Wilson shines as Marion gets to 7-0

JASPER, Tenn. — In a similar spot to how the Tyner Rams were at this point last fall, the Marion County Warriors have the feeling this football season could be extremely special.

On Friday night, Class 2A’s third-ranked Warriors delivered the knockout punches in a 28-6 home victory over Class 3A’s Tyner, an effort led by senior two-way standout EJ Wilson.

Wilson delivered a memorable 111-yard rushing performance on just two carries to propel the Warriors to a 7-0 overall record. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder, a bruising back with speed, took his first touch on a jet sweep around the right end 39 yards for a score. He later provided the game’s biggest play with a 72-yard touchdown run on a counter play to build a 21-0 lead with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

“All week we were reminded of how they beat us down 41-0 last year on their way to winning it all,” said Wilson, who played every snap on offense and defense against Tyner, which won the Class 2A title last year before moving up. “I came in patient to this game and looked for the holes to hit. I saw two big creases tonight, and I had to take off and make them pay.

“On the counter, I saw four key blocks happen in front of me. My guys cleared the way, and once I got around the right side, there was nobody in sight. This is my most memorable game next to the Sequatchie game earlier this season. We all came in mentally prepared tonight.”

Marion County is hopeful for its first 10-0 regular season since 1995, when the Warriors went on to win their fourth and most recent state championship.

“We are trying to make history, and tonight is a big step in that direction,” Marion coach Tim Starkey said. “I am really proud of EJ. He is a guy a lot of people sleep on because of guys like Brody Leonard and Sam Pickett who also star in our backfield. But he is just as good as them. When he gets the ball, he always makes the most of it. He is kind of like our secret weapon.”

Tyner (3-4) had its threegame winning streak stopped but received tough running from Robert Wilson, who broke free down the middle for a 40-yard score with 2:46 remaining and rushed for nearly 80 yards in the second half.

Marion scored all four times on the ground, with Taylor Scharber and Ashton Martin finding paydirt from in close.