Marian hands Marmion 1st loss
Just as Marian Central jumped to a three-score lead with a little over two minutes left in the first half, Marmion senior Bobby Miles returned a kick 82 yards to pull back within a couple touchdowns.
But any dreams of a comeback were dashed on a critical fourth down for the Hurricanes with under a minute to play in the second quarter.
After declining a 10-yard holding penalty, which would have resulted in a third and 16, the Cadets opted to test senior quarterback Andrew Stochl. The gamble failed as Stochl hit receiver Adam Olson with a 22-yard touchdown strike giving the Hurricanes a decisive 27-6 lead which would hold through the next two quarters. The Hurricanes ended up with a 28-6 victory in Suburban Catholic Conference action Friday night.
"You know they had to do something endzone-ish," said Marmion coach Dan Thorpe. "They did a wheel, and scored on it."
Marian (2-1, 1-0) kept control of the game from the start. The Hurricanes scored on their first two drives, thanks to solid running from sophomore running back Jared Koch and senior Michael Pappas. Stochl was just as deadly through the air, recording 2 touchdown passes and 130 yards. Koch and Pappas each recorded a touchdown.
"They moved the ball really well," Thorpe said. "They had tough running on their part, and we knew what elements of the game they would run."
The Hurricanes featured Koch running through the Cadet defense. Koch racked up 33 yards and finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown on a 7-play drive that seemed to put the Cadets on their heels.
"We really weren't blocking or tackling very well," Thorpe said.
The Cadets (2-1, 0-1) answered back when Miles tore down the right sideline after juking past a defender. The senior then scampered the rest of the way untouched before celebrating the first score of the day with his teammates.
"I was happy for Bobby," Thorpe said. "He's not the biggest kid, but he has speed. He made a guy miss and I was really happy for him."
A two-point try failed when senior quarterback Ricky Bird threw an incomplete pass. Bird would finish the game 11 of 16 for 112 passing yards.