Marion falls to Sedgwick 35-16

The Marion Warrior football team suffered its first Heart of America and 2010 loss, falling 35-16 to visiting Sedgwick Friday.

Sedgwick blanked Marion in the second half while scoring 21-straight points to overcome a 16-14 halftime Marion lead.

Marion opened the second half with the ball, but was unable to get anything going offensively, punting the ball away to Sedgwick with 8:38 in the third quarter.

Sedgwick struck quickly. Senior running back Dylan Todd ran for 27 of his game high 244 yards moving the Cardinals? offense to the Marion 19. The next play, junior quarterback Trent Stucky picked up 14-yards, running his way down to the Warrior five.

Sedgwick took its first lead of the night with a 5-yard touchdown plunge by Todd. The PAT kick was good, giving the Cardinals a 21-16 lead with 6:42 left in the third.

Sedgwick scored again early in the fourth quarter, this time on a 62-yard touchdown scamper by Todd with 11:34 to play. The PAT kick extended the Cardinals lead to 28-16.

The game?s final score came courtesy of a Marion turnover near midfield. Sedgwick recovered the loose ball and capitalized , capping the ensuing drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Stucky to junior Elliott Money with 8:06 on the clock. The PAT kick gave Sedgwick the 35-16 final score.

Sedgwick ran a spread style, no huddle offense where the players were getting play calls from signals from the sideline after they lined up. This was a more up tempo style than Marion has seen this season. The Warriors became fatigued in the second half with many players having to play iron man football.

?It?s what they do,? said coach Grant Thierolf. ?For us right now it doesn?t fit us very well because so many kids are having to play both ways and never come off the field in special teams situations. We just didn?t handle it as well as we could have.?

Continuing a pattern from the prior three games, Marion gave up a big run early. Unlike the past three weeks, the offense came away with no points on the big play.

Todd broke free in Cardinal territory carrying the ball to the Warrior 35-yard line, Sedgwick moved into the red zone and threatened on 4th and goal from the two, but a wave of Warrior defenders snuffed out the run, forcing the turn over on downs with 7:58 in the first quarter.

Marion capitalized for the first score of the contest, moving 95-yards in 4:23. Les Riggs capped the drive with a 38-yard touchdown run with 3:38 in the first quarter. The drive started with a pass interference play on Sedgwick junior Levi Vogt. Vogt made contact before the Dillon Richmond thrown ball arrived on a sideline go route ran by Jordan Versch.

Marion converted on the two-point run to take a first quarter 8-0 lead.

The Cardinals answered scoring on a 9-yard Stucky pass to junior Daniel Vogt. The PAT kick shrunk the Warrior lead to 8-7.

Taking a two-score lead with 11:21 to play in the second quarter, Marion scored on a Riggs 2-yard touchdown run. Richmond made it 16-7 with a run to convert the two-point try.

Sedgwick scored on a 42-yard touchdown run by Stucky. The PAT moved Sedgwick to 16-14 with 10:33 in the second.

Marion missed an opportunity near the end of the half deep in Cardinal territory. With 42.2 left in the half, Richmond threw and interception to Vogt. Vogt returned the interception into Warrior territory, but the run was called back on a Cardinal penalty.

Sedgwick ran for 425 yards, led by Todd. Stucky ran the ball 21 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Riggs ran 23 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Richmond ran seven times for 69 yards.

Marion (4-1, 3-1) will face Hutchinson Trinity (5-0, 4-0)Friday. The Celtics defeated Remington 43-12 Friday in Remington. Marion will play start 3A District 9 play Oct 15 at Remington (4-1, 3-1).

The Heart of America League title can still be won by Marion, Hutchinson Trinity, Remington, and Sedgwick (4-1, 3-1).

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Heart of America results

Hutchinson Trinity 43, Remington 12

Bennington 16, Herington 14

Ell-Saline 44, Ellinwood 22

Sedgwick 35, Marion 16

Claflin 54, Canton-Galva 22

Moundridge 32, Chase County 0

Inman 28, Plainville 8

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