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Hillman shut out by Marion in regional final

Courtesy Photo/Ricardo Martin Hillman junior Caleb Hiveley and senior Owen Moulton team up to tackle a Marion ball carrier.

MARION – Just another day at the office.

The Marion Eagles (10-1) secure their second straight regional championship with a resounding 54-0 win over Hillman in Division 2 8-Player football.

“Winning that first one was great but being able to repeat this year is an awesome feeling,” Marion head coach Chad Grundy said. “These kids worked so hard. It’s probably the best game they’ve played all year.”

The Eagles scored all their points in the first half, with three touchdowns coming in the first quarter and four coming in the second.

Marion junior Mason Salisbury, who rushed for 245 yards and five touchdowns, credited the defense getting the shutout.

“We played our best game of the year,” Salisbury said. “Our defense was really good.”

Along with Salisbury’s dominant performance on the ground, sophomore Bradon Prielipp rushed for 107 yards and a score while his brother Gavin rushed for 45 yards and a score of his own.

On defense, freshman Cole Meyer and junior Weston Cox each recorded 10.5 tackles. Marion also forced three turnovers, with Bradon catching a pair of interceptions and Gavin grabbing another.

“I thought we came out very physical,” Grundy said. “We scouted them real well and the guys executed perfectly the first couple of series.”

Marion will play recurring D2 championship Powers North Central (11-0) next week. North Central defeated the Eagles 50-2 last season on their way to the title.

“We’re going to have to get better,” Grundy said. “The team we’re playing (next week) is the best team in 8-man football and we’re going to have to try and slow them down a little bit.”

Hillman finished the season with a 7-4 record and made the playoffs for a 16th straight season. After losing three of its first four games, the Tigers put together a six-game winning streak and outdueled Mio in overtime for a playoff win last week.

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