Marion Football

Marion ranked 8th in Register poll

The Marion Indians jumped into the No. 8 spot in Class 3A in the Des Moines Register prep football rankings Sunday.

Marion (6-1) defeated then-No. 6 Solon, 24-14, Friday night. Solon dropped out of the rankings this week following the defeat.

Marion was ranked earlier in the season, but fell out of the top 10 after losing to top-ranked Decorah.

The Xavier Saints stayed in the No. 4 spot in the Class 4A poll after belting Waterloo West, 49-14, Friday night. The Saints visit No. 2 Cedar Falls (7-0) in a battle of unbeatens this Friday night in the UNI-Dome.

CLASS 4A
1. Ankeny (7-0), 2. Cedar Falls (7-0), 3. Iowa City West (7-0), 4. Xavier (7-0), 5. Pleasant Valley (7-0), 6. Dowling (5-2), 7. Southeast Polk (5-2), 8. West Des Moines Valley (5-2), 9. Dubuque Senior (6-1), 10. Sioux City East (6-1).

CLASS 3A
1. Decorah (7-0), 2. Heelan (7-0), 3. Grinnell (7-0), 4. Creston/Orient-Macksburg (6-1), 5. South Tama (6-1), 6. Williamsburg (6-1), 7. Harlan (6-1), 8. Marion (6-1), 9. Pella (5-2), 10. Boone (6-1).

Indians humble Solon; clinch playoff berth

Thomas Park football field was alive with excitement Friday night.

A rivalry was born between Marion and Solon, as the schools met for the first time on the football field. Indian Homecoming was in full force, as they crowned a king and queen in front of a standing room only crowd.

The rest was simply great football.

Marion jumped to a quick lead in the first quarter, and recorded four interceptions on defense as they defeated the Spartans 24-14. The win clinched a playoff berth for Marion, which holds a one-game lead in Class 3A District 6 with two to play.

This also was the first installment of what will surely be a colorful rivalry. The Marion players, coaches, fans, and parents flooded the field after the game knowing the magnitude of the victory.

“That was a huge step,” said Indian linebacker Ethan Herren. “Our saying all year has been ‘All In’, and it was there tonight. It is homecoming, Solon is a great ballclub, it was a battle of the trenches, and we came out on top.”

The Indians chose to receive the opening kick, and marched straight down the field on the undersized Spartans. Trev Biery punched it in from two yards out to put Marion up 7-0. Biery was a workhorse again, racking up 185 yards and three touchdowns.

Marion’s defense was next up, and it didn’t disappoint. On Solon’s second play from scrimmage, quarterback Rory Siddell was intercepted by Indian defensive back Quinn Cannoy.

This gave the Indians the ball in Spartan territory. From there, quarterback Trevor Hardman completed a few passes, and the Indian running game did the rest. Biery recorded another two-yard touchdown run, putting the Indians up 14-0 in the first quarter.

“That was huge,” Marion Coach Tony Perkins said of the fast start.   “All of a sudden, they (Solon) took a step back and as soon as we got them on their heels, we were in control.”

Solon showed some signs of resistance, however. The Spartans retaliated with a score of their own on the last play of the first quarter. Scrappy running back Aaron Shulista scuffled in for the Spartans to pull it within 14-7.

In the second, Biery found the end zone again, which is becoming a common theme for the Indians' season. He took a toss to the left and cut back across the field for a 28-yard score, making it 21-7.

Marion’s defense came up with its second interception of the night on Solon’s next possession. Cornerback Tyler Gunderson read Siddell’s eyes and made a spectacular one-handed catch, snatching it away from the receiver at the last minute. Gunderson added another interception later in the game.

“We just got him (Gunderson) back from a concussion, and he came up huge,” said Perkins. “We are playing different people at that position and they are stepping up big.”

Judging from the suspense in the second half, you would have thought this rivalry was a century old.

Midway through the third quarter, Solon was threatening to score and pull within a touchdown. On fourth-and-1 from the 5-yard line, Spartan wide receiver Jordan Wymer took an end around in for the touchdown. That made the score 21-14 with Marion still hanging on, but out of momentum.

Then, the air completely came out of the sails. With one minute left in the third, Biery stayed down on the turf after a running play. Medical staff attended to his ankle, and he would eventually be carried off the field by Herren and Justin Dolley.

Despite missing one if its best players, Marion found a way to battle. After forcing Solon to punt, Hardman dropped back to pass and found Cannoy for 30 yards, which put the Indians in field goal range. They were stopped there, but kicker Dalton Ott nailed a 33-yard field goal that put them up 24-14.

On the ensuing Solon possession, the Spartans were getting easy yardage. Siddel ran for one first down, and passed for two more. It looked as though they were going to score and make it a three-point game. But Siddell dropped back to pass one time too many. He rolled out to the right and, while being chased by Issac Frazier, lofted a pass downfield. Herren stepped in front to record the Indians' fourth interception and seal the victory.

“I saw Isaac (Frazier) put pressure on the quarterback and I knew all I had to do was cover my man, and I just made the play,” said Herren.

Incredibly, Biery made it back out onto the field, with an ovation from the crowd. With what seemed like five rolls of tape on his ankle, he helped the Indians eat away the final four minutes of the game.

“It is important to win those big games where you play a good team,” said Perkins.  “I thought we played exceptionally well and the bigger thing is how much improvement we have made each week.”

MARION 24, SOLON 14

Marion                        Solon

First Downs                            19                               12
Rushes-Yards                              49-240                       27-101
Passing                                   7-11-0                             11-14-4
Passing Yards                                93                               92
Punts                                          2-26                            2-41
Fumbles/Lost                                  2/1                         0/0
Penalties                                  3-30                            4-30

Solon                7          0         7          0    --        14
Marion            14         7          0          3    --        24

MAR: Trev Biery 2 run (Dalton Ott kick)
MAR: Biery 2 run (Ott kick)
SOL: Aaron Shulista 15 run (Aaron Proehl kick)
MAR: Biery 28 run (Ott kick)
SOL: Jordan Wymer 5 run (Proehl kick)
MAR: FG Ott 33

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing
Solon: Rory Siddell 14-48, Aaron Shulista 9-53, Jordan Wymer 3-3, Austin Holub 1-(-3)
Marion: Trev Biery 22-185, Andrew Davis, 9-40, Colton Mowry 7-13, Ethan Herren 4-7, Tyler Gunderson 1-5, Trevor Hardman 1-(-10)

Passing
Solon: Siddell 11-14-4-92
Marion: Hardman 7-11-0-93

Receiving
Solon: Holub 5-36, Wymer 2-33, Chris Mcnutt 2-20, Nathan Hawkins 2-6
Marion: Quinn Cannoy 3-68, Herren 2-18, Brandon Hornback 1-10, Gunderson 1-(-3)

Indians run wild against Bobcats, 63-0

VAN HORNE - Marion’s offensive line opened up car-sized holes on Friday night and the Indians set the dial on cruise control.

Marion rushers scored eight touchdowns on their way to a 63-0 victory against Benton Community in Van Horne.

Marion (5-1, 3-0) amassed 384 yards of total rushing from several different backs throughout the night. Trev Biery, Andrew Davis and Colton Mowry all had more than 50 yards on the ground and each had at least one score.

Biery is the Indians' primary workhorse and he resumed his bulldozing activities from a week ago as he rushed for 166 yards and four touchdowns.

Part of the success Marion experienced on the ground can be attributed to these solid backs, but a lot of credit should go to its offensive line. There were many runs throughout the night when a Marion running back would coast through the line and into the end zone untouched.

“They are getting better every week,” said Marion Coach Tony Perkins. “The biggest thing is that we are finishing blocks now. I think the last couple weeks we have been able to finish the block all the way to the whistle. We really proved that tonight. And the bus in there, Trev Biery, is really running the ball hard.”

The Indians had a serious size advantage compared to the Bobcat defense, and it doesn’t hurt when your tailback is bigger than the opponent’s defensive linemen.

“Our size definitely gives us an advantage, but we still work as hard as we possibly can every single day,” said Marion offensive lineman Zach Borens.

“Our mentality is just to dominate anybody in front of you, and no matter who they are you beat them. And we have the best backs in the world.”

Senior speedster Andrew Davis also got comfortable with the end zone, scoring two touchdowns. He caught a 39-yard score from quarterback Trevor Hardman early in the opening quarter.

Then, in a true indication of what the game was going to be like for Benton, the Bobcats immediately fumbled the kickoff giving Marion the ball at the 25-yard line. Biery proceeded to punch it in from 16 yards out, putting the Indians up 14-0 after two minutes of play.

Davis added another touchdown in the second quarter, running it in from 32 yards out. Mowry also got in on the action, scoring a 5-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 13-yarder in the third quarter. Senior tailback Daquan Bradley slammed the gate shut with a 1-yard touchdown in the final minute to make the score 63-0.

On the other side of the ball, the Marion defense was stout. The Bobcats (1-5, 1-2) ran a wing-T formation the majority of the night, but that wasn’t fooling the Indians. They held Benton to 79 total yards and one pass completion. The first Bobcat first down came halfway through the second quarter.

“Our defense has really done a nice job of swarming to the ball these last couple weeks as well,” said Perkins.

Marion hosts Solon next Friday night.

MARION 63, BENTON 0

MAR        BEN
First Downs          17        6
Rushes-Yards         42-384    29-45
Passing              2-3-0     1-6-1
Passing Yards        62        34
Punts                1-32      6-29
Fumbles/Lost         1-0       2-1
Penalties            7-55      3-30

Marion     28   14   14   7 - 63
Benton      0    0    0   0 -  0

SCORING PLAYS

MAR: Andrew Davis 39 pass from Trevor Hardman (Dalton Ott kick)
MAR: Trev Biery 16 run (Ott kick)
MAR: Biery 12 run (Ott kick)
MAR: Colton Mowry 5 run (Ott kick)
MAR: Davis 32 run (Ott kick)
MAR: Biery 47 run (Ott kick)
MAR: Biery 1 run (Ott kick)
MAR: Mowry 13 run (Ben Kroemer kick)
MAR: Daquan Bradley 1 run (Kroemer kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing
Marion: Trev Biery 13-166, Andrew Davis 6-80, Colton Mowry 8-50, Austin Ashley 1-27, Nick Connolly 4-20, Daquan Bradley 4-17, Trevor Hardman 3-12, Ethan Herren 2-9, Brandon Hornback 1-3
Benton: Jake Peterson 11-27, Matt Gessner 10-17, Noah Fisher 4-1, Keaton Betterton 4-0

Passing
Marion: Trevor Hardman 2-3-0, 62 yards
Benton: Noah Fisher 0-5-1 0 yards, Cam Touro 1-1-0 34 yards

Receiving
Marion: Andrew Davis 2-62
Benton: TJ Larson 1-34

Biery sparks Marion by Maquoketa

Marion High School running back Trev Biery is like a wrecking ball and he was in demolition mode Friday night.

Just ask the three Maquoketa defenders he barreled over on his way to a 19-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Indians rode their workhorse to a 25-14 victory against Class 3A district foe Maquoketa on a crisp night at Thomas Park.

The versatile Biery rushed for 145 yards and two scores. He also had an interception return for a touchdown on defense.

Marion (4-1, 2-0) controlled the second half and more specifically the fourth quarter. But it was Maquoketa (3-2, 1-2) that came out of the gate with a spark.

“We didn’t play very well in that first half,” said Marion Coach Tony Perkins. “But then I think we matured as a football team. I think they finally get it and they came out and played exceptional in the second half.”

Maquoketa pounded the ball on the ground with tailback Josh Kirk, who amassed 90 yards rushing with two scores in the first half. Kirk and backup quarterback Blaise Waller fronted the workload for the Cardinals.

The first quarter and a half were scoreless, as both teams were grinding the ball on the ground with no taste of the end zone. Maquoketa broke the stalemate with 7:31 left in the second quarter when Kirk took an option pitch from Waller and scampered in from 14 yards out.

On the ensuing possession, Marion handed the Cardinals great field position on a silver plate. A bobbled exchange between quarterback Trevor Hardman and Andrew Davis caused the ball to pop loose, with Maquoketa falling on the pigskin at the 10-yard line. Kirk punched in an 8-yard score to push Maquoketa ahead 14-0.

But then Marion got a jolt from Biery. On Marion’s next possession, he rumbled in from 15 yards out and then dove in for a two-point conversion to pull the Indians within 14-8. According to Marion lineman Justin Dolley, halftime was crucial.

“Coach just got us really pumped up at halftime. We got the line together and got things rolling,” said Dolley.

The third quarter was scoreless, but the fourth quarter belonged to Biery and the Indians. With 7:13 left in the game and the Indians down by six, they faced a 3rd-and-15 deep in Maquoketa territory. Hardman dropped back to pass, eluded defenders and ran for 19 yards and a first down, keeping their hopes alive.

“Trevor Hardman really grew up tonight,” said Perkins. “He has been rushed a lot this season in the passing game but tonight he delivered.”

A few plays later, Biery the bowling ball took a handoff at the 19-yard line and went straight up the gut. He was hit at the 10 but spun off that defender, then ran over a helpless defensive back and dragged three more defenders into the end zone for the touchdown. It was the go-ahead score and an amazing run.

The touchdown made it 14-14 and Ben Kroemer broke the tie with a PAT for a 15-14 lead.

“I have to give credit to the line. They made a huge hole," said Biery. “I like to run people over and keep the legs moving, so I found the hole and just wanted to get in the end zone.”

Dolley appreciates the kind of back he's blocking for.

“I have been playing with Trev my whole life,” said Dolley. “He makes plays and he runs hard.”

After the extra point put them up 15-14, Marion’s defense (led by Biery) took over. With 1:16 left in the game, Waller dropped back to pass and was engulfed by a swarm of Marion defensive linemen. He managed to float a pass before he hit the ground, but it happened to land in Biery’s arms and he proceeded to take it 29 yards for the score and a 21-14 lead. His two-point conversion made it 23-14.

“It’s all the defensive line, I will give them all the credit,” said Biery.

A gang of Indians tackled Kirk in the end zone for a safety on Maquoketa’s next possession, sealing the victory.

The game marked the 150th career win for Perkins. After the game, a jubilant Marion football team and its cheering section celebrated as Perkins enjoyed the moment.

“It's nice when you finally get to that mark,” said Perkins. “One hundred and fifty is very special, especially with all of the kids I have coached at Marion.”

MARION 25, MAQUOKETA 14

MAQ       MAR

First Downs         10        14
Rushing             44-100    37-179
Passing             4-9-1     5-10-1
Passing Yards       57        51
Punts               4-31      5-30
Fumbles/Lost        0-0       1-1
Penalties           4-30      5-35

Maquoketa     0   14   0   0  - 14
Marion        0    8   0   17 - 25

MAQ: Josh Kirk 14 run (Cory Wirth kick)
MAQ: Kirk 8 run (Wirth kick)
MAR: Trev Biery 15 run (Biery run)
MAR: Biery 19 run (Ben Kroemer kick)
MAR: Biery 29 interception return (Biery run)
MAR: Defensive safety

Individual Statistics

Rushing
Maquoketa: Josh Kirk 28-102, Blaise Waller 16-minus 2
Marion: Trev Biery 23-145, Colton Mowry 10-24, Trevor Hardman 3-8, Tyler Gunderson 1-2

Passing
Maquoketa: Waller 4-9-1, 57 yards
Marion: Hardman 5-10-1, 51 yards

Receiving
Maquoketa: Bradley Johnson 3-50, Kirk 1-7
Marion: Quinn Cannoy 4-50, Ethan Herren 1-1