Marion Local continues winning streak, bounces Bulldogs

LIMA – Even Old Man Winter couldn't cool off Marion Local and the Flyers' red-hot winning streak.On the coldest night of the fall season so far, with temperatures in the low 20s an a wind chill in single digits, Parker Hess rushed for 248 yards and four touchdowns, Marion Local scored twice in a 30-second span of the first quarter, and the Flyers won their state-record 63rd consecutive game, beating Columbus Grove 41-6 in the Division VIII state semifinals at Lima's Spartan Stadium."The winning streak, it's literally just one game at a time," said Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin."We have great kids, we push them hard and they respond. Every week it's a new challenge and another team to prepare for."Goodwin has guided Marion Local to a state-record 14 Division VI and Division VII championships in his 26 years as head coach. He and the Flyers will go after No. 15 – and their fourth straight – on Friday when they face Jeromesville-Hillsdale in the D-VII final at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton.Hillsdale (14-1) edged Danville 25-22 in Friday's other Division VII semifinal at Shelby.Costly mistakes, always a factor in high-intensity games, cost both teams. Grove came out on the short end, though, loosing the ball twice on pooch-kick kickoffs, twice on interceptions and once on a fumble.Marion Local fumbled three times and lost two, and had an interception."We made some mistakes that were uncharacteristic for us," Columbus Grove coach Andy Schafer said after the Bulldogs, playing in the state semifinals for the third straight year, ended their season at 14-1."When we made mistakes, they capitalized. When they made mistakes we were not able to. It may not have cost us the game, but it certainly swung the momentum."Mistakes are always going to be a part of football. In a game of this magnitude, if you lose momentum it hurts."This one is going to sting for a while."One of the biggest swings in momentum came midway througuyh the first quarter.After stopping Grove's first drive of the game, the Flyers mixed the run and the pass well in marching 62 yards in six plays. The last was Justin Knouff's 17-yard dart between two defenders that Victor Hoelscher caught in stride for the score.On the ensuing kickoff, Carson Bills towering but short boot was bobbled, Marion Local recovered at the Grove 39 and on the first snap Drew Lause went around right end for the sscore.Six minutes into the game, it was a 0-0 tie.Six-and-a-half minutes into the game, Marion local led 14-0."We got some big stops, especially early," Goodwin said."It was tough conditions tonight with the wind and the cold. We got some breaks from their kicking game and were abled to capitalize."Football is an interesting game where you start out in the sumnmner and end up playing in this weather."A Griffin Bruns interception set up Marion Local's third score. Ethan Heitkamp's 3-yard burst capped a 73-yard, 9-play drive that made it 20-0 two minutes into the second quarter.Grove leveled the field in the turnover battle when Layton Blanklemeyer strip-sacked Knouff. Grove recovered at the Flyers 26 and covered that distance in six plays, all by Trent Barraza. The senior back, who would end the night with 114 yards rushing and his senior season with 2,644 yards and 36 touchdowns, got sealing blocks from receiver Grant Eversole and tight end Brady Basinger in ripping off a 16-yard gain to the 5. He then followed lineman Brady Fuerst into the end zone for the score.Marion Local's respone was stunningly quick.Following the kickoff, Hess gained 12 yards on first down, Knoull completed a short pass (4 yards) to Bruns and a longer one (10-yards) to Hoelscher, and Hess raced 30 yards for the TD.Marion Local led 27-6 at the half, then turned things over to Hess. The senior back carried on seven straight plays and nine of 10 before fumbling. Gavin Barraza recovered to end that threat, but Hess redeemed himself, plowing in from 2 yards out late in the third quarter, and breaking off a 45-yard TD run in the fourth."They were methodically moving right down the field," Schafer said."I thought our offense clicked in the first half, but in the second half we were too far behind. We had to do some things that are really are not our style of football."Marion Local, which returned 18 starters from last year's state championship team, generated 305 yards on the ground and 426 yards total offense."We have a great senior class that has played a lot of snaps," Goodwin said of a group that has not lost a single football game in their entire high school careers."Losing to a team like that does not detract from a great season," Schafer said."Our kids fought to the end, but unfortunately it didn't go our way tonight." Col. Grove 0 6 0 0—6Marion Local 14 13 7 7—41 First QuarterML – Hoelscher 17 pass from Knouff (Bills kick)ML – Hess 39 run (Bills kick) Second QuarterML – Heitkamp 3 (kick failed)CG – Barraza 5 run (kick faled)ML – Hess 30 run (Bills kick) Third QuarterML – Hess 2 run (Bills kick) Fourth QuarterML – Hess 47 run (Bills kick) CG MLFirst Downs 13 22Rushes-yards 37-112 37-305Passing Yards 141 121Comp-Att-Int 11-22-1 7-9-2Fumbles-Lost 2-2 3-2Penalties-Yards 3-30 1-10INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRUSHING — Columbus Grove, T. Barraza 31-114, Hopkins 4-(-13), Baxter 1-10, Eversole 1-1. Marion Local, Hess 24-248, Lause 5-30, Heitkamp 5-47, Knouff 3-(-20).PASSING — Columbus Grove, Hopkins 11-22-1, 141 yards. Marion Local, Knouff 7-9-1, 121 yards.RECEIVING — Columbus Grove, T. Barraza 3-15, Basinger 2-22, T. Baxter 2-28, G. Barraza 2-62, G. Baxter 1-3. Marion Local, Hoelscher 4-72, Bruns 2-27, Hess 1-22..