Marion Local wins 13th state football championship in school history

CANTON — Marion Local High School defeated Kirtland Saturday in the Division VI State Championship Final, 14-6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

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It is the 13th state championship in school history and their second straight Division VI title.

Both offenses struggled throughout the game. The Flyers held Kirtland to 161 yards of total offense and picked off two passes but the Hornets defense limited Marion Local to 142 yards of offense.

Darren Meier put the Flyers on the board first in the second quarter with one-yard touchdown run to give them a 7-0 halftime lead.

Nathan Buschur’s 57-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Marion Local a 14-0 lead with 6:42 left in the third quarter.

Kirtland’s Jake LaVerde threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Will Sayle to cut it to 14-6 but that’s as close as the Hornets would get.

It’s the fourth time these schools have met in the Division VI final, both have won twice. Marion Local also won 2017 while Kirtland beat them in 2016 and 2018.

The Flyers end the season with a 16-0 record.

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