MHS 2-0 after second road victory
Warriors play Sterling Friday in home-opener
Sports reporter
It only took one play to set the tone Friday night in Marion High School's 28-6 victory at Ellinwood.
MHS quarterback Mitchell Leppke connected with wide receiver Chase Carlson on the first play of the game for a 64-yard pass down to the Eagle one-yard line.
Even though the senior did not score, the Warriors had the momentum.
Austin Hager plunged in from one yard out two plays later, and Marion led 6-0.
"It's always good to start with that," Leppke said. "It's good momentum to build on."
Hager added another score, and Leppke had two on the ground as well in the 22-point victory.
Head coach Grant Thierolf was pleased with the victory, but said his team will be working on a few things in practice.
"We are never going to be unhappy with a win, we've lost too many close games to not celebrate," he said. "But I didn't think we had the focus tonight."
Thierolf put the blame on the coaching staff, and said the team would be ready Friday for its home-opener against Sterling.
"We won't change much, we just have to get more physical on offense," Theirolf said.
The victory was the fourth in a row for MHS against EHS, and equaled the Warriors' victory total from last season.
Thierolf did give credit to Ellinwood for playing hard the whole game.
"They improved a lot from week one," Thierolf said of their 55-7 loss to LaCrosse.
Although Thierolf thought his team lost focus at times, he had to be happy with the ground game that earned 283 yards on 43 carries.
Hager had the bulk with 142 yards on 22 carries, and Leppke had 103 on 11 carries.
Adam Regnier chipped with 19 yards, Sheldon Boone had 16, and Derek Riggs three.
Tweny-four of Leppke's yards came on a run with six minutes, 34 seconds before halftime. It looked like he was going to be tackled at the 15-yard line, but a nifty side-step by the junior gave him open space the rest of the way to the end zone.
"Mitchell did a good job," Thierolf said. "He's starting to learn the offense. We were very pleased with his play."
Leppke completed just one pass after the bomb to Carlson — an eight-yarder to Boone — and finished 2-6 through the air.
Thierolf thought with time, Leppke will improve through the air as well.
The qb's touchdown run was the final score of the first half, and gave Marion a 20-0 lead.
The Warriors had now gone six quarters on the season, and yielded zero points.
Halstead did have a safety in the first game.
The streak finally ended when Eagle Glenn Whitaker scored from six yards out with 13 seconds to play in the third quarter.
The defense had gone 83:47 on the field without allowing a score.
"That's pretty good," MHS defensive coordinator Jerry Smith said with a smile. "They adjust well, and I think that is the key to any good defense."
Smith also said the fact players on the defensive line don't play offense, keeps them more fresh that other teams.
"They are fun to work with," Smith said. "This defense just flies all around."
Brad Klenda was the leading tackler with 11 total, while Nick Klenda added 10, with a few big ones drawing cheers from the Warrior crowd.
The offense put the final dagger in Ellinwood when Hager scored on a six-yard run with 10 minutes left in the game.
After taking a physical pounding all game, the senior let out some emotion after scoring his second touchdown.
"That last touchdown drive just felt great," Hager said. "I was just determined not to go down."
The Ellinwood defenders were loud all night, whooping and hollering after nearly every tackle of Hager. It didn't seem to matter he was running all over them.
Even a second-half knee injury didn't slow him.
"I just kept running hard because after I got hurt, and watching them celebrate after they take me down a couple of plays, it kind of fired me up," Hager said.
Hager said the injury should not slow him down.
The Warriors are now 2-0 in the Mid-Central Activities Association and 2-0 overall.
They play their home-opener Friday against 0-2 Sterling, who beat MHS last season, 34-0.
Junior varsity
MHS junior varsity team was victorious Monday by a score of 34-26 against visiting Ellinwood.
Down 12-0 in the first quarter, MHS then outscored the Eagles 34-14.
Drew Maddox scored two first half touchdowns on runs of 43 and 26 yards.
Marcellus Washington added a 66-yard score, with Andy Kelsey scoring the two-point conversion with a run.
Kelsey had two touchdown scores as well from three and five yards out.
"It was a good game and all players played, and did well," Thierolf said.
