Marion Stadium opens with a 34-19 win for the Wolves

MARION — The lights flashed. The wolf howled. The home team won.

You couldn’t have scripted a better debut for Marion Stadium. For three quarters, at least.

Marion spotted Center Point-Urbana the first touchdown, then scored on five consecutive drives and christened its new on-campus stadium with a 34-19 non-district football win Friday night.

“It was electric,” quarterback Kaleb Diers said. “I liked when the lights (flashed) after our touchdowns.”

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. The Wolves (2-1) piled up 384 yards of offense in the first half and finished with 512.

“Our message this week was understanding the difference between reacting and responding,” Marion Coach Michael Joyner said. “We went back to what we do better. We found something in their defense (that we were able to exploit).”

And they added a 2-minute drill that provided a dagger shortly before halftime.

Leading 21-6, the Wolves got the ball at their own 20 with 1:04 left. Diers completed four passes, including a 47-yarder to Trey Franck.

Diers suffered a dislocated middle finger on his right hand on the play.

“Hit it right on their guy’s helmet,” he said. “I’ll be good.”

Franck scored on the next play, a 2-yard run, and it was 28-6 at intermission.

Marion marched downfield on its first possession, but it ended with an interception and a 56-yard return by CPU’s Jarret Koppedryer.

A pass from Koppedryer to Trevor Antes put the Stormin’ Pointers (0-3) in front 6-0, but it didn’t last long.

That react-and-respond thing that Joyner was talking about.

Marion drove 73 yards in seven plays, a 48-yard pass from Diers to Kaiden Griffith the biggie. Diers’ 4-yard keep — and Klayton Rompot’s PAT — put the Wolves in front to stay, 7-6.

Franck’s 45-yard run was key in the Wolves’ next drive, capped by a 1-yard scoring run by Franck.

Then it was a three-play, 92-yard jolt (Diers hit Griffith for a 37-yard TD) that made it 21-6.

Marion’s 384 first-half yards came on 37 offensive plays

Franck finished with 116 rushing yards on six carries. Griffith caught five passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

Lots of big plays, many of which were followed by a piped-in wolf howl on the public address system.

Marion hosts Maquoketa next week; CPU welcomes South Tama.

Marion 34, Center Point-Urbana 19

At Marion Stadium

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: CPU 12, Marion 21

Rushes-yards: CPU 30-88, Marion 49-324

Passing yards: CPU 103, Marion 188

Passing: CPU 6-15-0, Marion 8-10-1

Total yards: CPU 191, Marion 512

Fumbles-lost: CPU 0-0, Marion 2-1

Punts-average: CPU 4-45.8, Marion 0-00.0

Penalties-yards: CPU 4-27, Marion 7-44

SCORING SUMMARY

Center Point-Urbana 6 0 0 13 — 19

Marion 7 21 6 0 — 34

CPU — Trevor Antes 8 pass from Jarret Koppedryer (kick blocked)

MAR — Kaleb Diers 4 run (Klayton Rompot kick)

MAR — Trey Franck 1 run (Rompot kick)

MAR — Kaiden Griffith 37 pass from Diers (Rompot kick)

MAR — Franck 2 run (Rompot kick)

MAR — Griffith 7 pass from Diers (kick failed)

CPU — Carter Andrews 27 pass from Jackson Brincks (Drew Schellhorn kick)

CPU — Jackson Brincks 1 run (kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Center Point-Urbana — A.J. Maloney 16-71, Jackson Brincks 12-17, Jack Witte 1-2, Tyler Bark 1-2, Trevor Antes 1-2, Brecken Andersen 1-(minus-6). Marion — Trey Franck 6-116, Kaleb Diers 10-90, Hunter Horak 8-53, Jasper Hancox 13-46, Darius Rouson 9-28, Team 3-(minus-9).

Passing

Center Point-Urbana — Brincks 5-14-0-95, Jarret Koppedryer 1-1-0-8. Marion — Diers 8-10-1-188.

Receiving

Center Point-Urbana — Carter Andrews 3-83, Antes 2-16, Koppedryer 2-4. Marion — Kaiden Griffith 5-114, Franck 3-66, Adam Rose 1-12.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com