Overtime thriller doesn't go Marion's way
Sports reporter
There's no question it was the most exciting game of the year for the Marion High School football team. Unfortunately, there also was no question it was the most disappointing.
Spencer Brown's extra point in overtime Friday ended a dramatic Warrior comeback, and gave Hillsboro a 20-19 victory in the opening round of district play.
"The only reason it hurts this much, is because I know how much time they put into it," Marion head coach Grant Thierolf said of his players.
"Nobody works harder than our kids do year round to become a good football team."
What seemed disappointing for Marion in the first half was the offense, which was shut out, and found itself trailing 13-0 after an acrobatic catch of a touchdown pass from Brown to Jacob Yoder on the final play of the half.
Brown was forced out of the pocket, threw on the run, and Yoder hauled in a catch falling out of bounds.
There was a question about whether or not Brown crossed the line of scrimmage or if Yoder was in bounds, but the officials never hesitated in calling the play good.
The touchdown was the only score in the first half after an hour delay due to lightning in the area. But it was the Warriors who came out with a storm in the second half.
After punting on its first drive, MHS recovered a fumble on its own 40. However, Trojan fans might not have been too worried considering the offense hadn't really moved the ball all day, at least not the conventional way.
On the first play after the fumble, Thierolf called for a wide receiver reverse pass, as Justin Heidebrecht connected with fellow receiver Chase Carlson for a 35-yard pass play down to the Trojan 25-yard line.
The Marion crowd was on its feet, and the momentum had shifted, but Thierolf downplayed the call.
"It worked. But we call a lot of plays, and every one one of them is meant to work," he said.
After a steady diet of Austin Hager and Sheldon Boone runs, quarterback Mitchell Leppke scored from one yard out with five minutes, two seconds left in the third quarter. The extra point was no good, but the lead was cut to seven at 13-6.
It turned into a punt-fest after the score, with each team failing to move the ball for two possessions each.
With just less than nine minutes to play in the game, Hillsboro would have taken a punt instead of a lost fumble, but Brown couldn't handle the snap, and MHS recovered the ball and took over on its own 40.
Fourteen plays and 60 yards on the ground later, Hager finished off the drive with a one-yard run. With just 1:13 left in the game, Thierolf called for a two-point conversion that would have all but sealed the game.
However, MHS was called for a false start, and after the ball was moved to the seven-yard line, Thierolf called on sophomore kicker Brian Fruechting to tie the game.
He nailed the ball through the uprights, and sent the game into overtime.
In its first extra session game since a 35-34 loss to Lyons nearly a year ago, Marion scored on third down, as Leppke slipped into the end zone from the three-yard line.
This time however, Fruechting did not connect, leaving the door open for Brown to win the game.
Thierolf felt for his players, but knew they did everything they could to win the game.
He also knew it was already time to move on, no matter how hard the loss hurt, they needed to realize they win as a team, and lose as a team.
"We can't let this game beat us twice," he said. "We've got to be ready to play Remington."
The game against the 6-1 Broncos becomes an elimination game after they lost to Hillsboro this past week, 34-0.
Remington may be without highly-touted quarterback Cole Cherryholmes, but Thierolf said his team will prepare like he will play, but keep the door open.
"We'll look at what they did without him [Friday] as well," he said.
No matter what happens the rest of the season, Thierolf wants Marion fans to know every Warrior gave his all Friday on the field.
"Everyone in our town ought to be proud of the kids," he said, "because they represent our school very well.
