Warriors prove experts wrong
When the ninth ranked team in 3A football hosts number 10, you would expect a hard fought, narrow victory for the home team. That's what all the experts predicted, but the 10th ranked Marion Warriors didn't follow the script, going on the road and beating number nine Minneapolis 12-7 Friday night.
This game could have gone either way, as both teams had numerous errors and costly penalties. Coach Grant Thierolf commented that the Warriors "had enough errors for two games."
After the opening kickoff Minneapolis fumbled the ball on their first offensive play. Marion recovered but was unable to score as the huge Lions line shut down the Warriors running attack. The Lions small backs were hard to locate behind their massive linemen and they were able to put together one good drive in the first half to score first and lead by a touchdown.
The Warriors answered with a Jarvis Whiteman touchdown run, but couldn't get the PAT and trailed 7-6 at the half.
Jason Matz had the type of half players dream of as he blocked a punt, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, and generally intimidated the Lions.
The Warriors seemed to gain some offensive rhythm in the third quarter and it appeared conditioning might start to become a factor. Thierolf felt the Warriors could run the ball effectively on the bigger, slower Lions and coming out of the break, they did.
As the Marion linemen started to assert themselves, fullback Steven Boone took over. Running as if he intended to punish anyone who dared try and tackle him, Boone started gaining turf in five- and six-yard chunks.
Quarterback Clayton Chamberland made his first varsity start in this game and played well. There were signs of jitters at times but he threw the ball well and seemed to make excellent decisions. As Boone and the line got in sync so did Chamberland. The result was the emergence of the offense Marion's fans want to see.
The Warriors appeared to have taken control of the game as Chamberland scored the Warriors second touchdown on a quarterback sneak. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful but Warrior fans were unconcerned as it appeared clear the local boys were in control.
The fourth quarter put that theory to the test. The Warriors ran only seven offensive plays in the last quarter as bad breaks and untimely penalties kept the defense on the field.
The heat and humidity forced both coaches to substitute frequently.
Marion senior lineman Bronson Shipman who started and played on offense and defense battled leg cramps throughout the second half but refused to allow them to keep him off the field for long.
Fortunately the Warrior defense didn't waiver as Alan Vogel dominated the line of scrimmage and the rest of the squad followed his lead.
Both teams played hard throughout the game and Minneapolis never gave up, mounting a desperation drive as time ran down. Their quarterback was knocked out of the game as several Warriors combined to bring him down and Boone finished the play with a hit that had the crowd buzzing.
Nevertheless, aided by penalty calls, the Lions were inside the Marion 10-yard line when time expired, sealing the Warrior victory.
Coach Thierolf was pleased with the victory and proud that his team didn't panic when they fell behind, but came back to take control of the game. The Warriors will have to develop more offensive consistency but Thierolf is confident they will.
While saying his team didn't tackle well, he admitted he was pleased with the play of the defensive unit.
Defensive back Joel Versch had a good game with an interception and Matz, Vogel, Matt Rhodes, and the rest of the group made the Lions pay for every yard gained.
Up next for Marion is another stiff challenge as SE-Saline rolls into town Friday night with a lot of momentum after beating eighth ranked (4A) Smoky Valley 27-23 in their opener.
The Trojans have a huge offensive line and a good fast back in 170-pound senior Adam Stephenson. They run a college-style offense operating out of the shotgun formation most of the time, presenting a real defensive test for the Warriors. This promises to be another good, close game. The Warrior nation should turn out in full force for the home opener.
