Marion bounces back with win over Trojans
Eric Clark
Sports Editor
Few things are certain, but when Marion's Grant Thierolf says things are going to change, they usually do.
After a close loss to Minneapolis last week, the football coach and his team of Warriors responded in a big way Friday night, defeating Southeast of Saline on the road 19-14.
"We're real pleased with the way we played," Thierolf said. "But only up to a point. There are some errors that we can correct and some things we can still work on. After the second quarter we started playing with a lot more passion and enthusiasm."
Thierolf said that the loss to Minneapolis helped reinforce that passion and enthusiasm.
"Some times you have to get slapped in the head to wake up," Thierolf said. "We went back and worked on some discipline things. We hit hard on those things."
At first, it appeared that the Trojans would continue where Minneapolis left off last week vs. Marion, as they scored on a one-yard run at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter. They failed on the PAT and took a 6-0 lead early in the game.
But the Warriors battled back and midway through the first quarter, Josh Smith scored on an 11-yard run. Marion knotted the game up at six, after an unsuccessful PAT.
Marion quarterback Clayton Chamberland trotted into the endzone from 8 yards out with :28 seconds remaining in the first quarter, giving Marion a 13-6 advantage after Steven Boone split the uprights on the PAT.
The Warrior fire was squelched just inside the start of the second quarter, as Southeast of Saline running back Matt Myers exploded for a 68-yard touchdown run. Myers added the 2-point conversion and the Trojans took a 14-13 advantage into the locker room at intermission.
After forcing the Trojans to punt in their first possession of the third quarter, the Warriors regained their steam and took control of the game, when Calvin Riggs blocked his second punt of the year, giving Marion a first down at the Trojan's 29-yard line.
Boone's 19-yard run for a touchdown, capped off a three-play drive at the 7:54 mark. The touchdown gave Marion a 19-14 lead after a failed 2-point conversion. Marion led by five after three quarters of play.
In the fourth quarter, it looked as though the Trojans might spoil the Warrior win, as Marion committed two critical penalties, setting up a strong Southeast of Saline drive.
On the Marion 18-yard line, Marion mounted a defensive strike. The Trojans forfeited the ball on downs.
Ultimately, Marion ran the clock out after the defensive stop to close out the game and capture their first win of the year.
Marion compiled 248 yards of total offense to Southeast of Saline's 189 total yards.
Chamberland led the Marion offense with 79 yards on 10 carries, while Boone racked up 65 yards on 13 carries. Smith had 37 yards on three carries and Casey Nelson added 10 yards on four carries.
Chamberland finished with 58 yards in the air on a 5-for-10 passing night. On the end of the Marion quarteback's passes were Nelson, who caught one pass for 25 yards, Tyler Stubenhofer, who snagged two receptions for 20 yards, and Riggs, who caught two passes for 13 yards.
Jimmy Shipman spearheaded the Warrior defense with 10 tackles and one assist. Boone had six tackles and seven assists. Adam Depler had a break-out performance with seven tackles and two assists. Tyson Heidebrecht and Neil Waner each had a fumble recovery in the game, and Stubenhofer an interception.
