MAC Football Game of the Week - Fort Recovery at Marion Local

Following an interesting weekend weather-wise last week in their respective Midwest Athletic Conference openers, the Fort Recovery Indians and Marion Local Flyers are ready to get back to the grind this week.  In Fort Recovery, head coach Brent Niekamp is hoping his boys can shake off their first loss of the season and inflict the upset on the Flyers for their first MAC win of the year, while for Marion Local head coach Tim Goodwin, is looking for the Blue and Gold to notch their fourth win of the season in as many outings, while keeping pace as one of the front-runners in the league title race.  “We have been able to score points pretty consistently, and last week against Parkway, we were able to force five turnovers which was a big plus for us,” Goodwin commented.  “We need to play more consistent on defense as we get into MAC play.”

When their battle was postponed due to weather last week against the Parkway Panthers, the Flyers were staring at an 8-7 deficit, leaving them eager to get back to it on Saturday afternoon.  When all was said-and-done, the Flyers outscored the Black and Gold on day two, 42-14 to roll to the easy 49-22 victory.  “Adam Bertke has played well for us offensively, both in the passing game and in the run game,” Goodwin added.  “We got a big play out of Hunter Wilker which was nice to see, while the offensive line has continued to be consistent.  Defensively, we just need a player to step up in a couple of positions and we will be much-improved.”
 
After starting the season with close victories over Edgerton and Waynesfield-Goshen, the Indians collided with the Anna Rockets in their conference-opener and fell by a final of 34-6.  “This week, we have to maintain our poise better,” Niekamp explained.  “Last week, we had guys get rattled by going against a tough team and it took them a little while to figure out that we can play with good teams. We'll need to stay determined and focused on the task at hand and resist the distractions that naturally come with a big game against a quality opponent.
 
In the first two games, quarterback Mason Evers broke his own school record for rushing yards in a game.  In the season-opener, he ran for 327 yards and four touchdowns in the 33-28 win over Edgerton, and added 349 yards (and four touchdowns) on 34 carries in the 30-27 win over Waynesfield-Goshen.  “Mason Evers is obviously important for us offensively - we need him to continue to improve in the passing game and we also need our offensive line to step up,” Niekamp pointed out.  “Marion has always been a team that pressures well, so it's important that we can pick those up. Defensively, we also need our linebackers to step up - Marion is balanced on offense, so those guys will have to be good versus both the run and pass.”

by Robb Hemmelgarn

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