Despite a dismal 1-7 season, Marion Coach Tony Perkins does not have one bad thing to say about his team.
“I love these kids,” he said Friday night after yet another disappointing loss, this time 28-14 on Senior Night at home to Dubuque Wahlert.
“I still believe they’re a good football team. They don’t believe it. And that’s the hard thing, to get them to believe in themselves.”
As has been the case all year for the hard-luck Indians, they once again gave the game away. Two first-half fumbles deep in their own territory led to Wahlert scores.
The Golden Eagles scored again early in the third quarter after yet another Marion fumble. And they came right back to go up 24-8 following a 33-yard punt return gave them a starting point at Marion’s 38.
“That’s been the way it’s been in our other games,” Perkins pointed out. “We hurt ourselves.
“In four of our losses, we’ve outgained the other team. But we’ve given them a short field to work with. It’s pretty easy to score when you start close to the goal.”
The night began on a high note as Marion’s Ryan Whalen intercepted a Jacob Nemmers pass on the second play from scrimmage.
The Indians’ stout defense held the next time Wahlert had the ball, too. But after Kory Walsh fumbled on Marion’s 27, it took Wahlert just four plays to take a 7-0 lead with hard-nosed Riley Hasken pounding in from the 2.
Hasken, who came into the game fifth in Class 3A with 1,194 yards rushing, added 86 more Friday night along with two touchdowns. He was outdone, however, by Marion’s Walsh.
The 220-pound junior gained 128 yards on 28 rushes, all of them through the middle of the defensive line. “I enjoy hitting people,” Walsh said. “I just try to go out and the best I can for our team.”
Walsh, the Indians’ leading rusher with 694 yards and eight touchdowns, scored early in the second quarter from two yards out. His run for a two-point conversion put his team ahead 8-7. Wahlert (3-5 overall, 3-2 Class 3A District 4) regained a 10-8 halftime lead, though, with a 24-yard Alex Kruse field goal set up by a Marion fumble from Hayden Meister on the 10-yard line.
Indian quarterback Gage Kray bobbled a handoff on the first series of the second half at 20-yard line, and Hasken again took it in two plays later.
Hasken then turned blocking back for junior Lyle Klein as the Golden Eagles marched downfield to pretty much put the game out of reach.
Playing for pride alone since their playoff chances are shot, the Indians (1-7, 0-5 Class 3A District 4) did mount an impressive six-minute drive in the fourth quarter to cut the lead.
With Walsh carrying the load, they went 73 yards and finished it off with a nifty nine-yard scamper by their go-to running back.
“These kids never quit,” said Perkins of his injury-riddled squad. “You always want to win or you wouldn’t compete. But you have to keep things in perspective.
“It’s like I’ve told them all season: The wins and losses will take care of themselves. The important thing is how you grow and learn.
“And these kids are great people.”
DUBUQUE WAHLERT 24, MARION 14
DW MAR
First downs 15 15
Rushes-yards 40-163 51-165
Passing yards 27 38
Comp-att-int 4-11-1 4-8-1
Fumbles-lost 2-2 5-3
Punts-avg. 1-28 2-32
Penalties-yards 4-34 4-52
Dubuque Wahlert 7 3 14 0 – 24
Marion 0 8 0 6 -- 14
Scoring plays
DW – Riley Hasken 2 run. Alex Kruse kick.
MAR – Kory Walsh 2 run. Walsh run.
DW – Kruse 24 field goal.
DW – Hasken 4 run. Kruse kick.
DW – Lyle Klein 14 run. Kruse kick.
MAR – Walsh 9 run. Pass failed.
Individual statistics
Rushing
Dubuque Wahlert – Hasken 26-86, Klein 9-64.
Marion – Walsh 29-128, Gage Kray 8-14.
Passing
Dubuque Wahlert – Jacob Nemmers 4-11-1-27.
Marion – Kray 4-8-38-1.
Receiving
Dubuque Wahlert – Austin Kluck 2-18, Joe Duehr 1-6, Myles Wernimont 1-3.
Marion – Hayden Meister 3-38.
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