Marion High School - Marion, Iowa

Marion escapes upset-minded Mustangs

MOUNT VERNON -- Every year, Marion and Mount Vernon high schools meet on the football field to do battle. Marion has been known to dominate the series, as they have outscored the Mustangs 172-13 in the past four years.

In Friday night’s football season opener at Mustang Field in Mount Vernon, Marion thought a little too much about the past.

Mount Vernon stunned Marion, and presumably most people in attendance, as they took a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter behind the arm of senior quarterback Jacob Timm.

Despite finding themselves in an early hole, the Indians righted the ship and found a way to make history repeat itself, sliding by Mount Vernon 14-10 in an exciting prep football opener.

“It wasn’t a good performance by us,” said Marion Coach Tony Perkins. “Coach (Duane) Orr should be complimented because their kids have come a long way in a year. They played with a lot of heart and played physical football tonight, and I thought we came out tonight really soft.”

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Booster Club plants seed for Marion improvements

The first big drop in what is hoped to be a steady stream of funds to upgrade Marion sports facilities came Friday night in the form of a giant $10,000 check from the Marion Athletics Booster Club.

“This is just the seed money to get the project moving,” said Greg Van Gorp, a longtime advocate for the Marion Independent School District and vice-president of its charitable fund-raising foundation. “Now we’re going to be asking other alums and supporters to get behind what will be a pretty costly venture.”

A committee last year came up with plans to make major improvements to both the Indians’ football field at Thomas Park and at the Les Hipple Athletic Complex at the high school.  Preliminary estimates put the cost at $10.5 million, with nearly half of that going to new stands, lights, concession area, rest rooms, an irrigation system and added parking at the 75-year-old football stadium.

A poll showed overwhelming support for renovating the iconic Thomas Park field rather than building a brand new facility, Van Gorp noted.

Also proposed are improvements to the baseball diamond, re-location of the adjacent softball diamond, new tennis courts and upgrades to the soccer field.

While the Marion school board has approved the long-range concept, no funds have been allocated.

“The booster club wanted to do something to get the project off the ground,” said organization President Mike Cannoy, who announced the donation at Friday night’s annual Marion Bowl football scrimmage. “We think this is a good start. Now, anyone who wants to donate through the foundation will know that 100 percent of the money will go for the upgrades.”

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Cannoy appears on target for Marion Indians

Cale Cannoy tossed a series of tight spirals for the Marion Indians at practice Monday night and is confident he'll be fully cleared to play quarterback this season.

Cannoy suffered a partially torn ligament in his throwing elbow on June 3 during the baseball season and wasn't allowed to throw a ball for two months, but the lefthander appeared to be throwing free and easy Monday as the Indians opened preseason camp.

"It feels fine," he said. "It doesn't hurt or anything."

Cannoy will see his doctor on Monday, Aug. 15 to get a final medical opinion. If the doctor turns him loose, he'll be able to fully participate in drills with the Indians. Until then, he'll throw lightly and not rush his recovery.

"I'm a little nervous, but chances are I'm fine," he said. "I'm ready to go. I'm getting happier by the day, because I can throw more and more and help my team out."

Marion Coach Tony Perkins is happier, too.

"We'll find out for sure on Monday," he said. "At this point, we're counting on him throwing on Monday. It's pretty promising. He says it feels strong, but we won't overdo it."

There was lots of good news as training camp began for the Indians. Perkins said everybody is healthy, and that includes 6-foot-8, 340-pound lineman Zach Borens.

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Marion falls to No.1 Solon in state semifinals

DES MOINES - No excuses, no apologies, no serious regrets.

The Marion Indians made it all the way to the semifinals of the Class 3A state baseball tournament this season before running into one of the best clubs in Iowa.

The top-ranked Solon Spartans collected 17 hits and squashed the Indians, 11-2, Friday afternoon to end Marion's season on an overcast day at Principal Park in Des Moines.

Solon (38-4) won the Class 2A state title last year and will be aiming for the 3A crown Saturday night with a lineup filled with college-bound athletes.

The Marion Indians (27-17) fell short, but they went further in the state tournament than any team in school history and posted the only win at the state tourney in MHS annals.

It didn't look good for Marion in May when two of their top pitchers decided not to play baseball this year and another got hurt, but the Indians rallied and had a strong season.

"It's kind of a storybook year, really. Quite incredible," said Coach Steve Fish. "It's been a fantastic year."

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