Marion falls to Harrison in regular season finale

Heading into their final game of the regular season on Friday night at Dick Lootens Stadium, the Marion Giants dominated conference play. They allowed just 37 points in their first six NCC games, and their offense scored points in bunches.

While their offense continued to produce, their defense, which had made tremendous strides throughout the season, struggled mightily, and played a big factor in the game’s outcome.

Behind 446 yards rushing, and a remarkable effort from running back Omarion Dixon, the Harrison Raiders won an offensive shootout, defeating the Giants by a score of 49-42.

It was Marion’s first home loss since October 13, 2017.

The Giants struck first, needing just three plays, and a 41-yard touchdown pass from Keshaun Taylor to JK Thomas, to take a 7-0 lead.

But the Raiders responded, gashing the Giants’ run defense and capping their first drive off with a 42-yard touchdown run from Marcel Atisso.

Thomas scored his second touchdown in as many drives, this time on a nine-yard run, but Harrison again had an answer, driving 67 yards on six plays, five of them on the ground, to tie the game at 14-14.

The Giants were able to create a little separation at the end of the first quarter and early in the second. Taylor hit Braxstin Delgado on a 55-yard screen pass on the Giants’ next series to help Marion regain the lead. D’Angelo Jones picked up Harrison quarterback Tyler Knoy on the Raiders’ ensuing possession, and the Giants were able to take a two touchdown advantage with a 14-yard pass from Taylor to Thomas.

Despite this, however, the Giants’ defense still struggled to stop Harrison’s rushing attack. On their final drive of the second quarter, Atisso and Dixon combined for 63 yards, and Dixon scored his third rushing touchdown to cut Marion’s lead to 28-21 heading into halftime.

“We’ve been blessed a little bit [with] the competition we’ve played,” Marion Head Coach Craig Chambers said. “We played a tough team and tough competition. We just have to take it a little more serious. We hit them pretty good – it’s all about wrapping up. [Dixon] had the mentality that he wasn’t losing tonight.”

Harrison needed just five plays at the beginning of the third quarter to tie the game at 28-28. A 50-yard run from Atisso put the Raiders at the Marion 1-yard line, and Steven Coffing capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown on a halfback counter.

Both teams continued to score seemingly at will, and with 7:08 remaining, the game was tied at 42-42.

The Giants failed to gain a first down on their next series. Taylor was sacked on first down and ran for just five yards on second down. On third down, Thomas, after making several Raider defenders miss, threw a beautiful pass to Delgado. However, he was past the line of scrimmage, resulting in a penalty.

Even more disaster struck on the punt attempt, as a botched snap led to great field position for the Raiders late in the contest.

Three plays later, Harrison took the lead for good, as Dixon scored his fourth touchdown of the game from 19-yards out.

Marion had one more opportunity to score some points, but Taylor was intercepted in the end zone to end the threat.

Dixon finished the contest with 272 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries, while Atisso compiled 151 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

“We just have to refocus,” Chambers said. “It starts tomorrow. We will watch film and study some things that we did wrong defensively and offensively.”

For Marion, Taylor was 10-of-17 for 221 yards and four touchdowns, while Delgado caught four passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Khalid Stamps led the Giants’ rushing attack with 88 yards and a touchdown, while Taylor racked up 78 yards on 14 carries.

The Giants finished the regular season with a 7-2 record, and will face the Fort Wayne Wayne Generals in their first sectional contest on Friday night.

“It’s going to be an amazing game,” Chambers said. “They’ve got some weapons out there. They are definitely not an oversight. They are probably one of the best 0-9 teams that you have out there. We have to be focused and get ready to play.”

“Unfortunately, we lost, but sometimes, it’s good, because it refocuses the team. I think they will come out a little more fired up next week and pretty hungry to play again.”

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