Field goal lifts Marion Local past Mechanicsburg

The drive for five continues for Marion Local.

The four-time defending state champions relied on their defense to overcome some uncharacteristic miscues in a 9-7 win over Mechanicsburg in the Division VI, Region 22 championship on a cold and windy Saturday night in Bellefontaine.

The Flyers never led until their winning points from an unlikely source: Derek Albers’ 20-yard field goal with 4:53 left in the fourth quarter. It was the Flyers’ second field goal this season.

Top-seeded and AP poll champion Marion Local (12-1) called time out on fourth-and-2 to discuss its options before trotting out the special teams unit. It caused a few anxious seconds for the Flyers faithful after the kicking team failed to convert an extra-point earlier on a high snap.

Albers’ kick was a no doubter down the middle.

The defense did the rest. No. 2 Mechanicsburg (12-1) faced third-and-14 deep in its own territory when Jack Homan sacked elusive Indians quarterback Kaleb Romero. Marion’s Duane Leugers then knocked down a fourth-and-26 pass — just the second pass attempt for Mechanicsburg — to take over with 1:59 left.

Marion Local ran out the clock to advance to the D-VI state semifinals. The Flyers’ opponent and the neutral-site location will be announced this afternoon by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

“They’re right up there with whoever we’re going to play in our league,” Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin said of Mechanicsburg. “They’re a darn good ball club. We’re very fortunate.”

Marion Local also lost two fumbles in the red zone.

“I really thought two turnovers down close and a missed PAT, that’s tough to overcome against a good team so we’re very fortunate we were able to,” Goodwin said.

In difficult conditions to throw, the Flyers rode running back Aaron Nietfield for 206 yards on 32 carries.

“He’s a tough kid. He runs hard, plays hard,” Goodwin said. “I’m glad he’s playing for us, at least for one more week.”

The Flyers contained Romero for 132 yards on 30 carries, right at his average. Romero also averaged 149 yards passing per game but was 0-for-2 against the Flyers.

“When you play state-championship level football it comes down to defense,” Mechanicsburg coach Kurt Forrest said. “Then you add the wind and the weather conditions on top of that and it comes down to defense, special teams and field position. All those coach cliche things couldn’t be more true than they were tonight.”

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