CANTON — Mighty Marion Local flexed its muscles Friday morning.
Parker Hess rushed for four scores in the first half and the Flyers rumbled to a record-setting 74-0 win over Hillsdale in the Division VII state championship game at frosty Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Marion Local set Division VII championship game records for points scored in a game and points scored in a single quarter (33). The 11 total touchdowns matched the all-divisions state championship game record.
It was the 64th straight win and fourth consecutive state title for the Flyers (16-0). Marion Local has an Ohio-record 15 state crowns, all since 2000.
“What impressed me the most is just how fundamentally sound they are,” Hillsdale coach Trevor Cline said of the Flyers. “Usually you can find weak spots on a team — and that’s not the case with Marion Local.
“Even when they rotate guys in, those guys who are getting rotated in are still guys who would start on the vast majority of teams in the State of Ohio.”
Hillsdale (14-2) managed just 36 yards of total offense in the first half as Marion Local built a 60-0 lead. The Falcons had three first-half first downs against a Flyers’ defense that allowed only 49 points all season.
“We wanted to get off to a fast start,” Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin said. “We thought we had the advantage with experience. … There were a few areas where I thought we had a big advantage and we capitalized on those.”
One area in particular the Flyers were able to exploit was in the punt return game. Marion Local averaged 49 yards on three punt returns, including a 66-yard touchdown by Victor Hoelscher late in the first quarter.
“I just saw a seam and turned the burners on,” said Hoelscher, who also caught a 37-yard touchdown pass earlier in the first quarter. “I was trying to get to the end zone. That’s how we do it in practice.”
Hess scored on runs of 4 and 3 yards in the first quarter and 1 and 3 yards in the second. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior didn’t carry the ball in the second half and finished with five carries for 36 yards.
Quarterback Justin Knouff completed 4-of-6 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball just once for a 60-yard score.
“I really haven’t been running the ball the past couple of games due to an injury,” Knouff said. “I was sitting there trying to beg the coaches to let me run one last time. The guys did a great job blocking.”
Marion Local finished with 345 yards of total offense on just 33 plays. The Flyers averaged 10.5 yards per play.
The defense, meanwhile, limited the Falcons to 74 total yards on 45 plays. Hillsdale had 38 yards on 38 plays through three quarters.
Hillsdale quarterback Kael Lewis completed 6-of-12 passes for 72 yards, but was picked off five times. Holland Young had four catches for 66 yards.
“That’s probably the best team I’ve faced,” Lewis said. “That’s where we want to be next year.
“We’ll use that as motivation to work hard all off-season. When people don’t want to wake up for lifting we’re going to think back to this game.”
Hillsdale set a program record for wins in a season. The Falcons won the first regional title in program history and played in the state championship game for the first time ever.
“What happened today is not going to change how we view our football team and what we accomplished,” Cline said. “What our group of guys were able to accomplish this year was extremely special.”
Marion Local’s 18-man senior class never lost a high school game. These Class of 2025 Flyers lost once in eighth grade to Minster.
“It kind of sucks that we can’t play another game of football, but as a player that’s what you want,” Knouff said. “Four state championships, 64-0. There’s nothing better that you can ask for.”