Turnovers cost Marion again

MARION — Call it a microcosm of frustration.

'The story of our season,' Marion Coach Tony Perkins lamented after the Indians lost their seventh straight game, 24-14, to Dubuque Wahlert in a Class 3A District 4 football contest Friday night at Thomas Park Field.

'We gave them a short field several times with our turnovers, and they took advantage. We've literally given away four games because we gave the ball up inside our 20.

'It's sad.'

Wahlert (3-5 overall, 3-2 district) clinched a playoff berth in its first season as a 3A team, scoring 17 points off Marion turnovers.

The yards came tougher than usual for Wahlert back Riley Hasken, whose 79 yards (on 25 carries) upped his season total to 1,273. He scored the Golden Eagles' first two touchdowns.

'They played with their linebackers up tight,' Hasken said. 'The second half, we came (off the ball) faster up front. And we used (Lyle) Klein, who's really quick around the outside.'

Klein added 64 yards on 10 carries, all in the second half, and added the clinching touchdown late in the third quarter.

Marion (1-7, 0-5) outgained the Golden Eagles, 199-189, but the four turnovers were just too much.

As Perkins said, the story of the Indians' season. The reason?

'I don't know,' Perkins said. 'If I knew, I'd fix it. We're a good football team. We play good, aggressive defense. It's just frustrating.'

Up 10-8 at halftime, the Golden Eagles owned the third quarter and pulled away.

The Indians fumbled on their third play after intermission at their own 20. Three plays later, Hasken had a 4-yard touchdown and Wahlert had a 17-8 lead.

Wahlert made its only long drive of the game on its next possession, 62 yards in nine plays. Klein capped it with a 4-yard score, and it was 24-8.

Kory Walsh's second touchdown, an 8-yard run with 3:04 remaining, made it 24-14. But the Indians misfired on the two-point try, Wahlert recovered the onside kick, and that was the ball game.

Walsh finished with 116 yards on 27 carries.

Both teams were guilty of three turnovers in the first half, and miscues set up all three of the tallies as Wahlert took a 10-8 lead into intermission.

Marion fumbled it away on its second series at its own 27, and the Golden Eagles drove it home in six plays (aided by a personal-foul penalty). Hasken scored from 2 yards out on fourth-and-1 to put the Eagles in front, 7-0.

Marion's Nick Kramer recovered a Wahlert fumble at the Marion 46, and the Indians picked up first downs on three straight plays before Walsh plunged in for a 2-yard touchdown. Walsh added the two-point conversion to put the Indians in front, 8-7, with 8:12 left in the half.

Another Indians fumble allowed Wahlert to set up shop at the Marion 7, but the Golden Eagles could manage only a field goal — a 23-yarder by Alex Kruse — for a 10-8 edge.

Wahlert's Travis Warden collected 16 tackles.

Marion closes out its season next week at Cedar Rapids Xavier. Wahlert is at Solon.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@sourcemedia.net