Marion Local has won all of its games by at least 21 points.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

When Maria Stein Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin heard his team was moving from Division VI to V this offseason, he could have been upset.

Instead, he was excited.

“It rejuvenated our program,” said Goodwin, whose team won last year’s Div. VI title. “We had won three titles in seven years and we felt like it was a great time to move up. We had a nice team coming back.

“It sparked us this offseason. It gave us something different to shoot for,” Goodwin said.

The Flyers, who play Ursuline in Friday’s state final, will look to become just the fourth team to win a state title, then repeat the next season in a higher division.

The others are Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education (1985-IV, 1986-III), Cleveland Benedictine (1980-III, 1981-II) and Versailles (1994-V, 1995-IV).

The Irish, meanwhile, dropped down from IV to V this offseason. Although the Irish have a much bigger team, they aren’t as experienced at this level.

Does that give Marion Local an advantage?

“I don’t know — ask me after the game,” Goodwin said. “Our kids have been there before, but I’ve always said, once the game starts, it doesn’t matter.”

Marion Local (14-0), which returned nine starters from last year’s team, has steamrolled opponents this season, winning every game by at least 21 points.

The Flyers’ defense, which runs a base 4-3 with multiple fronts, is led by Luke Homan (130 tackles, 20 for loss), Greg Koesters (127 tackles, 16 for loss) and Marcus Moeller (seven interceptions).

The Flyers have seven shutouts and only one team — Patrick Henry last week — has scored more than 14 points.

“When you look at their defense, those two guys [Homan and Koesters] spearhead everything,” Ursuline coach Dan Reardon said. “They’re active and they blitz a lot. It creates a lot of challenges for our offensive line.”

Marion Local runs a pro-I offense, with the majority of the carries in the running game going to tailback Ben Schaefer (219 carries, 1,327 yards, 28 TDs).

Quarterback Chris Stucke is a threat to run (93 carries, 544 yards, nine TDs) or throw (101 of 180 for 1,623 yards, 20 TDs and eight interceptions).

“Their offense isn’t flashy but they score a lot of points and they do it playing physical football,” Reardon said. “They run at you and they challenge you. Those teams are certainly dangerous.”

The Flyers compete in one of the best conferences in the state in the Midwest Athletic Conference, which has produced a state champion or state runner-up every year but three since 1989. It’s had two teams make it to the state championship game the past five years, with Coldwater joining Marion Local this season.

“Our league is very close-knit,” Goodwin said. “We have a lot of good rivalries that are kept in the proper perspective. They do everything they can to beat you, then you shake hands and move on. And when we’re in the postseason, we support each other.”

scalzo@vindy.com