Maria Stein Marion Local Wins Ninth State Title, Defeats Cuyahoga Heights 21-17 in Division VI State Championship
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Maria Stein Marion Local defeated Cuyahoga Heights 21-17 in the 2016 OHSAA Division VI football state championship at Ohio Stadium on Friday. The win marks the school's ninth state football championship and makes it five titles in the past six years.
Marion Local's ninth OHSAA state championship puts the Flyers in a tie for second place in OHSAA football history for most state championships, trailing only Cleveland St. Ignatius' 11. With the victory, Midwest Athletic Conference teams have captured 31 OHSAA football state championships.
"We went into the locker room at halftime happy with how we had been playing," Marion Local head coach Tim Goodwin said. "We were controlling the line of scrimmage and doing what we wanted to on offense. In the second half, Cuyahoga Heights changed some things up and started giving us problems. Looking back now, that 99-yard drive in the first half was so huge for the end result. Our kids are so gritty and tough. It feels great to be back on top."
Marion Local was led by senior quarterback Duane Luegers, who rushed for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries, also throwing for 114 yards on 9-of-15 passing. Senior Ryan Thobe led the team in receiving with six catches for 95 yards.
Senior quarterback Brett Lowther carried the bulk of the offensive load for the Cuyahoga Heights Redskins, passing for 186 yards and added 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Senior linebacker Tyler Selig led the defense with ten tackles and two interceptions.
Fueled by long passing plays, both teams were able to score on their first possessions. Cuyahoga Heights received the opening kick and drove 55 yards on seven plays leading to a 31-yard field goal by senior kicker Mark Shafer. Marion Local answered with an eight play, 71-yard drive, capped by a Nate Moeller one-yard touchdown run to put the Flyers up 7-3.
After being stopped on a third down and six, Cuyahoga Heights quarterback Brett Lowther punted and pinned Marion Local back to its one-yard line. But Marion Local senior quarterback Duane Luegers then led the Flyers on a 19 play, 99-yard drive, consuming 9: 40 that concluded with a one-yard touchdown run by Luegers to increase Marion Local's advantage to 14-3.
After stopping the Redskins on a fourth down and one from their own 34 yard line, Marion Local put another touchdown on the board with a 22-yard run by Luegers, his second of the game, putting Marion Local up 21-3 with 1: 52 remaining in the second quarter.
Cuyahoga Heights responded in the second half, starting strong by forcing a Marion Local three and out and scoring a touchdown on the ensuing possession, a two-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Brett Lowther to bring the Redskins to within 11, 21-10, with 4: 38 remaining in the third quarter.
With 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Cuyahoga Heights blocked a Marion Local punt and recovered at the one-yard line before junior fullback Lucas D'Orazio scored to cut the deficit to just 21-17 with 11: 41 remaining.
A Marion Local drive that brought the ball to the Redskins' one-yard line ended with an interception in the endzone by senior linebacker Tyler Selig, his second of the game. The following Cuyahoga Heights possession also ended with a turnover. Sophomore safety Matt Rethman made a one-handed interception on a deep pass attempt by Lowther, to give the Flyers possession.
But Marion Local's defense held firm, forcing two Cuyahoga Heights turnover-on-downs in the final four minutes to seal the win and the state championship, 21-17.
Marion Local 2016 Football (14-1)
8/27 A Chaminade Julienne (6-4) W 34-14
9/2 H McComb (12-2) W 36-0
9/9 H Coldwater (13-2) L 14-17
9/16 A Minster (10-5) W 44-6
9/23 H Versailles (5-5) W 28-7
9/30 A Anna (5-5) W 41-0
10/7 H New Bremen (2-8) W 45-0
10/14 A Fort Recovery (8-5) W 42-0
10/21 H St Henry (8-4) W 31-0
10/28 A Parkway (1-9) W 41-0
11/4 H # West Liberty-Salem (6-5) W 34-7
11/11 N # St Henry (8-4) W 22-0
11/18 N # Mechanicsburg (12-1) W 26-15
11/25 N # Patrick Henry (13-1) W 36-7
12/2 N # Cuyahoga Heights (14-1) W 21-17
# - Ohio playoff game
Russell Athletic | Marion Local "24W - 1L"
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RiP Stan C Wilker
BIRTH: 20 Jul 1948
Coldwater, Mercer County, Ohio, USA
DEATH: 11 Jun 2018 (aged 69)
Montezuma, Mercer County, Ohio, USA
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