Published: November 17, 2009 12:02 am         

Ramblin' Reck: Marshall football ready for its first Final Four since ’79

The high school football season has ended for all but one team in the Valley.

The Marshall Lions are still playing and will go for a spot in the Illinois Class 2A championship game Saturday afternoon against Maroa-Forsyth. It’s the first time the Lions have been in the Final Four since 1979.

Marshall earned its spot in the semifinals with a dramatic 14-13 overtime victory over Casey, avenging its only defeat of the season with its 11th straight victory.

Taylor Duncan scored both of the touchdowns while Dalton Sanders was a leading tackler and blocked Casey’s try for the extra point in overtime that sent Marshall players and fans home happy.

The Marshall fire truck led the Marshall team bus into town, where lots of fans lined the streets and awaited the players at the school.

Maroa-Forysyth is 10-2 and defeated Central A&M for the second time Saturday, beating the Raiders 21-6 for its spot in the semifinals after losing to Casey in the quarterfinals a year ago.

The Trojans won a 2A championship in 2006, beating Casey in the semifinals and Westville in the final game in their only appearance in the finals.

The Lions will do their best to keep them from making another trip to Champaign.

The 2A championship game will be played Nov. 27. Marshall hopes to be the team from the upper bracket in the 1 p.m. contest.

In Indiana, Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference teams make up three-fourths of the Class 5A field.

Carmel (12-1) faces Merrillville (11-1) and Center Grove (10-3) takes on Warren Central (11-2) in semistate games.



• College clips — Most men’s college basketball teams got the season started last week including Northwestern.

The Big Ten team already has lost two players, at least one for the season.

Backup guard Jeff Ryan incurred a season-ending knee injury in the season opener against Northern Illinois. Kevin Coble led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding last year and injured his left foot in practice. He may have season-ending surgery or be out more than a month.

Transfer Bryan Bouchie came off the bench to score 17 points for Evansville in its 92-66 victory over Oakland City.

Indiana figured to go to 2-0 with little problems Monday but will face tougher teams in a tournament in Puerto Rico this week. The Hoosiers face Mississippi in their first game.

University of Indianapolis football coach Joe Polizzi has resigned. He compiled an 84-89-1 record in 10 seasons.

Wayne Angel unexpectedly resigned as men’s track coach at Illinois last week. The U of I grad says he will be spending more time with his family. Mike Turk has been named interim coach.

Purdue and Indiana football teams will meet for the Old Oaken Bucket on Saturday in the season finale at IU. Game time is 3:30 p.m. and the game will be on the Big Ten Network.

Joe McConnell will call his final game on the Purdue Radio Network. He worked at WTHI for a time and has done pro sports.

Southern Illinois established a Missouri Valley (Gateway) record in football by beating Missouri State. The Salukis have won 14 straight conference games.

• Tom-Cattin’ It — Sports talk comments Monday largely centered on the decision by New England coach Bill Belichick to go for it on fourth down at the Patriots’ 28-yard line in the waning minutes of their game and his team leading by six points against Indianapolis.

The gamble failed and the Colts rallied to remain unbeaten. Belichick thought the Patriots would make the first down and run out the clock but it didn’t go that way.

• NCAA Division III football playoffs begin Saturday.

DePauw is at Thomas More, Mount St. Joseph is at Wittenberg and Wabash is at Illinois Wesleyan in the first round. Wabash beat DePauw in the Monon Bell game 32-19.

Jacksonville handed Butler its first defeat of the season. The Bulldogs will close the season against Drake.

• Terre Haute South is ranked 16th in the preseason boys swim poll.

• Three Indianapolis schools will drop football due to finances and dwindling participation. They are Washington, Manual and Marshall.

Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802.