Larkin finds Hoffman in final seconds to lift Cascade over Marion

MARION - Marion was seconds away from securing its first win in more than a year.

Cascade reached out and stole it at the very end.

Cascade's Trace Hoffman caught a 16-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from John Larkin with 15 seconds left to help the Cougars take a 29-26 win over Marion Friday night in a wild back-and-forth high school football game at Thomas Park Field.

Cascade (1-2) won its first game of the season behind Larkin's 308 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Larkin completed 5 of 7 passes on the game-winning 52-yard drive that started with less than 2 minutes on the clock. Larkin connected with Hoffman three times on the series - none bigger than the 16-yard fade pass to the senior in the end zone for the winning score.

Marion (0-3) took a 26-23 lead midway through the fourth quarter with Gage Kray's 7-yard touchdown run.

Then Kray stepped up with a huge sack on Cascade's ensuing drive when the Cougars had a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

But Marion was forced to punt and couldn't come up with one last stop in the final minute.

The Indians have lost 11 straight games.

Tony Perkins, who returned to the sidelines after missing last week's game against Washington for unspecified reasons, remains tied with Les Hipple for the most wins by a Marion coach.

Marion's Kory Walsh ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns, 167 of them in the first half.

The teams combined for eight touchdowns, trading off scores one-for-one for the entire game.

Cascade's Shaylon Strub ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cougars forced three interceptions.

Marion led 20-15 at halftime after sophomore Blair Brooks made a diving and juggling 5-yard catch in the end zone late in the second quarter.

Walsh ran for touchdowns of 5 and 55 yards in the first half.