SEYMOUR - The Seymour Warriors jumped out to an early Friday night and then held off a late Mormon Trail surge to win the opening game of the 2008 gridiron season.

After a Brady McElvain interception, Seymour’s offense went on a nine play drive, with Dillon Horton crossing the goal line from three yards out, to give the home team a 6-0 lead. The defense forced another Saint turnover as Horton recovered the fumbled ball on the visitors’ 27 yard line.

On the next play quarterback Cody Jellison connected with Tanner Banks for a 27 yard scoring pass. Horton converted the two-pointer and the Warriors led 14-0.

The visitors pulled back within six points as Caleb Moore returned the ensuing kickoff to the endzone.

On the following possession, the Warriors went back to the ground game, mounting a 10-play drive with Jellison scoring from the one, giving Seymour a 22-8 advantage at the quarter break.

The Warriors would score twice in the second period, one on a 41-yard pass from Jellison to McElvain, and the other set up by a Travis Young interception and a 34-yard run by Horton to the MT one-yard line.

Moore ran back another kickoff for the Saints and the Warriors led at the half, 36-14.

In the third quarter, Jellison hooked up with McElvain on another 41-yard strike to close out the Warriors’ scoring. From there, it was all Mormon Trail, as their big physical running game dominated the final minutes of the contest. It wasn’t enough, however as when the clock ran out Seymour walked off the field with the 42-36 victory.

Cody Jellison was 5 for 9 passing for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had two rushing scores. Brady McElvain (2) and Tanner Banks had TD receptions while Dillon Horton was the workhorse in the backfield carrying the ball 18 times for 125 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Horton paced the team with 10 tackles, as Ivan Vanderlinden added 7, Banks, McElvain, and Quinten Merritt each had six stops on the night. Travis Young, Tim Horman, and Troy Conger all made 5 tackles in the contest.

Next up for the Warriors will be the team from Grandview Park Baptist in Des Moines.

A 7 p.m. kickoff is scheduled at Pep Stadium in Seymour.