With their fourth straight loss, the Marion Indians closed a once-promising season Friday night at Thomas Park by falling to Class 3A eighth-ranked Maquoketa, 31-7.

The story was the same as it has been throughout the tailspin that saw a playoff-contending 4-1 team finish at 4-5 and compile a 2-5 record in district competition.

"We just shot ourself in the foot again," said rock-solid senior linebacker Jake McDonald. "We gave up three games this season we should have won. And we made too many mistakes tonight."

In fairness to Maquoketa, which won its eighth in a row and claimed the District 5 title, the best team did come out on top. Cardinals senior quarterback Chase Coakley was razor-sharp on his passes all night, finishing 12 for 19 for 231 yards.

Three more of his laser-like liners would have gone for sure touchdowns if they hadn't been flat-out dropped. Even so, the lanky Coakley led his team to three second-quarter scores to turn a close game into a 31-7 lead at halftime that stuck for the rest of the contest.

Once again, Marion Coach Tony Perkins was left to wonder "what if" his team had not committed so many blunders early in the contest.

"We gave them 21 points on two bad snaps over the head and a fumble. And we had two really costly penalties," he said. "But in football you make your own breaks, and it's been that way all year for us."

Maquoketa's first score was an outright gift. Intending to punt from the 23-yard line, Marion's Cale Cannoy had the hike sail high over his head and into the end zone. He tried to kick the bouncing ball out of bounds for a safety, muffed it and instead watched the Cardinals' Perry Hawks fall on the ball for a touchdown.

"I should have just jumped on the ball," said Cannoy, who finished his career in frustrating fashion.

The all-purpose quarterback and defensive back suffered a separated shoulder last week, hurt it again Friday night and was in and out throughout the second half. "I wanted to get back in there in my last game," he said afterward while being unable to move his right arm.

Despite the shaky start, Marion knotted the score late in the first quarter when Colton Storla tallied from six yards out. A workhorse all season after being hampered by an early-season injury, the senior running back had his seventh game with more than 100 yards rushing and finished the year with 1,222 yards and 17 touchdowns.

With Cannoy on the bench for much of the second half, Storla was a one-man wrecking crew, taking direct snaps from the center and moving the ball on the ground. Indeed, Marion more than held its own in the scoreless second half.

"It took us awhile to get started, but we played great in the second half," Storla said.

The Indians pretty much controlled the momentum and held the Cardinals (8-1) in check even with their starters playing the whole game. "I really thought in the second half we played our best football of the season," Perkins said.

"I'm proud of these guys. They could have quit with the score 31-7. But they never laid down, not all season. They played with determination, right to the end."

MAQUOKETA 31, MARION 7

Maquoketa     10  21  0  0 - 31
Marion         7   0  0  0 -  7

SCORING PLAYS

Maquoketa - Recovery in end zone by Perry Hawks (Bradley Walker PAT).
Marion - Colton Storla 6 run (Ryan Hagen PAT)
Maquoketa - Walker 32 FG.
Maquoketa - Craig Johnson 1 run (Walker PAT)
Maquoketa - Jonathan Bopes 6 pass from Chase Coakley (Walker PAT)
Maquoketa - Johonson 1 run (Walker PAT)

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs - Maquoketa 13, Marion 10
Rushing - Maquoketa 24-66, Marion 50-137
Passing - Maquoketa 12-19-1-231, Marion 4-7-0-28
Fumbles/lost - Maquoketa 1/1, Marion 5/2
Penalties - Maquoketa 5-40, Marion 6-43
Punting - Maquoketa 3-37, Marion 3-33

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing
Maquoketa: Craig Johnson 15-85, Chase Coakley 9-minus 19.
Marion: Colton Storla 33-123, Jake McDonald 7-31, Trev Biery 6-10, Hunter
Banes 2-16, Team minus 43.

Passing
Maquoketa: Chase Coakley 12-19-1-231. Marion: Cale Cannoy
4-7-0-28.

Sophomore Score - Marion 32, Maquoketa 21