From the sidelines
One thing is obvious about the 2004-05 Marion High School sports season: There are no slouches in the Mid-Central Activities Association.
As MHS football coach Grant Thierolf stated before the season, "Gone are the days we just show up and win."
While the football team shared a division title, it certainly didn't come easy.
Two of its three losses were to MCAA schools, (although only one counted as a division loss because of the two division format in the league) and a loss to league foe Hesston ended the Warriors' season.
The volleyball team won three of its first four league matches, only to lose its final six. In the regular season they had a .438 winning percentage outside the league, and .300 against league opponents.
Basketball is learning there is no easy MCAA victory.
The girls' team has won just two of nine league games, (but its record is 1-6 because the first two don't count toward league record) but won four of seven out of the league.
The boys' team has won at Hoisington and Ellinwood, but lost by double-digits at home to Collegiate and Hillsboro.
Warrior Dale Vogel leads the league in scoring at 17.3 points per game, while undefeated Hillsboro's leading scorer is at 11.9 points per game.
At 7-0 in the league and 16-0 overall, Hillsboro doesn't have one player averaging more than 12 points per game.
That goes to show how balanced the league is.
The wrestling team has had its share of ups and downs in the new league. One thing it has learned is you can't send a squad of only nine wrestlers on the mat and hope to win very often.
It's not the team's fault they have injuries, but the teams in the MCAA are not going to let a team that gives up 24-30 points on forfeits every match win very often.
It makes the Warriors have to be at the top of their game. And on some occasions they have been.
Casey Nelson has put together a 26-6 campaign after finishing under .500 a season ago.
Freshman Charlie Holub is 12-4, and has an outside chance at reaching the state tournament.
Forcing them to be on top of their game is what makes the move to the league a good one.
It just isn't fair for the athletes who were used to playing in the old league, and now have to transition to a new one in their junior or senior year, but they have no choice.
It hasn't been a bad year at all for any sport. The cross country team even had two runners place in the top-20 at the league meet. Every team has accomplished something in the new league.
From the football team's title, to the volleyball team's three selections to all-league teams, to Nelson's first place finish at the league meet, and both basketball teams playing competitively, it has been a positive first year.
And we haven't even seen the spring teams yet.
