Marion County 38, Forrest 10
The star: Marion County quarterback Logan Walters scored three TDs in the Warriors’ romp past Forrest.Up next: Marion’s Warriors will host Region 3-2A rival Tyner in a state quarterfinal next Friday.
CHAPEL HILL, Tenn. - In a battle of top-five teams in the Class 2A playoffs, Marion County used a bruising ground game and a hard-hitting defense for a 38-10 win over Forrest.
The No. 2-ranked Warriors (11-1) got two touchdowns from Class 2A Mr. Football Back semifinalist Josh Henderson to down the No. 5 Rockets.
Senior quarterback Logan Walters ran for three touchdowns for the Warriors, who next Friday will host region foe Tyner, which upset top-ranked Boyd Buchanan, in the quarterfinals. Marion defeated Tyner 33-20 in week seven of the regular season.
"We felt like we could run the football and we were pretty efficient, and that's a big win because Forrest is a very good well-coached team," Marion County coach Ricky Ross said.
Trailing 17-3 at halftime, Forrest (10-2) successfully executed an onside kick to start the second half and cut the Marion lead to 17-10 as senior Joseph Williams scored from a yard out.
But Marion responded quickly. Walters scored from a yard out to push the lead back to 14 at 24-10.
For good measure with the Warriors still up by that margin in the third quarter, Henderson returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown that made it 31-10.
"We pride ourselves on good special-teams play, and that return was a huge play for us," Ross said
Marion County scored on all three of its first-half possessions. The Warriors took their first drive of the game and scored as Walters capped a 10-play, 75-yard march with a 2-yard score.
The Rockets countered with a score of their own on their second possession of the game, which was highlighted by a 66-yard run by senior tailback Clay Watson that flipped field position and got Forrest inside the Marion 20-yard line. But the Warriors kept the Rockets out of the end zone as Forrest settled for a 21-yard field goal by Javier Rios to cut the Marion lead to 7-3.
On Marion's second possession Henderson carried the ball eight times for 30 yards and scored from the 1. After a Forrest punt, Marion again took the ball down the field as senior Christian Stephens kicked a 36-yard field goal to give Marion the two-touchdown lead.
"They are a very talented football team that is very solid in all three phases of the game," Forrest coach Matt Kriesky said. "I think that we did a better job in the second half, but we dug ourselves a hole that was tough to climb out of."