CANTON — Maria Stein Marion Local’s 48th consecutive win delivered its 14th football state title as the Flyers defeated Dalton, 38-0, in the Division VII state championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Marion Local (16-0) won its third straight state title and 14th in 17 championship game appearances, all of which have come since 2000. The Flyers’ 14 championships are the most of any school in the state of Ohio.
Marion Local’s 48-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the state and already ranks as the fourth longest in state history (including postseason games). The Flyers’ last loss was in the 2020 regional finals to New Bremen.
Dalton (13-2) was making its first appearance in a football state championship game.
Marion Local scored four touchdowns three different ways and tacked on a field goal to build a 31-0 halftime lead.
Kyle Otte (8 yards) and Ethan Heitkamp (1 yard) scored rushing touchdowns to cap first-quarter scoring drives for the Flyers. Dalton drove to the Marion Local 22 early in the second quarter before the Flyers’ Griffin Bruns stepped in front of an out route and returned the interception 80 yards for a touchdown, the first interception return for a score in Division VII championship game history.
The Marion Local defense then forced a three-and-out, and Victor Hoelscher returned the Dalton punt a Division VII championship game record 64 yards for another score. The Flyers led 28-0 with 5:55 left in the half.
Dalton’s fourth punt of the first half was returned 31 yards by Otte to set up the Flyers offense at the Dalton 28-yard line. Marion Local moved the ball to the 2, and Carson Bills kicked a 19-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the half.
The only scoring of the second half came on the opening possession. Justin Knouff tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Otte to finish off a six-play, 65-yard drive.
Knouff completed 14 of 17 passes for 119 yards and ran five times for 64 yards for the Flyers. Otte ran eight times for 66 yards and a score and caught six passes for 32 yards and a touchdown. Heikamp finished with 57 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries and led the Marion Local defense with eight tackles.
Marion Local’s defense limited Dalton to 177 total yards and posted its fifth shutout in six postseason games. The Flyers allowed only seven total points in the six-game postseason.
Attendance at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was 6,331, the fifth-largest crowd in Division VII championship game history.