Marion shows balance on offense in 47-22 win over 2A No. 5 Union

MARION — Big time plays from big time players.

The Marion Indians have some explosive weapons on the offensive side of the football and they were on display here in Friday night's opener against Union.

Senior quarterback Trevor Paulsen completed 14-of-20 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns, three to senior Blair Brooks as the Indians rolled to a 47-22 win over the Class 2A No. 5 Knights before an enthusiastic crowd at Thomas Park.

Paulsen also rushed for 100 yards on 13 carries, including a 33-yard TD run where he broke at least six tackles en route to the end zone.

And it wasn't just Paulsen and Brooks. Senior running back Chris Mohwinkle set the tone for the night, ripping off a 68-yard scoring run on the second play of the game. He finished with 161 yards on eight carries and caught three passes for 99 yards.

The Indians were 35-0 losers to Union in last year's opener. They were never really in danger this time around as the offense was clicking and the defense made big plays when they required.

Paulsen carved up the Union defense with his precise passing. When the Knights defense started dropping back to defend the pass, Paulsen deftly ran through the middle, picking up several key first downs.

Brooks, whose five catches for 92 yards, gave him the school record for both receptions and receiving yards, provided what proved to be the knockout punch when he grabbed a 15-yard fade pass with seven seconds remaining in the first half on a fourth-down play to give the Indians a 33-16 lead at the break.

Mohwinkle opened the third quarter the same way he opened the game, this time galloping 67 yards for a score.

Marion's defense allowed just 240 yards of total offense. Koby Alpers scored two first-half TDs for Union on a 17-yard run and on a 2-yard pass from Troy Hanus.

The Indians hit the road next week, traveling to Benton Community.