Cam Griesdorn follows his blocking on a 51-yard touchdown romp off a screen pass with 25 seconds left in the first half. It was the defining moment in Marion’s 28-7 win over Minster. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks and Kash Elsass)
Junior Cam Griesdorn again shouldered the load…for half of Marion Local’s total yards and three touchdowns in a 28-7 win over Minster, the Flyers’ ninth win of the season.
Maria Stein, OH – Marion Local running back Cam Griesdorn flashed an ear-to-ear grin while he talked about his team’s ninth win of the season Friday night, a convincing 28-7 win over the now 6-3 Minster Wildcats, suddenly stuck in retrograde progression following their third consecutive loss.
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“It was fun,” said Griesdorn of his 25-carry, 150 yard, and three touchdown night.
“My offensive line…the tight ends, running backs, Ben Meier, the wide receivers…they all blocked and they’re great. It’s fun to play like that when everyone contributes. I just follow them and they make my job easy,.”
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His humility hardly does justice to his work load and the growing dependability of having that one dominant Marion back that you depend upon for a yard, a first down, a game-changing moment, and a touchdown…or three in the case of Friday’s win, their ninth of the season.
Not the quickest, or fastest, of Marion backs of the past, Griesdorn nonetheless reminds you more of Parker Hess and his 2024 season with each passing game – the vision, the patience, and his ability to run beyond initial contact. His instinct for the game at this point would rank with the Ottes, the Goettemoellers, and the Wolters who operated so fluidly in the past. And as he grows in the role, so too, does the youthful and maturing Flyers.
Marion defense…linebacker Jacob Muhlenkamp tries to beat Minster quarterback Carson Kaylor to a fumbled snap in the first quarter.
“That would be a good comparison,” said coach Tim Goodwin of the mention of Griesdorn and Parker Hess in the same sentence. “He is growing in instinct for the position, how he sets up blocks, and he makes everyone look better [when he runs the ball]. Yeah, that’s a good comparison.”
On a blustery, rainy, almost-greasy night to play football, the conditions made it necessary to play close to the vest. Don’t fumble the snap, turn and give it to your running back. Griesdorn happily accepted the responsibility and delivered, scoring three times and missed a fourth with a fumble as he crossed the goal line in the second quarter, only to have teammate Mason Utrup, an offensive lineman, jump on the loose football in the end zone. Utrup got credit for the Flyers second touchdown, not Griesdorn.
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But moments later, after a Minster change of possession, and leading 14-7, Marion took the ball with 45 seconds remaining the first half and threw a screen pass to Griesdorn from their own 41 yard line. He caught the ball, found his convoy of blocking at midfield, and weaved his way deftly through the Minster secondary for 59 yards and a touchdown that all but cancelled any Wildcat notions of a second half comeback, now trailing 21-7 at the halftime break.
The ‘Cats came to play…Minster’s Beckhem Stephey jumps the route to intercept a pass intended for Marion’s Andrew Schmackers in the first quarter.
And for their part Minster, a three-score underdog entering the game, came to play. After Marion Local scored from 8 yards out on the first play of the second quarter (by Griesdorn), the Wildcats answered on the ensuing possession with a touchdown by Tyler Bergman on an 8-yard pass from Carson Kaylor to tie the game at 7-7.
Smaller than Marion, but willing to compete, Seth Whiting’s ‘Cats knew they had their work cut out for them, coming off consecutive losses to Anna and St. Henry.
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“We’re coming off a two-week lull where we haven’t played like ourselves,” said Whiting, post-game. “But our kids played hard tonight, like we knew they would.
“The screen pass before halftime broke our back. We were kinda’ doing what we wanted to do on offense with a mixture of run and pass. But we got down by that extra score and they did their thing – took us out of the rhythm of the game that we wanted to be in. Marion’s the same, year after year.
Marion’s pass rush closes in on Minster quarterback Carson Kaylor during Friday’s 28-7 win over the Wildcats.
“They’re going to play incredibly hard, they don’t make many mistakes, they’re disciplined and you have to keep pressure on them and make them compete. And you take away a couple of the big plays – the screen play and the big run in the second half and we’re right back in the ballgame.”
The big play in the second half came midway through the third quarter with Marion driving from Minster’s 30 yard line. Quarterback Brennen Hess took the snap, turned and pitched the ball to Griesdorn, who turned the play upfield and ran untouched through the secondary for his third score of the night. Game, set, and match!
From that point the rain picked up in intensity, the wind blew harder, and trailing 28-7, Minster was forced to concede that there were just too many obstacles to overcome in the final six minutes.
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“It was a good game to play,” said Tim Goodwin. “And for us to have to pound it out against that team…it wasn’t easy. Because with the conditions like they were for both teams it just shrinks the playbook.”
More natural, and with more instinct for what they’re doing, Marion is fast becoming that team you’ve grown accustomed to entering the tenth and final week of the regular season.
Marion pass receiver Max Ranly plays defender, swatting a would-be interception away from Minster’s Beckhem Stephey.
“You hope that’s the case,” added Goodwin. “And it doesn’t always happen. But hopefully we’re still on an upward trajectory and I think we’re honing in on who can do what, if that makes sense. Every year it’s just a process. So we’re gettin’ there.”
As is Cam Griesdorn, obviously – not as big as some, but fast enough to draw comparison as a junior to some of the best that have played the position at Marion Local.
“We have good chemistry,” he added, again deferring to his teammates and their contribution to his success. “We practice hard every day and it shows on Friday nights.”
He was almost perfect – the night was almost perfect. 150 yards and three touchdowns, and a fourth credited to a fumble recovery in the end zone. He finished with half the Flyers game total of 333 total yards.
“Fumbling ain’t fun,” he smiled. “But I’ll try to clean it up, coming up soon.”
A little thing, of course, when you win by three scores. But a symbol of what’s left to fix for Marion to be the Marion you’ve grown accustomed to – the little touches that matter. Not as big, not as fast, and not as awesome as in the past.
But it is Marion Local.
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