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Marion Local receivers Victor Hoelscher and Andrew Pohlman celebrate after Hoelscher scored the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter against Coldwater at Booster Stadium on Friday.
MARIA STEIN - For 20 minutes, Coldwater held its own with Marion Local in a battle of football heavyweights.
In the last 28, the Flyers took off.
Victor Hoelscher put Marion up seven heading into the break, and quarterback Justin Knouff continued to strafe the Coldwater secondary in the second half for a 35-14 Flyers win at Booster Stadium on Friday that gave them an outright Midwest Athletic Conference championship.
"We saw some things coming into the game, saw some things in the first half," Marion coach Tim Goodwin said of the big plays. "That's where the coach can have a direct impact on the game, and it's addictive. That's what makes it fun, when some of those things hit, especially."
Marion, the top-ranked team in Division VII, and Coldwater, No. 3 in Division V, both are expected to host their opening playoff games next Friday, with opponents to be announced on Sunday.
Marion (10-0, 8-0 MAC) got the ball back with four minutes left in the second quarter after the Cavaliers evened the score, and Coldwater's defense kept the Flyers to 13 yards in their first four plays. But with 1:18 left, Knouff dropped back and spotted Victor Hoelscher running all alone down the right sideline.
Knouff's pass was on target, and Hoelscher cut back to the middle and outran AJ Harlamert to the end zone to put Marion back on top with 1:18 left in the half.
"If you get behind these guys, it's tough," Coldwater coach Chip Otten said. "They do a good job. They're just well-coached, good football team. We just gave up too many big plays."
The Flyers got the second half kickoff, and Hoelscher beat Gavin Zibrida and Mason Welsch with a double-move to get behind the secondary again. This time, he was run down before the end zone, but not before he had gotten 58 yards, and Ethan Heitkamp punched it in three plays later to make it 21-7.
Coldwater punter Owen Kunk tries to get a kick away as Marion's Carter Jones (3) wraps him up.
Coldwater (9-1, 7-1 MAC) converted a fake punt in its own territory, but stalled near midfield. Owen Kunk mishandled the snap on the punt, was swarmed and fumbled the ball, giving Marion the ball at the Cavalier 46.
Knouff needed just three plays before he fooled the Coldwater defense on a play-action and fired a pass deep down the middle, arcing it just over Braylen Harlamert's outstretched hand and into the arms of Andrew Pohlman for a 35-yard touchdown.
"We knew they could throw a little bit when they needed to," Otten said. "But they get you with the play-action stuff. One of the last throws was a fake crackback. They do a good job. When you get behind, you have to stop the run, and they get you with the play-action."
Midway through the fourth quarter, Knouff put the game out of reach. Facing fourth-and-1, he again got the Cavaliers to crash the line and threw over the middle to Kyle Otte, who beat AJ Harlamert in single coverage for a 34-yard touchdown.
"Same thing we see every day in practice," Goodwin said of Knouff. "He torches our defense, because he's the scout quarterback. Vic and Andrew are running scout receiver, because they don't play much defense, so it's torture every day in practice."
Coldwater kept its starters in and ran off a 16-play drive ending with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Baylen Blockberger to AJ Harlamert with 29 seconds left, but it was too late to affect the outcome.
The Cavaliers outgained Marion 338-315 and had opportunities to keep pace, but failed to finish drives and make key plays when they had to. After Hoelscher's first touchdown, Blockberger drove them down to the Marion 25 and had 16 seconds on the clock to try for the end zone, but he forced a pass over the middle and was picked off by Landon Arling.
Marion Local linebacker Landon Arling returns an interception against Coldwater.
After Pohlman put the Flyers up 21, Blockberger was picked again throwing over the middle to the goal line. Ethan Elander and three Flyers crashed into a referee and Griffin Bruns came away with the ball.
"They did a good job with their stunts and coverages, like they always do," Otten said. "If you get behind them, it makes it really difficult, because they just turn it loose."
In addition to the fumble by Kunk, Cody Depweg came up inches short on fourth down on Coldwater's first drive and Blockberger was sacked on fourth down in the fourth quarter.
The one scoring drive the Cavaliers finished with the game in reach started at the 50 after the wind knocked down Drew Lause's punt. Coldwater went down the field in six plays, and Jack Ebbing took the ball wide left for a two-yard touchdown with 4:05 left in the half.
Hoelscher had 151 receiving yards as Knouff passed for 237. Heitkamp added two touchdowns. AJ Harlamert caught eight passes from Blockberger for 108 yards.
With the win, Marion earned its 17th Midwest Athletic Conference championship, its 10th outright. The Flyers have won at least a share of the MAC title for eight straight years.
"I was just congratulating (assistant coach) Adam Bertke again, because he had worked with Justin and Vic and Andrew and some of those other receivers back in April, May," Goodwin said. "A lot of work goes into this, to be able to come out here and play football like this, and it's very satisfying when it pays off."
