Staff writer
The game was not as close as the score would indicate.
Southeast of Saline may have only scored twice but they controlled Marion on their home field especially at the line of scrimmage.
The Trojan defense did an admirable job against Sheldon Boone. Boone averaged less than four yards per carry and ended the game with only 69 yards on the ground. It was the first time in three games that Boone was held under 100 yards rushing on the ground.
The SES defense effectively shut down Marion’s strength, the inside running game, by getting penetration through the middle of the Warrior offensive line.
Boone’s north and south running set up everything that Marion wants to do. Drew Maddox and Colten Johnson struggled to gain ground on outside runs because the Trojans were stopping Boone.
The Warrior defense kept Marion in the game. After the Trojans second drive in the first half, where they were able to drive down a short field and score on a 1-yard run by quarterback Bryant Beneke, the Warriors clamped down. Marion held the SES spread passing attack to seven completions for 51 yards.
The Warriors actually ran more plays than SES and had an advantage in time of possession by almost ten minutes. But Marion turned the ball over.
Early in the second half, Sheldon Boone intercepted a pass from Beneke to put the Warriors deep into to Trojan territory.
But Marion proceeded to give the ball right back. Sensing the need to deliver a quick scoring strike, the Warriors passed on their first play of the drive. Quaterback Matt Sprowls lofted a jump ball into the endzone intended for Mitch Cady. The ball ended up in the hands of SES’ Jordan Huggans.
Deflated by the turnover, the Marion defense gave up a 47-yard touchdown run to Brant Weaver a few plays into the Trojans possession. SES completed their second two-point conversion and gained a 16-0 lead, a lead that proved to be insurmountable to the Warriors.
The Warrior offense did gain some momentum in the fourth quarter. They tired out the SES defense enough to once again enter the Trojan redzone. Sprowls, however, proceeded to kill the drive by fumbling on an option play.
It was a tough night for Sprowls who ended up throwing another interception at the end of the game when the Warriors had to pass.
“We shot ourselves in the foot quite a few times,” he said.
Marion will play Hillsboro next week to conclude district play.
“You go back to work in practice,” Marion head coach Grant Thierolf said. “You try to figure out how to make the product better.”
individual statistics
Rushing: Boone: 19-69; Maddox: 9-41; Johnson: 5-25
Passing: Sprowls: 1-11 28 yards; 2 int.
Receiving: Davin Ledford: 1-28
Defense: Boone: int.; Nick Klenda: 3 tackles for a loss; Eric Vogel: 1 sack