Homecoming hurrah: Warriors crush Sterling 34-13 years ago
Sports reporter
Casey Nelson and Josh Kelsey continue to produce for the Marion Warriors.
The backfield duo combined for all five touchdowns Friday in Marion's 34-13 homecoming victory against Sterling.
Week in and week out Mr. Reliable and his quarterback Kelsey keep the ball rolling for a team that now sits at 2-0 in the Mid-Central Activities Association, and 3-0 overall.
Nelson, who carried the ball 28 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns, wasn't electric, but once again he got the job done.
It's got to feel good when a three-touchdown game is just another night's work for the senior, but Nelson wouldn't take all the credit.
"Sometimes I have to work for my yards," he said. "But most of the time my offensive line is opening holes for me to run the way I know I can."
Kelsey, who wasn't spectacular through the air, got the job done on the ground and with his play calling.
"I thought Josh made a couple of great throws tonight where he threw the ball away," Thierolf said. "That's the sign of a mature quarterback knowing when it's open and when it's not open."
He also called his own number several times, including a 12-yard touchdown run, where be barreled over a Black Bear linebacker for the final nail in the coffin.
"I really trust Josh that he's going to make good reads and do things right," Thierolf said. "And so far he has."
Kelsey, Nelson, and the rest of the Warriors made plenty of good reads on their second drive of the game.
After the teams traded punts, MHS took over on the Sterling 30.
Kelsey completed an 8-yard strike to senior Jeff Richmond on third-and-five to the Black Bear 13-yard line. From there Mr. Reliable took over.
Nelson went eight yards to the five on first down, and picked up his first score of the game on his next carry. Richmond's kick made the score 7-0 Marion.
MHS forced a punt on the Black Bear's next possession, giving it a first-and-10 at its own 38-yard line.
Kelsey then picked up 28 of his 84 yards on the ground on the next three plays, to reach Sterling territory.
On third-and-10 at the Sterling 27, Nelson picked up his longest run of the game, 14 yards to the Sterling 13-yard line.
"He moved the chains," Warrior head coach Grant Thierolf said. "He's becoming a complete back."
Four plays later on fourth-and-a foot, Kelsey kept the ball and rumbled three yards for the second score of the ball game.
Richmond's kick gave MHS a 14-0 advantage with 10:17 remaining.
It wouldn't last long, 13 second to be exact.
Sterling's Steven Fankhauser took Paul Sieffert's kickoff at his own 18, cut right, turned on the jets and crossed the goal line to cut the lead to eight. Sterling added the extra point to make it a 14-7 game.
Thierolf was determined to not let Sterling get back in the game, the way MHS let Halstead back in a blowout the week before.
However, it didn't look good after MHS was forced to punt on its next possession.
But once again the Marion defense, which hasn't allowed a point in the first or fourth quarter all season, got stingy and forced a punt.
The Warriors took over at the 50-yard line, and used a different weapon than Nelson or Kelsey.
On second-and-eight from the
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48 receiver David DeForest ran 43 yards to the five, but the play was called back after an illegal hands to the face penalty was called on MHS.
The one Achilles heel for the Warriors has been penalties, as they committed their fewest of the season Friday, but still had eight for 70 yards.
Marion then when back to Nelson and Kelsey as they chewed up yardage down to the Sterling five. From there Thierolf called Nelson's number and he punched in his second touchdown. The kick failed, but MHS took a 20-7 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Warrior defense led to a score after Richmond recovered a fumble on the Warrior 31-yard line.
Richmond was big on the offensive drive as well, catching an 11-yard pass on third-and-12 to get to mid-field.
Nelson went five yards on the next play, and the Warriors began to chew up the ground and the clock with Kelsey and Nelson the rest of the way.
On the final play of the drive, Nelson scored his final touchdown of the game, a one-yard plunge, to up the lead to 26-7. He would add the two-point conversion run, to give Marion a 21-point lead.
But as they did in the second quarter, the Black Bears came roaring back with another quick score.
Derek Thompson broke off a 68-yard run on the first play of Sterling's next drive.
He broke to the left and showed the lighting quick speed Thierolf knew the Black Bears possessed. Still, he was pleased with his defense.
"We talked all week about contain, contain, contain, and I thought we did a pretty decent job of it all night long," Thierolf said. "They got a couple of plays away but they are good athletes and they are very well coached."
Kelsey would add his final touchdown run in the fourth quarter, to make the score 34-13.
He would finish the game 5-12 passing for 84 yards. Kelsey, who threw five touchdowns to seven interceptions last year, now has two touchdowns to zero interceptions this season, along with 160 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
"He's really starting to read the defense well," Nelson said.
DeForest chipped in with eight carriers for 51 yards, and a 23-yard reception. Junior Jason Hett had 16 yards on the ground, and a 32-yard reception.
"We wanted to get the ball in David DeForest's hands and Jason Hett's hands," Thierolf said. "We're just slowly adding to what we want to do, and have the offense spread out as much as possible."
The Warriors ran 69 plays to Sterling's 33, something Thierolf loved to see.
"That's just putting drives together, building first downs, and being consistent offensively," Thierolf said. "And I was very pleased we did that."
Defensively, it was linebacker Michael Brookens leading the way with eight tackles. Casey Nickelson recorded seven tackles, and John Barr III chipped in with six.
The victory gave MHS a 2-0 record in the Mid-Central Activities Association, and 3-0 overall. Friday the Warriors travel to Lyons for another MCAA game.
