Marion Local Rolls To Another State Football Title – Stateline Sports Network
Never say “never” idiom
—Should Be Used to say that a person should not say he or she will never do something!
CANTON — The Hillsdale High School football team and Maria Stein Marion Local will kick off Day 2 of the 2024 OHSAA football state championships this morning with the Division VII title game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
It’s the first of three high school football championship games – featuring a Marion Local team on an epic winning streak- as games continue Friday and Saturday at the stadium.
Follow along here throughout the day for live updates on the game.
How did Hillsdale reach the OHSAA Division VII state championship game
Hillsdale advanced to Canton with a 25-22 win over Danville in the state semifinals.
What to know about Hillsdale Falcons football
Hillsdale is making its first appearance in a state championship game.
The Falcons had not advanced past the regional championship game prior to this season. Hillsdale is no stranger to the playoffs, though. The Falcons have reached the postseason nine consecutive season under head coach Trevor Cline. Hillsdale has an overall record of 15-12 in the playoffs.
Hillsdale High School football players to watch
- WR Hayden McFadden: The first 1,000 yard receiver in program history. McFadden has 60 catches for 1,363 yards this season with 18 touchdowns.
- WR Holland Young: On the verge of being the second 1,000 yard receiver in program history. The senior has 915 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
- RB Owen Sloan: A 1,500 yard rusher that can chew up yards. Sloan has 226 carries for 1,644 yards and 31 touchdowns.
- QB Kael Lewis: A sophomore that has thrown for 2,981 yards with 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
What to know about Marion Local Flyers football
The team from small town Maria Stein (population is just over 1,000 people) are not just a juggernaut, they’re pretty much the closest thing you will see to a high school football dynasty.
The No. 1 ranked team in Division VII came into Friday’s state championship game having won 63 straight games − the longest winning streak in Ohio high school football history − and three consecutive state titles. As a program, Marion Local have won 14 state titles (most in Ohio high school football history) and 22 regional titles. For the 2024 season, the Flyers have outscored their opponents 709-49, a 660-plus point differential, and have nine shutouts to their name, including a stretch where they had six in a row.
The Flyers have won a state record 63 straight games and will look to make it 64 — four full 16-game seasons. Marion Local has allowed 49 points all season, shutting out eight opponents. The Flyers have committed 26 turnovers, including 16 interceptions, and made 29 sacks. The Flyers give up 136.6 total yards per game. Offensively, Marion has scored 40 or more points in 12 of 15 games. Head coach Tim Goodwin is 324-48 in his 26th season, winning 14 state titles since 2000.
Hillsdale discussed the task at hand, highlighting especially how fundamentally sound their opponent is. “You’ve heard about Marion Local for many years now. I know us as a program, it’s always been a goal of ours to make a state championship and if you made it there, the chances are you will have to play Marin Local,” said Hillsdale head coach Trevor Cline. “It’s a great opportunity for our program to go up against a program like that.”
“They’ve been perfect in every aspect of the game. They don’t really beat themselves,” said Bower, on what he’s seen on tape of the Flyers. “If you wanna beat them, you’re going to have to beat them fair and square. They don’t have many breakdowns.”
“They are fundamentally sound,” Cline added. “All the little things they do right. They’re not a team that’s going to beat themselves.” “We obviously respect them a lot,” said Heller. “They’re a very disciplined team. They know their assignments and they do them well. We’re looking at that.”
Embarrassment of riches…Ethan Heitkamp plunges across the line to score one of four Marion Local first half touchdowns in their win over Columbus Grove. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks) – Search Images
For Marion Local as a whole, they bring plenty to the table. They have multiple backs in Drew Lause, Ethan Heitkamp and 1,000-yard rusher Parker Hess that do damage. Add quarterback Justin Knouff to the list of formidable runners, and the Flyers find themselves with a profusion of running options. The QB-WR combination of Knouff and wideout Victor Hoelscher will be one to watch for too.
However, if there’s one area that’s evident to Hillsdale where Marion Local excels at, it’s the basic principles of blocking from their offensive line.
“They’re blocking. They get to the second level and they get off the ball real well,” explained Heller. “Offensively, there’s not just one guy to key on,” said Cline.
“They have multiple guys who can make plays for them. Also, their offensive line blocks extremely well. They’re not going to overwhelm you with size but they are built athletically. When you watch their offensive line block, it’s like a clinic tape on how well they block.”
How Marion Local reach the OHSAA Division VII state championship game:
Marion Local advanced by routing Columbus Grove 41-6 in the state semifinals.
“It was an awesome game,” said Parker Hess. Above, he follows the block of teammate Drew Lause in the Columbus Grove Game.
Marion Local possesses a strong linebacking core as well, and the defensive side is what caught Bower’s attention. “I think they communicate exceptionally well, especially on defense,” he said. “You can tell they’re talking on film. Pointing and they’re always looking around. They have awareness. They know their jobs.”
Going into Friday, the Falcons know they will be a heavy underdog, but Hillsdale has answered test after test throughout the program’s best season in school history, and against mighty Marion Local, they’re ready to embrace the confrontation before them.
Call it a “Me Against the World” mindset.
“Yeah it does feel that way,” said Bower. “There’s not many people besides the people in that room that believe we can win that game. I don’t see the point of relying on other people outside that room. We believe we should win that game.”
“Nobody but the people in the locker room believe we have a chance at winning this game,” said Heller. “We trust each other. We’ve done it for 15 weeks in a row and why not one more.”
Marion Local Flyers
Anyone who knows football in Ohio knows Marion Local. There hasn’t been a more successful program at any level in the state since the turn of the millennia. The Flyers have made the postseason 27 times, 25 of which coming from 1999 on — 2004 was the only year they didn’t suit up in Week 11.
Marion Local hasn’t lost a game in more than four years, the last coming on Nov. 6, 2020 against New Bremen in the regional championship. Over their current stretch of postseason dominance, the Flyers have made it to state 20 times and won a state-record 14 championships and finished as runner-up three times. It’s a program that was featured in the New York Times for its ability to thrive even in a time when participation across the country has steadily dropped.
Justin Knouff, Marion Local, QB
You don’t get this far without a quality quarterback under center. Knouff has completed 71.7% of his passes (119-of-166) for 2,067 yards, 26 touchdowns, and five interceptions — keep in mind most starters sat in the second half of games for a majority of the season. He’s also capable of making plays with his legs having rushed for 603 yards and six touchdowns.
The Flyers have outscored opponents 2,526-310 with 33 shutouts over the last 63 games with an average score of 40.1 — 4.9 this season they haven’t allowed a single point in the first quarter. Entering Friday’s state championship, Marion Local is 107-12 all-time in the postseason averaging 3.96 wins … and to put that into perspective, prior to 2021’s expansion to 16 teams, four wins would’ve been good enough to compete for a state title.
- JoeEitel.com https://www.joeeitel.com/hsfoot/teams.jsp?teamID=958&year=20242024 Marion Local Flyers Football Schedule / Results – JoeEitel.com Marion Local Flyers Maria Stein, OH Mercer County. 2024 Marion Local Football (15-0) Coach: Tim Goodwin Division VII, Region 28
- NOTE: TIM GOODWIN COACHED ALL 15 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP since 2000.
Marion Local Class of 2025 football seniors:
(64) wins (0) losses (4) State Championships (4) MAC Championships (34) shutouts (2,098) points scored (32.8 ppg) (271) points allowed (4.3 ppg) (1) time allowing 30+ pts (4) times allowing 20+ pts (9) times allowing 10+ pts Flyers are now Top 20 All-Time in longest HSFB Win Streaks in US History.
Did you know…
The Flyers last loss was in 2020, the COVID season, to New Bremen 24-17 on November 6th during the playoffs. The Cardinals would go on to win the Ohio Div. VII State title.