Marion gets cathartic home victory over Maquoketa

MARION — The Marion crowd let out a thunderous cheer following a completed pass in the second quarter during Marion's 42-7 win over Maquoketa on Friday.

The Indians' Trevor Paulsen escaped a sack and completed a pass for a Marion first down. The applause following the completion set off a car alarm in the parking lot.

Moments later, the alarm was silent, but the Indians' Isaac Cecheta made some noise, hauling in a 42-yard touchdown pass from Paulsen. The touchdown was the junior's second of the night and put Marion up 28-0 before half.

'He was wired tonight,' Marion Coach Tim Lovell said. 'He's a special player. He's really athletic and talented. We're lucky to have him.'

The victory was a catharsis of sorts for the Indians. In the midst of a frustrating season that has seen two of Marion's three losses come by less than five points, the Indians were hungry for some success.

'This win is huge,' Lovell said. 'It shows these guys that when you execute and have a good week of practice, good things happen. Especially when you're patient.'

Marion (3-3, 2-0 3A-4) piled up nearly 300 yards in the first half, with Cecheta accounting for 185 yards through the air and on the ground.

Cecheta found a slim hole on the opening drive of the game and hit it with the speed of a car on the highway, traveling 71 yards for the game's first score.

'I told (Jacory) Higgins after the first play, 'Just block that guy on the outside and if you stick him, I'm gone,'' Cecheta said.

The defense proved a stout barricade against the Cardinals (0-6, 0-2). A pair of Marion interceptions ruined promising Maquoketa drives and a couple of sacks helped flip field position. In the end, the Cardinals just couldn't solve the Marion defense.

'I thought the defense played great,' Lovell said. 'We could have done some things a little crisper in the first half, but overall, I'm very pleased with the team effort.'