CEDAR RAPIDS — Michael Joyner is a math instructor, so that you could be relaxation assured he has this utterly scoped out, each quantity crunched.
Proper now, his Marion soccer group has a Class 4A playoff berth. That’s proper now.
The Wolves went a great distance towards securing one with a clutch 28-21 win Friday night time at Tenth-ranked Decorah. Kaiden Griffith caught a 12-yard landing cross within the again left nook of the tip zone from Kaleb Diers with 20.7 seconds left to win it.
Marion nonetheless has two regular-season video games remaining this coming Friday at dwelling towards Mason Metropolis and in two weeks at Waverly-Shell Rock. In order that places a little bit of perspective on the Decorah heroics.
“It’s good, it’s good,” Joyner stated. “As you already know, I’m a math instructor and I like to take a look at numbers. We simply must exit and do our job. For me to really feel snug, I need two extra wins.”
Two extra wins for positive would get Marion in as possible District 2 runner-up to top-ranked Western Dubuque. However a slip-up might create a number of situations for the runner-up spot.
The highest two groups in every of 4A’s six districts qualify for the playoffs, as do 4 different colleges who’re decided by superior RPI. Marion went into this week with an RPI of 11 statewide within the class.
“Even when let’s say we beat Mason Metropolis however don’t beat Waverly-Shell Rock, that places us in a tie for second place within the district, if issues roll out the best way they need to,” stated Joyner, crunching these numbers. “That will put Decorah second within the district as a result of their RPI could be higher than ours. So proper now I want I might say I used to be snug, however I gained’t be snug till we are able to say we earned second place within the district by caring for enterprise these subsequent two weeks.”
You’ll be able to’t blame the coach for being cautious. Final season, Marion completed sixteenth in RPI however misplaced out on a playoff spot as a result of it was defeated within the common season by Cedar Rapids Washington, which had the Seventeenth-best RPI in 4A. A head-to-head lead to that situation outdated issues.
At any charge, Marion (5-2, 2-1) was capable of flush a 35-7 loss final week to Western Dubuque, happening a 20-play, 10-minute landing drive to begin the sport towards Decorah. Down 21-20, the Wolves took over the soccer at their very own 16 with 2:43 remaining and maneuvered downfield through Diers’ arm and a pass-interference penalty.
Marion was in vary for a possible game-winning subject objective however determined to throw to the tip zone to its greatest receiver. Good transfer.
“I didn’t inform them something. Simply run our offense,” Joyner stated. “Actually, you simply return to what you observe. Should you try to make a second extra necessary than it’s, what it must be, generally the youngsters get overwhelmed and so they gained’t carry out like they will.
“We had confidence in our kicker if we needed to kick the ball, too. It was only a one-point sport. However we simply stated ‘Hey, let’s take a few photographs right here and see what occurs.’ Man, what a throw.”
Crimson-zone ramblings
Two top-ranked groups went down Friday night time. Williamsburg, No. 1 in Class 3A, misplaced at seventh-rated Solon, 21-14, whereas 8-Participant’s No. 1, Gladbrook-Reinbeck noticed No. 9 Clarksville rally late to beat it, 38-36.
Different vital video games included Class 5A top-ranked Southeast Polk simply dealing with No. 3 Waukee, 38-0. The Rams play second-ranked West Des Moines Dowling this coming week.
Bondurant-Farrar beat Gilbert, 38-7, in a matchup of the third and fourth-ranked groups, respectively, in Class 4A. Additionally within the class, eighth-ranked North Polk disposed of No. 10 Indianola, 27-0.
MFL MarMac continued rebounding from its first lack of the season two weeks in the past by knocking off Class 1A sixth-ranked Denver, 28-7. MFL MarMac is No. 4.
Additionally within the class, No. 5 Wilton scored late to toppled eighth-ranked West Department, 21-17.
That is the ultimate week of the common season for groups in Class 8-Participant, A, 1A and 2A.
Central Metropolis clinched the 8-Participant, District 5 championship Friday night time with a 44-13 win at Lone Tree. Lisbon gained the Class A, District 5 title after shellacking Danville, 63-14.
Monticello has cinched the title in Class 2A, District 4.
Feedback: (319)-398-8258, [email protected]