Big haul for Ranly…Max Ranly reaches for the first of his three touchdown catches – 47 yards – in Marion Local’s 41-14 Friday win over Anna. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks)
Marion Local took another step forward, while puzzling Anna fell to their third loss in four games. A turning point for both teams? Time will tell.
Maria Stein, OH – Brennen Hess didn’t know what he did until after he’d done it Friday night at Booster Field, but the fact he can deliver under duress both known and unknown is a good sign for Marion Local going forward.
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Oblivious until informed afterward that three of his five touchdown passes came on fourth down, Hess not only looked comfortable guiding the Flyers to a 41-14 win over Anna, but felt at ease, too.
“We changed up some things in the off-season, as far as how we read plays when we throw the ball and it’s made things a lot easier for me,” Hess said. “I just go through my options in order and deliver the ball if the guy is open.
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“I know it’s my job to make big plays for our offense, so I’m glad I was able to do that tonight.”
Marion’s 63rd consecutive regular-season victory came via an avalanche of 21 second-quarter points in a span of 4 minutes and 22 seconds, erasing a 7-0 Anna lead.
Hess’ pop-pass to Andrew Schmackers from the Rockets’ 6-yard line put Marion Local on the scoreboard after linebacker Landyne Minton’s interception set up the Flyers near midfield.
The defense arose again on Anna’s next possession, stopping T.J. Roberts twice for no gain on third- and fourth-and-one.
Marion’s Cam Griesdorn stiff-arms his way to the sideline and on to a 50 yard touchdown in the first half of Friday’s win over Anna.
Camden Griesdorn added to the Rockets’ pain by bursting around right end and outrunning his pursuit 50 yards for a touchdown on the next play.
Despite the missed extra-point, Marion held a 13-7 margin it would expand on the first of three touchdown receptions from Max Ranly with 3:54 left in the half.
Hess zipped a spiral to Ranly at the 25 along the right sideline from the Anna 47, and Ranley did the rest, stepping out of a tackle attempt and sprinting into the end zone.
“There’s such a big difference in Brennen this year,” Ranly said. “He’s getting the ball out faster and reading the defenses so much better. His maturity from last year to this year is huge.”
None of the Flyers wanted to be the team that fell short of extending their state championship streak to five last season, but the burden may have fallen heaviest on Hess, stepping in at quarterback as just a sophomore.
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“It’s easy to see the growth in that kid,” Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin said. “Last year, he really struggled against Anna’s (defensive) style, but he played pretty well tonight. There’s been quite a change in his maturity over 365 days.”
Anna’s Colton Eyink snags a throw from Logan Ziegenbusch for a fourth quarter touchdown in Friday game with Marion Local.
The Flyers (5-0) will carry that confidence in their QB into next week’s game at St. Henry, which ended Marion’s nation’s-best 76-game winning streak last season in the Division VII regional finals.
The Redskins (3-2) haven’t allowed a point in consecutive wins over Anna (39-0) and Parkway (54-0) and seem to have fully recovered from consecutive losses to Celina and Archbold to start the season.
“They’re big, they’re physical and they present some schematic challenges with the things that they do,” Goodwin said of St. Henry. “They’re really good, and that’s impressive given the (senior) class they lost after last season. They’re really playing well right now.”
Marion, because of its otherworldly dominance during Goodwin’s tenure, remains a bit of a mystery both to him and to outsiders.
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The Flyers survived four games with margins of a touchdown or less a season ago – including a 28-27, two-overtime thriller against Anna – before St. Henry dispatched them in the post-season.
“We played a ton of close games last year,” Hess said. “I think that’s helping us this year. We don’t get as tight under pressure, which is a good thing when you have to make a play.”
Coverage breakdown…Marion’s Kale Ahrens got behind the Rockets secondary for this big catch and gain from quarterback Brennan Hess.
He and his receivers made plenty in the second half, with Ranly getting free for a 10-yard TD on fourth-and-goal at 7:45 of the third quarter and again from the 3-yard line with 28 seconds left in the quarter.
Schmackers added his second touchdown reception with just over four minutes left, finding space in the back of the end zone that Hess recognized after rolling away from pressure on fourth-and-goal from the 8.
Marion’s Ben Meier pressures Anna quarterback Logan Ziegenbusch in the second half of Friday’s win over the Rockets.
“I didn’t know we scored three times on fourth down,” Ranly said. “That’s probably not so good. We should probably get in the end zone a little sooner, but it’s nice to know we can do it if we have to.”
Anna was left to lament those Marion TD’s that widened the margin, continuing a tough season for the Rockets (2-3) on the heels of reaching the Division VI regional finals in 2025.
“We just made some little mistakes here and there tonight,” said quarterback Logan Ziegenbusch, who threw for two touchdowns and rushed for 141 yards. “They’re the kind of team you can’t do that against or they will make you pay.”
Marion proved him correct with its quick-strike firepower in the second quarter and its fourth-down excellence thereafter.
Griesdorn gained 136 yards on 22 carries and Hess finished 9-of-12 for 147 yards and the five TDs, only one a glorified handoff on the flip forward to Schmackers for Marion’s first score.
“Anna has a lot of skill, so they’re a tough team to handle,” Goodwin said. “We’re disappointed in some of the things they were able to do to our defense, so we have to figure a few things out and play a little better.
“It’s high school football, so you’re not going to have the horses every year at every position. We just have to keep fighting and try to be ready for the trip to St. Henry next week. That’s all we’re thinking about.”
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