Sports editor
The 79-yard touchdown run by junior Marc Washington Friday at Lyons wasn’t even the longest in Marion High School history.
But it was fun for Warriors fans to watch.
With a little more than three minutes left and the Warriors leading 13-6, Washington took a pitch at his own 21-yard line from quarterback Mitchell Leppke, cut left, back right, and sprinted down the sidelines to beat every Lions defender to the end zone.
The Warrior crowd reacted with a roar louder than any during the night, and it was clear Marion would move to 1-0 on the young season.
After his first full varsity game, he walked out of the locker room fresh off a 105-yard, one touchdown performance. One of the last to head out to the bus, Washington, who had his jersey and pads draped over his shoulder, didn’t seem too impressed with himself.
“I was kind of nervous,” he said. “I just tried to make a good impression on Coach.”
That he did.
“I’m very proud of him,” Warrior head coach Grant Thierolf said “He’s worked hard.”
Thierolf also noted the team ran for a total of 319 yards on the ground.
However, Washington, a star running back and kick returner on the MHS junior varsity team a year ago, ignited the crowd and put the nail in the coffin all in one play.
“I was feeling it when I got about 20 yards up, because I knew I had to push it to get in the end zone,” Washington said.
He pushed it just enough, and now has a memory that will last a lifetime.