Fast start helps Blue Racers triumph

MARION – A fast start proved to be the difference in the Marion Blue Racers' 50-41 X-League indoor football victory over the Florida Marine Raiders Saturday night in the Marion Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Marion (3-2) went up by 10 points at the onset of the game and won by nine over the defending league champs from Lakeland, Fla., who are now 2-3.

The Racers' defense was a stalwart throughout despite the absence of lineman Thomas McKenzie with an ankle injury.

Marion built a 41-18 lead in the third period and then saw things get interesting.

Bryceson Lawrence scored on a seven-yard run and David "DJ" James tallied his second TD on a fumble return to put the hosts up 40-18. A defensive-stop point followed for Marion's 41-18 edge.

Maurice Francois returned an interception for a score, but Marion was still comfortably ahead 49-26 after a seven-yard touchdown pass from Les Obie to Lynell Suggs and a Lawrence PAT run.

Florida then produced points on a Reid Herchenbach nine-yard TD pass to Chris Perry and Darrell Young's return of a fumble to slice Marion's lead to 49-40 with 3:45 remaining.

The Marine Raiders tacked on another point with a defensive stop and were down 49-41 with 1:49 left.

Juan Rodriguez, however, got that marker back with an interception with 54 seconds left and Marion ran out the game clock.

Marion's quick start gave it a 10-0 lead before its offense had taken the field.

Alex Coleman won the X-dash before the game began for a 2-0 edge.

Then on Florida's second play from scrimmage, James recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Blue Racers touchdown. Obie then threw to Lawrence for the two-point conversion and just like that Marion had its 10-point cushion.

According to league rules, any defensive touchdown is worth eight points. But Marion was awarded only six for James' fumble recovery.

Florida countered with an 18-yard touchdown run by Perry and a Jesus Cortez PAT kick to cut its deficit to 10-7.

The Blue Racers answered with an 18-yard scoring pass from Obie to Ryan Pahos to build its edge to 16-7. A run for the PAT failed.

Marion then notched a point on a defensive stop to take a 17-7 advantage by the close of the first period.

A defensive stop by the Marine Raiders gave them a point to start the second quarter before Perry ran 10 yards for a TD and Cortez kicked a PAT. All of that added up to eight points and Florida was within two points of Marion at 17-15.

Marion rebounded as Lawrence rolled into the end zone from two yards out and Obie did the same on a PAT for a 25-15 lead.

The teams then traded defensive-stop points and Marion got another to close out the half for what should have put the Blue Racers up 26-16.

Florida, however, showed 18 points on the scoreboard after those stops, giving the Marine Raiders two unexplained points. That made the tallies, right or wrong, officially 26-18 with Marion up at halftime.

For more on the game, stayed tuned to www.marionstar.com and pick up a copy of Monday's print edition of the Star.

dmcphers@nncogannett.com

740-375-5158

Twitter: @starsportsdenny