by CANTON, OH – Marion Local captured the OHSAA Division VII State Championship today with a commanding 38-0 victory over Dalton. They led from start to finish and controlled all phases of the game.
Kyle Otte was outstanding as he finished with 66 yards on the ground on 8 carries with a touchdown. He also caught 6 passes for 32 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Justin Knouff went 14 of 17 for 119 yards with a touchdown as well. Knouff ran 5 times for 64 yards as well, as he was tough to handle all game.
Dalton Quarterback Colin Pearson had a strong arm, but was held to 68 yards passing on 7 of 13 attempts with a pick six. Their main producer on the ground was Sammy Tomilson for 46 yards on 6 carries. Greyson Siders ran for 41 yards on 11 carries.
After the Bulldogs first drive stalled the Flyers took over and went right to work. They promptly put together an 8 play, 63-yard drive to score. Justin Knouff went 4 of 4 on the drive for 48 yards and the Flyers cruised down the field. They cashed in on a Kyle Otte 8-yard touchdown run.
Marion Local took over again on their next drive, already inside Dalton territory and ready to roll for more. A steady mix of pass and run compiled yards quickly as they found themselves with a first and goal from the Bulldog 5-yard line. A few moments later, a 1-yard run by Ethan Heitkamp made it 14-0 with a little under a minute to play in the first quarter.
An 80-yard pick six by Griffin Bruns halted another promising drive from the Bulldogs, and gave the Flyers a commanding 21-0 lead with 8:18 still to play in the second quarter. It was a great drive, but Bruns completely jumped the route and picked off the Colin Pearson pass. Things went from bad to worse for the Bulldogs, as their next punt was returned 64 yards to the house by Victor Hoelscher to extend the lead to 28-0 with 5:55 to go in the first half.
The Flyers tacked on more points before the half with a 19-yard field goal from Carson Bills to make it 31-0 at the break.
Marian Local began the second half with the ball and picked up where they left off with a 6 play, 65-yard touchdown drive, capped off by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Knouff to Otte to place the score at 38-0, ending all doubt. The drive ensured it would be even tougher for Dalton to stop the running clock.
Dalton refused to go away without a fight and put together a lengthy drive the next time they touched the ball. Moving the ball nearly 80 yards before they faced a fourth and 3, from the Marion Local 8-yard line. They couldn’t convert, and the ball went back to Dalton as the third quarter concluded 38-0.
