Football Preview: Marion Local Flyers vs. Columbus Grove Bulldogs
Marion Local has won 17 straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Columbus Grove has won 17 straight on the road also dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Marion Local Flyers will host the Columbus Grove Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both have allowed few points on average, (Marion Local: 3.1, Columbus Grove: 9.6) so any points scored will be well earned.
Marion Local is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 21-7 victory over Minster.
Meanwhile, Columbus Grove never let their opponents score on Friday. They took down St. John's 14-0. The 14-point effort marked the Bulldogs' lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Columbus Grove got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Trevon Baxter out in front who picked up 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns. What's more, Baxter also racked up 22 rushing yards, the most he's had since back in September. Another passer making a difference was Kyle Hopkins, who threw for 109 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes.
Columbus Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Grant Eversole and Baxter. Another thorn in St. John's side was Landen Huston, who made 13 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Columbus Grove was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 202 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 150 rushing yards in ten consecutive matchups.
Marion Local's victory bumped their record up to 14-0. As for Columbus Grove, their win bumped their record up to an identical 14-0.
Everything came up roses for Marion Local against Columbus Grove when the teams last played back in November of 2022, as the team secured a 27-0 victory. Will Marion Local repeat their success, or does Columbus Grove have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
