Marion putting 1-8 campaign in rearview mirror

MARION - When a football team has a rough season, coaches can approach the ensuing season, in general, one of two ways: do your best to forget it completely and look forward; or use what kept you from being what you could've been as motivation.

In his 18th season as head coach at Marion, Tony Perkins has only ever done the former. Eyes forward at all times, he said, even after a 1-8 2014 season in which his Indians committed 22 turnovers.

'It all goes in cycles. We went 1-8 last year and we didn't do anything different than when we were 9-0,” Perkins said. 'You never push the panic button. There's years you're up, there are years you're going to be average and, hopefully very rarely, you have a team that beats themselves like we did last year.

'I thought we were a very good football team last year that had 22 turnovers, and all of them turned out to hurt us. We're doing the exact same things we've done since 1999 out here. Hopefully everything falls into place this year.”

Perkins said the coaching staff and players 'don't reference it, we don't say anything about” last season, but human nature makes it impossible to ignore.

Key members of the team who are back, like quarterback Gage Kray and running back Kory Walsh, can't ignore it happened, but hope with some changes this season they can purge the memory with a successful 2015.

'We obviously remember it and it's definitely in the back of my mind, but we've just got to keep fighting and hopefully this year will be a lot better,” Kray said. 'You've got to be a lot smarter when you're passing and stuff, get both hands on the ball when running (to prevent a repeat of 2014). Simple stuff like that.”

Most important to keeping the focus on this year and not on mistakes that plagued them in the past are changes Perkins has made to Marion's offensive scheme.

Gone is the traditional power-I offense with two tight ends, a fullback and tail back. In is a system more along the lines of the spread everyone in football has become so accustomed to seeing. As a self-described 'old-school” guy, Perkins didn't love the idea of moving away from his preferred style. But as a realist and surveyor of talent, he knew it was necessary.

He said this year's version of the Indians is 'loaded at the skill positions,” has 'speed and athleticism at the skill positions, but we're small on the line.”

Even if it's not preferred, Perkins was comfortable going to this system because he's familiar with it from his coaching stops in the past.

'We don't have your typical offensive line that Marion's had in the past. We're going to have to make sure we use the athleticism rather than big bulk,” Perkins said. 'From what we've done here at Marion, it's going to be a change. When I was at other schools I coached at, we ran this offense we're doing now. It's not a change for me, it's more enjoyable for some of the kids.

'We just don't have that type kid and we won't have that type kid for a long future. We're going to do some things different. We're not going to go away from tradition because that's who we are, but we will do some more exciting things.”

Those exciting things put big smiles on the faces of players - especially Kray and Walsh, who stand to benefit most. Kray will start the year out as quarterback, but likely will spend time at multiple positions in order to maximize his athletic skill.

Those two, along with Isaak Hahn, Ryan Whalen and Blair Brooks, are all key components to the new offense.

'It's a lot of fun. And hopefully I'll be able to run a little split-end this year and catch the ball, too. Have a little fun,” Kray said. 'I love being able to play all the different positions. You can do a lot more stuff. It's a lot of fun, I like our new offense.”

Adjusting to the players coming in is something Perkins has striven to do in his years at Marion, and the biggest reason he's able to successfully put an old season in the rearview and leave it there.

Where college coaches recruit players and build their team the way they want it, high school coaches don't necessarily have that luxury.

'You have a certain number of kids you have to have,” he said. 'You have to deal with them, you have to make them better. That's your job as a coach.

'A college coach can go out and recruit what he wants. You just go out and teach and enjoy the kids you have and the record takes care of itself.”

MARION, at a glance

Coach: Tony Perkins (16th year at Marion/27th year overall, 104-51 record/159-97 overall)

Last year: 1-8

Key returners: RB/LB Kory Walsh, QB/S Gage Kray, QB/RB/CB Isaak Hahn, SE/CB Ryan Whalen, SE/S Blair Brooks, T/DT Dakota Timmerman

Key losses: OL/DE DeShaun Quinn, OL/DE Devin Quinn, FB/LB Nick Kramer, OL/DL Eli Frazier, RB/LB John Carstensen

Key to making playoffs: Getting the most out of their skill positions in a retooled offense and a new system. This won't be the Marion fans are used to seeing, so adapting quickly will be necessary. Also limiting the turnovers that plagued them last year.

Game to watch: Marion hosts Solon on Sept. 18 in a game that should serve as the best barometer to what the Indians truly have to offer this season and also is the first district game. It was a close game last year and should be the same this year.

Schedule (*district game)

Aug. 28 - Mount Vernon

Sept. 4 - at Washington (Iowa)

Sept. 11 - Cascade

Sept. 18 - *Solon

Sept. 25 - *at DeWitt Central

Oct. 2 - *Maquoketa

Oct. 9 - *at Western Dubuque

Oct. 16 - *at Dubuque Wahlert

Oct. 23 - *Cedar Rapids Xavier

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com