Why does Marion wear green? Wolves keep perspective after 10-0 girls’ state soccer loss

DES MOINES — Back in March, Marion’s girls’ soccer players signed their names on a ball with green ink, a tradition the program established well before any of this year’s players were in high school.

On Wednesday, they stepped onto Field 6 at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines sporting green wristbands, just as Marion players have done for countless prior games.

So after No. 9 Marion’s girls’ state soccer debut ended in a flash — second-ranked, Class 2A defending champion Dallas Center-Grimes needed only one half to generate a mercy-rule 10-0 win — Marion Coach Erik Trilk knew how these players would move forward.

“As far as this whole experience, I think this group of kids are level-headed enough to understand what they accomplished this year and to be so proud of each other and themselves,” Trilk said.

The 14th-year coach said that with a green T-shirt and green tennis shoes.

The green came to red-and-yellow Marion when the coaching staff discovered a video of Florida women’s soccer coach Becky Burleigh explaining her “green dot” philosophy. They contacted Burleigh and were encouraged to go green at Marion.

“(It means) going all in for your teammates,” Trilk said. “What does a green play look like? What does a green teammate look like? What does someone that’s yellow or someone that’s red look like?

“Those decisions are in the classroom, those are the decisions you make when you’re at home with your family, those are the decisions you make with your friends. It’s not just soccer related. Understanding the actions that we take have consequences for all the people around us.”

With four starters injured — Trilk said “they literally gave their bodies up to get here” — Marion (12-3) struggled to compete Wednesday. The relentless Mustangs (16-3) got goals from seven different players, including a hat trick from Kylie Knief.

“They’re better on grass than they are on film, I’ll tell you that,” Trilk said.

Instead of a halftime team talk, the Wolves consoled each other, accepted their state-qualifying trophy and packed up.

Trilk still smiled when he thought about all the Marion soccer balls covered in green autographs that led to a historic season.

“We’ve got one to put in the trophy case this year, which is pretty cool,” Trilk said.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com