Hard times wear on for Warriors after 51-6 loss

By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

If the Warriors could reschedule the 2018 homecoming football game again, odds are the third-ranked Sedgwick Cardinals wouldn’t be the top choice for an opponent.

Certainly when just competing anymore has become a challenge, much less winning.

Much to Warrior faithfuls’ chagrin, hard times were all that were in store on a chilly, windy Friday night with the Cardinals ransacking Marion’s homecoming with a 51-6 loss.

The third consecutive loss drops Marion to 1-4 on the season.

Stopping the Cardinals’ high- powered offense requires keeping the Schroeder brothers, quarterback Hooper, and back Kale in check.

Marion did that for the most part, limiting the Cardinals to 281 total yards.

But a brisk wind gave whichever team kicking into it the luxury of a short field.

It favored Sedgwick more, especially with running back Evann Heidebrecht sidelined with a shoulder injury and the offensive line unable to buy any time for quarterback Chase Stringer to operate.

The Cardinal defense swarmed the Warrior backfield, limiting Stringer to just 13 total yards and Marion to a bitter season-low 113.

Hooper Schroeder wasn’t quite the menace his brother was, throwing a sole touchdown for 45-yards to Cauy Root while running for another.

Kale stung the Warrior defense, rushing for 133 yards, but Marion still kept him out of the end zone.

Outside recovering an unintentional onside kick, Marion’s lone bright spot came from freshman Anthony Brooks’ two carries for 58 yards and a 29- yard average as the Warriors finished with 113 total yards and only five first downs.

A team plagued by turnovers, averaging too many to live with, Marion only committed a season-low one.

It was a costly one, though, and catastrophe wasted no time striking with Marion fumbling away its opening drive, spotting Sedgwick a 7-0 lead six seconds into action on the recovery.

The game continued its downward spiral after that with the Cardinals putting the game out of reach with a 30-point explosion in the first quarter.

The deficit grew to 44-0 by halftime with both teams opting to use their reserves with a running clock in the second half.

Down 51-0 heading into the final stretch, Marion finally got on the board when Brooks scored with 15 seconds left.

Relief could still be hard to come by Friday, with the Warriors hosting upstart Hillsboro.