The Marion High School football team was caught flat-footed by Hoisington's opening kickoff return, and the Warriors never recovered their balance as the Cardinals hammered them 32-6 Friday night in Marion. Hoisington returned the opening kick to the Marion 10-yard line, scored three plays later, and buried the Warriors with a 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead. The touchdown was the first of three scores by Tanner Klug.
Marion struck back behind a pair of big plays by Colten Johnson, who caught a long pass and scored on a 32-yard touchdown run as the Warriors marched effectively against the Cardinals. These were the only highlights of Marion's night, and resulted in an 8-6 deficit when a problem with the snap or the hold led to a failed point-after try.
Hoisington broke another long kick return, but had the big gain called back from the Marion 30 to their own 15, but the long field mattered little. Marion forced a punt at the end of a long series and the Cardinals forced a 3-and-out. Klug scored his second touchdown at the outset of the second quarter.
Just before the break, Marion sustained the first of two significant injuries when Tylor Neil sustained a dislocated shoulder. Drew Maddox left the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a concussion sustained on a late hit out of bounds, for which a Cardinals player was flagged.
Klug scored again midway through the third quarter and Danton Riedl tacked on a late score at the end of the third quarter.
Marion plays at Ellinwood next week.
