Marion Football

Marion chain gang picked for 3A finals

The Marion High School football team had a tough year and did not make the playoffs, but the school's chain crew has been selected to work the Class 3A championship game at the UNI-Dome on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:06 p.m.

The chain gang members are Ron Knapp, Bob Tiernan, Chuck Kent and Doug Henderson.

The chain crew keeps the down-and-distance measurements on the sideline and works with the game officials to keep the game moving in a timely manner.

Xavier rolls overmatched Indians, 55-0

It couldn't have gone much better Friday night for the Xavier football team.

Facing an undermanned, but game group from Marion, the Saints came in focused. Coming off an emotional 38-35 come-from-behind win over Class 1A power Iowa City Regina, Xavier showed no hint of a letdown.

The Saints scored on their first drive, took a 31-0 halftime lead, then got the game to continuous clock status on the opening play of the second half on a fumble return for a score.

When was finally finished, Xavier had a 55-0 win at Marion and an unbeaten regular season. Standing at 8-0 and a Class 3A, District 4 championship in hand, the Saints move on to the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday at Saints Field as a No. 1 seed.

The Indians finish a 0-9 and will look to end a 17-game losing streak in 2016.

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Wahlert tops bruised, battered Indians

DUBUQUE – The Marion sideline wore the bruises and scars of football battle.

Many players wore warm-ups or street clothes and Tylor Fairbanks missed the final few minutes while being treated on a stretcher with a foot injury. The Indians' ace training staff rushed for more than 400 yards while tending to players.

On the coldest night of the roughest of seasons, the Indians were clearly beat up and beaten.

They started this chilly battle with Dubuque Wahlert missing 11 players. By the time the clock struck triple zeros on the Golden Eagles' commanding 35-8 victory at the Rock Bowl, Marion's list of walking wounded had grown to 19.

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Dralle, Walsh join 2,000-yard club

Kennedy's Tyler Dralle and Marion's Kory Walsh each cracked the 2,000-yard barrier in career rushing yards Friday and each hopes to climb the charts in the final two weeks of the high school football regular season.

Dralle now has 2,072 career rushing yards and Walsh has 2,049, ranking them 13th and 14th in Metro history according to Metro Sports Report records.

Andre Dawson of Washington holds the Metro record with a whopping 5,084 yards rushing from 2007-09.

Dralle has a chance to finish ninth on the career list with Kennedy headed to the Class 4A playoffs. Derek Kielkopf of Kennedy (1998-99) is currently ninth with 2,536, so Dralle needs 465 yards to pass him.

Dralle is the No. 2 rusher in Class 4A this season with 1,157 and his 13 touchdowns rank tied for fifth. Sam Cook of Fort Dodge is the 4A top rusher with 1,454 yards.

The Metro area has two 4A state leaders. Linn-Mar's Alexy Boehm is tied for tops with five field goals and Kennedy's Shaun Beyer is No. 1 in punting average at 44.5 yards per boot.

Austin Coates of Kennedy is tied for third with four interceptions. Daniel Gorsich of Linn-Mar is eighth with 36 pass receptions.

In Class 3A, Xavier quarterback Bryce Schulte is tied for fifth with 16 touchdown passes and eighth in yards with 1,168.

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