Photos and story by Sean McNamara
WELLSBURG – Another chapter was added to a once storied rivalry between North Marion and Brooke on Friday, as the Huskies shut out the Bruins, 14-0.
With the win, North Marion improves to 4-0 for the first time since winning the Class AAA state title in 1997, while Brooke falls to 2-2.
The game featured a rematch of the 1980 Class AAA state championship game, as well as a rematch of the 1982 Class AAA semifinals. With the win, North Marion advances to 7-4 in the all-time series, and North Marion coach Daran Hays was happy to see a rivalry that means so much to the respective communities continue for the first time since 2001.
“When the coal mines were thriving and the steel mills were thriving, this was the king of the hill game in Class AAA for a long time,” Hays said. “We really wanted to get them back on the schedule.”
The shutout was the second consecutive clean sheet for the Huskies, who allowed 130 yards of offense to the Bruins on Friday with five forced turnovers, bringing their season average to 124.3 yards per game allowed through four games.
“North Marion just plays really good defense,” Brooke coach Mac McLean said. “I don’t think that there’s any denying that there were two really good defenses on the field.”
Brooke’s defense was stout, too, allowing 191 total yards to the Huskies while forcing three turnovers.
“We were fortunate to be able to prevail and win,” Hays, whose Huskies gained 191 total yards, said, “but I don’t know if our performance was anything to celebrate.”
The first half featured a rocky start for both squads, with penalties and missed opportunities limiting the production both ways.
For North Marion, fumbled snaps and exchanges plagued the Huskies, with two lost fumbles in the first half to go along with an interception.
In total, of North Marion’s six first-half drives, two ended with fumbles, one on an interception, one punt and one on a bad snap on a punt that led to a turnover on downs.
The one time North Marion broke through proved large, however, was on the Huskies’ fourth possession of the game when Casey Minor delivered a 23-yard TD pass between the hashes to Parker Kincell midway through the second quarter. After a Minor two-point conversion run, the Huskies led, 8-0.
The NMHS turnovers helped Brooke control the field position battle early on, with an average starting field position of the NM 49 yard line on six first-half drives.
Despite the advantageous field position, the Huskies held tough and embraced a bend-but-don’t-break mentality, not allowing Brooke to score all night despite three drives beginning in Husky territory.
“They were warriors tonight,” Hays said of his defense. “All those guys played hard. It’s sad, because a lot of them are the same dudes who play on the other side of the ball. We just have to figure out how to be more physical on the offensive side of things and sustain things better and get more push and run the football more effectively.”
Aiding the North Marion defense were Brooke penalties. Early in the second quarter after Brooke took over on the NM 38, the Bruins managed to get to the 10, but penalties backed them up to the 30 and the drive resulted in a turnover on downs. In total, the Bruins committed 12 penalties for 86 yards.
The biggest first-half misstep for the Bruins came with less than 10 seconds on the clock in the second quarter. After a bad punt snap set Brooke up with possession at the North Marion 13, an illegal formation penalty wiped out a Garrett Hornick touchdown pass, leading to a Kincell interception on the final play of the half.
“We were our own worst enemy on offense tonight,” McLean said. “We’re just struggling to find something to grab onto on the offensive side of the ball right now. That happens a lot of times when you make a centerpiece out of your quarterback and then you lose him.”
That quarterback was junior Braelyn Sperringer, who threw for 188 yards and four touchdowns in the opener against Ripley before being lost to injury.
In relief of Sperringer on Friday was Hornick, who completed 12-of-29 passes for 108 yards and was intercepted four times, with Landon Frey getting two interceptions to go along with one apiece for Kincell and Brock Martin.
“When 7 (Sprerringger) is in there they’re a totally different team,” Hays said. “So that’s partially us being in the right place and partially inexperience at the quarterback position for them.”
In the second half, the two defenses battled, with six combined three and outs, three turnovers and three turnovers on downs.
North Marion was able to score once more on a 1-yard run by Casey Minor in the third quarter, and the defense held tough to secure the win.
Minor led the team with 42 rushing yards to go along with an 8-of-11 passing performance for 118 yards and one interception, which was grabbed by Anthony Bachinski.
Gavan Lemley added 33 rushing yards on 11 carries while Frey posted a team-high 45 receiving yards on three catches.
For Brooke, Campenelli led the way rushing with 13 yards on 10 carries while Gavin Moore and Bachinski recorded five catches each for 52 and 41 yards, respectively.
Next up for North Marion will be another rivalry game, this time against a Lincoln squad that lost its first game of the season Thursday to Nicholas County.
“We have to flush this one and start from scratch,” Hays said. “We have to reestablish ourselves offensively and get to shore a lot of things up special teams wise.”
Brooke will now have a bye week before traveling to Marietta, Ohio, on September 30.
NORTH MARION 14, BROOKE 0
Team Statistics
NM;BHS
First Downs;12;8
Rushing Yards; 73;22
Passing Yards; 118;108
Total Yards; 191;130
Passing; 8-11-1;12-29-4
Fumbles;6;1
Fumbles Lost; 2;1
Penalties; 6-45;12-86
Individual Statistics
Rushing: NM: Casey Minor 15-42 1 TD, Gavan Lemley 11-33, Aaron Hoffman 6-24, Landon Frey 1-12, Parker Kincell 1-4, TEAM 4-(-42). Totals, 42-73. BHS: Jace Campenelli 10-13, Garrett Hornick 9-5, Gavin Moore 5-3, Anthony Bachinski 1-1. Totals: 25-22
Passing: NM: Casey Minor 8-11-1 118 1 TD. BHS: Garrett Hornick 12-29-4 108.
Receiving: Parker Kincell 3-35 1 TD, Landon Frey 3-45, Brock Martin 1-32, Harley Sickles 1-6. BHS: Gavin Moore 5-52, Anthony Bachinski 5-41, Camden Taylor 1-9, Jace Campenelli 1-6.
North Marion;; 0;0;7;7—14
Brooke;; 0;0;0;0 – 0
Second Quarter
NM – Parker Kincell 23-yard pass from Casey Minor (Minor run)
Third Quarter
NM – Minor 1-yard run (run failed)
