Football
2 of 5 open season with victories
Staff writer
Friday night lights are back, with all five county schools kicking off their season Friday. Two of the five teams walked away with victories.
Marion
The Warriors began the season with a 46-20 victory on the road over Herington.
“I thought the boys came out ready to play,” coach Shaun Craft said. “ When you’re replacing a lot of key starters, there are a lot of unknowns going into that first game.”
Marion got off to a strong start, recovering a fumble on Herington’s opening possession.
The Warriors capitalized on that opportunity by scoring on their very first offensive play.
“That set the tone early,” Craft said. “I was pleased with the effort all night. The guys played hard.”
Herington cut Marion’s lead in half with a score of their own to make it 14-6 before the Warriors put together another scoring drive just before halftime.
Tripp Peterson opened the second half by scoring a touchdown on the opening kickoff.
“The special teams set the tone for the second half,” Craft said. “I was pleased with how we came out of the locker [room] after halftime and didn’t let up.”
Jameson Looper finished with 16 carries for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Lane Smith rushed into the end zone twice, and Wyatt Soyez did so once.
Luke Watkins led the defense with six tackles. Brian Nguyen and Jesse Snyder backed him up with five tackles each.
The Warriors (1-0) will hit the road again Friday to play against Douglass (1-0).
“Douglas will be a tough test for us this week,” Craft said. “They’re a physical team with good size, especially at running back. We’ll have to tackle well this week for sure.”
Peabody-Burns
Peabody-Burns got revenge against Tescott, winning a 40-39 nail-biter over the team that eliminated the Warriors in Week 2 of the playoffs last season.
Quarterback Aiden Hurst was 8 for 12 passing, including four passing touchdowns.
Tight end Jameson Miles ended with eight receptions for 262 yards and four touchdowns.
Running back Dalton Philpott finished with 106 rushing yards and one touchdown.
“It didn’t go bad overall until the end of the game,” coach Eric Dutton said. “We came out strong, throwing and running the ball, while our defense was playing aggressively. But late in the game, they started to get tired, giving up a lot of plays, allowing Tescott to come back.”
Miles had 10 solo tackles on defense. Collin Groff had 18 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.
The Warriors (1-0) will hit the road Friday to play Cunningham (1-0).
“As a team, we have a lot we have to work on this week to get ready for the powerhouse of a team that Cunningham will be,” Dutton said. “The boys understand what we’re going to be facing this coming Friday, and they’re ready to put the work in.”
Hillsboro
The Trojans were put to the test at home against Haven, losing 51-13.
“It’s clear we have several areas to focus on for improvement,” coach Demetrius Cox said. “We need to sharpen our attention to detail in assignments, ensuring each player knows their role precisely.”
Running back Jesiah Gooch was the first player to score for the Trojans on a 5-yard run.
Quarterback Zayne Haslett later scrambled into the end zone for the second Trojan touchdown.
“Improved communication on the field is crucial to maintaining team cohesion and executing plays effectively,” Cox said. “Execution overall must be more precise, with a collective commitment to our game plan.
The Trojans (0-1) will be on the road this Friday against Larned (1-0).
“Our leaders need to step up and lead by example, providing guidance and motivation to the rest of the team,” Cox said. “By addressing these areas, we can build a stronger team moving forward.
Goessel
Goessel laid an egg against Wakefield, losing 46-0.
“Friday night was a great opportunity for many of our guys to gain their first varsity experience,” coach Garret Hiebert said. “There are always a lot of unknowns in Week 1, especially with an opponent we haven’t played recently,” Hiebert said.
Leading rushers for Goessel were Claudio Flores with 15 carries for 42 yards and Trey Gaddis with 7 carries for 14 yards.
Leading tacklers were Braxton Davis with nine, and Trey Gaddis and Anthony Boden with seven.
“There were some things that we probably did better than we expected and some things that we struggled with more than we thought we might,” Hiebert said. “Overall, we ran to the ball well on defense and will work to become more crisp on offense.”
The Bluebirds (0-1) will be at home Friday, playing host to Centre (0-1).
“Week 2 is all about trying to get as healthy as possible and identifying the most important skills to improve from week one.,” Hiebert said. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete as hard as we can against Centre,” Hiebert said.
Centre
Centre also laid an egg on Friday during their season opener at home against Canton-Galva, losing 54-0.
“We have to be better when it comes to execution. Our passing game struggled to get in rhythm, which is something we’ll need to address in practice,” coach Thieen Antoszyk said.
“Overall, I’m proud of the fight the team showed, but we know we’ve got to clean up those mistakes if we want to compete at a high level this season,” Antoszyk said.
The Cougars (0-1) will be on the road this Friday but will stay within county lines as they face off against Goessel (0-1).
“Goessel didn’t score in their opener either, which tells me we both probably had similar struggles offensively,” Antoszyk said.
“I think both teams will be looking to establish their identity early in the season. I’m confident that if we make adjustments, we’ll put ourselves in a good position to come out on top.”