MP football downed by Marion

MARION ? The Mt. Pleasant football team started strong in its season opener but faded in Friday night?s 40-0 loss to Marion.

?We started making mental errors,? Coach Shawn Striegel said. ?We looked better early, but I think the heat got to us, with the bulk of our kids playing both ways.?

The Panthers held their opponents scoreless through the first quarter. However, the Indians got on the board with three touchdowns in the second quarter and added three more scores after halftime.

Their first touchdown came on a fumble recovery after the Panther defense made a stop at the goal line less than a minute into the second quarter.

?When we gained momentum, something bad would happen,? Striegel said. ?They were simple errors, but we have to fix them before Friday.?

On the night, Marion came up with 459 yards of offense ? 358 yards on the ground and 101 in the air ? while the Panthers managed just 117 yards.

Dustin Amos was 2-for-3 for 41 yards passing, and Spencer White completed one pass for 18 yards.

Blake Knudsen caught two passes for 41 yards and Cole Phillips had an 18-yard reception.

Remick led the team in rushing with nine attempts for 59 net yards. Josh Larson gained 21 net yards in 13 carries.

Ben Canby punted five times, averaging 39.8 yards.

Defensively, Remick had a team-high 16 tackles and Tyler Ruby tackled 11. Remick and Canby each recovered a fumble.

Next up for Mt. Pleasant (0-1) is the home opener against Ottumwa. JV starts at 5 p.m. and varsity kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday.