Marion County’s place atop Region 3-2A was solidified Friday night in a 52-12 takedown of Silverdale Baptist Academy in Chattanooga.
The Warriors’ 428 total yards and six total touchdowns left first-year Marion County head coach Joey Mathis shaking his head while looking at the scoreboard after the game.
“We tried to go really fast on offense and just try to smother their defense. We kind of got dialed into what they were wanting to do and made plays because of it.” Mathis said. “They were 5-1 tonight just like we were. We knew we were going to have to overcome some things, and we did just that.”
Senior fullback Hunter McClain led the Warriors (7-1, 5-0) in offensive production with 194 yards from scrimmage and three scores. Quarterback Isaah Sampson finished 5-of-12 for 162 passing yards and two touchdowns.
It was Marion that looked to be the overmatched team during the game’s opening drive. After taking the touchback on the kickoff, Silverdale (5-2, 2-2) drove 80 yards in nine plays that ended with a perfectly placed 19-yard pass by quarterback Alex Gonzalez to Christian Rogers after rolling out left.
After SBA missed the point-after kick, Marion hunkered down with 31 consecutive points that stretched from late in the first quarter to the opening possession of the second half.
“We just have a lot of different ways to score,” Mathis said of the offensive explosion. “We got help from a big kickoff return and completed some deep passes, which we’ve been trying to do better. It just got away because we have guys who can make big plays at any time.”
Silverdale caught the Warriors secondary sleeping on a 50-yard wide receiver pass from Rogers to Alex Burks. But on the ensuing kickoff, Marion County answered with a 90-yard kick return by Hunter Zeman. Seconds later, after a Silverdale fumble, it was Zeman again, this time on an easy 25-yard run straight up the teeth of the Seahawks defense.
Friday marked the Warriors’ fourth consecutive win after their loss to archrival South Pittsburg in early September. Now the No. 8-ranked Warriors are looking down at the rest of the region as they control momentum moving forward.
“We had to do some soul-searching after the loss to South Pittsburg, because we didn’t come close to matching their intensity,” Mathis said. “This win helps us control the controllables. We didn’t want to give this game up and not be able to dictate our own destiny, so tonight was huge.”
Both teams will be back in 3-2A action next week with Marion County traveling to Bledsoe County while Silverdale hosts Brainerd.
“I don’t think the score reflected how well we played and fought tonight,” Silverdale coach Al Rodgers said. “The second half we were just constantly a step behind, and that led to the final score being like it was. If we win out, we can still be where we want, and hopefully we can match up with these guys again.”
Contact John Mitchell at sports@timesfreepress.com