Post by 50yardfan on Jun 7, 2011 22:47:27 GMT -5
www.marionstar.com/article/20110606/SPORTS/110606003/Blue-Racers-advance-CIFL-title-game
MARION — The Marion Blue Racers will play on Saturday for a Continental Indoor Football League championship following their 53-18 victory over the Dayton Silverbacks Monday night.
The Blue Racers (9-2) secured their title-game berth against Cincinnati (11-0) by winning their CIFL semifinal playoff game against Dayton in the Marion Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Marion and Cincinnati will battle at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Cincinnati Gardens.
The Blue Racers lit the scoreboard first by blocking a field goal into the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 edge.
Marion added to its first-period advantage with a two-yard touchdown run by Christen Haywood on its ensuing possession and a Tyler Lorenz PAT kick.
Ray Saunders gave the Racers the ball right back with a fumble recovery on the kickoff which closed out the opening quarter with Marion up 9-0.
Marion failed to capitalize on that possession, but Haywood was able to find the end zone from the two-yard line once again with 4:51 remaining in the first half and Lorenz split the uprights for a 16-0 Blue Racers cushion.
The score remained the same at halftime thanks in part to an Andre Troy interception of a Silverbacks pass deep in Marion territory to close out the second quarter.
Marion wasted little time expanding its lead as it scored on the opening drive of the second half.
Mike Tatum lugged the ball in for six points on a one-yard run to cap that march. The point-after attempt by Lorenz was good and the Blue Racers were out in front 23-0.
Bryan Williams moments later picked off a Dayton pass and took it from his own 12-yard line all the way to the Silverbacks’ five.
Blue Racers quarterback Josh Harris called his own number from there and bulldozed his way to six points. Lorenz was good on his PAT try and the hosts were in control at 30-0.
Dayton (5-6) got a touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Jarvis Taylor to Daniel Stover on the last play of the third period to send the game into the final quarter with Marion on top 30-6. The Silverbacks’ PAT pass after that TD was incomplete.
Marion answered in the fourth period with a 17-yard aerial connection between Harris and Marc Huddleston and a Lorenz PAT boot for a 37-6 edge.
Ronald Russell hit paydirt from one yard out for the Silverbacks, who again failed on their PAT try, to make the tallies 37-12 Blue Racers with five and half minutes left in the contest.
LaMarr Stewart and Lorenz added to Marion’s scoring with a minute remaining as Stewart recovered a Dayton fumble in the end zone for a TD and Lorenz hit the extra-point kick.
Dayton put one more touchdown up in the last minute as Taylor passed five yards to Stover. A run for points was not successful following that TD.
Marion’s last point production came from Brandon Williams on a six-yard scoring pass from Harris, a Lorenz PAT kick, and a safety.
For more on Monday’s game, stay tuned to www.marionstar.com and see Wednesday’s print edition of the Marion Star.
MARION — The Marion Blue Racers will play on Saturday for a Continental Indoor Football League championship following their 53-18 victory over the Dayton Silverbacks Monday night.
The Blue Racers (9-2) secured their title-game berth against Cincinnati (11-0) by winning their CIFL semifinal playoff game against Dayton in the Marion Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Marion and Cincinnati will battle at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Cincinnati Gardens.
The Blue Racers lit the scoreboard first by blocking a field goal into the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 edge.
Marion added to its first-period advantage with a two-yard touchdown run by Christen Haywood on its ensuing possession and a Tyler Lorenz PAT kick.
Ray Saunders gave the Racers the ball right back with a fumble recovery on the kickoff which closed out the opening quarter with Marion up 9-0.
Marion failed to capitalize on that possession, but Haywood was able to find the end zone from the two-yard line once again with 4:51 remaining in the first half and Lorenz split the uprights for a 16-0 Blue Racers cushion.
The score remained the same at halftime thanks in part to an Andre Troy interception of a Silverbacks pass deep in Marion territory to close out the second quarter.
Marion wasted little time expanding its lead as it scored on the opening drive of the second half.
Mike Tatum lugged the ball in for six points on a one-yard run to cap that march. The point-after attempt by Lorenz was good and the Blue Racers were out in front 23-0.
Bryan Williams moments later picked off a Dayton pass and took it from his own 12-yard line all the way to the Silverbacks’ five.
Blue Racers quarterback Josh Harris called his own number from there and bulldozed his way to six points. Lorenz was good on his PAT try and the hosts were in control at 30-0.
Dayton (5-6) got a touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Jarvis Taylor to Daniel Stover on the last play of the third period to send the game into the final quarter with Marion on top 30-6. The Silverbacks’ PAT pass after that TD was incomplete.
Marion answered in the fourth period with a 17-yard aerial connection between Harris and Marc Huddleston and a Lorenz PAT boot for a 37-6 edge.
Ronald Russell hit paydirt from one yard out for the Silverbacks, who again failed on their PAT try, to make the tallies 37-12 Blue Racers with five and half minutes left in the contest.
LaMarr Stewart and Lorenz added to Marion’s scoring with a minute remaining as Stewart recovered a Dayton fumble in the end zone for a TD and Lorenz hit the extra-point kick.
Dayton put one more touchdown up in the last minute as Taylor passed five yards to Stover. A run for points was not successful following that TD.
Marion’s last point production came from Brandon Williams on a six-yard scoring pass from Harris, a Lorenz PAT kick, and a safety.
For more on Monday’s game, stay tuned to www.marionstar.com and see Wednesday’s print edition of the Marion Star.