchdown, CJ Hisler had 71 and Jayden Weinzetl 50. Keegan Hisler caught two passes for 80 yards with a score, while Brendyn Carlsen also caught a touchdown from McKinney.

“We have a small senior class, but several of them are three- and four-year starters and have played on some successful teams,” Howard said. “They know how to prepare and how to ignore the noise and keep moving forward toward their goals, providing examples for our younger players.”

On defense, Nixon recorded 6.5 tackles with a sack, Skyler Scott had a sack, Luke Estlund recovered a fumble and McKinney picked off a pass.

Denison-Schleswig suffered a 28-7 loss to Fort Dodge last week. Last season, Webster City earned a 56-14 victory over the Monarchs.

“Same focus as every week: making the most of the practice time we have available,” Howard said. “Denison-Schleswig presents a great challenge with their passing game, athletic quarterback and their linebackers.”