Marlington teams soar as volleyball, soccer and cross country advance in postseason

For a little over a quarter, it was a close game as Alliance visited Marlington in Eastern Buckeye Conference action Oct. 24. Then the playoff-bound Aviators took flight, scoring 34 unanswered points to power to a 41-7 win over the Dukes.

Marlington, decimated by injuries, had no answer for the explosive Alliance offense but managed to hang in the game until several minutes into the second quarter. The Aviators (8-2, 4-1) drew first blood on a defensive play as Cashe Brisker intercepted a Tyler Walder pass and returned it 48 yards for a 7-0 lead.

Alliance was also bitten by the interception bug as the Aviators’ JR Jackson threw two picks on his team’s first two drives of the night.

Walder recovered from his interception, and with 9:21 remaining in the second quarter, the freshman quarterback connected with a wide-open Austin Ring for a 46-yard touchdown pass to draw within a point at 7-6.

From that point on, it was all Alliance as the Aviators rebounded. Jackson sandwiched two touchdown passes around a quarterback keeper, scoring 20 points to take a 27-7 lead into the locker room at halftime. Alliance, which will host its first-ever playoff game on Halloween, cashed in on another pick-six in the third quarter. Jackson threw his third touchdown of the night in the closing quarter to cap the scoring.

Walder was 9-of-26 for 120 yards and one touchdown for Marlington (3-7, 0-5) while throwing four interceptions. On the ground, the Dukes managed just 53 yards on 24 carries, while Alliance racked up 266 rushing yards.

Cross country 

The Marlington girls team, powered by the running of Irelyn Johnson, punched its ticket to the state meet at the Division III, Region 4 meet hosted by Youngstown Boardman Oct. 25.

In a field where the top six teams advance to Columbus, the Lady Dukes placed third with 148 points. Woodridge finished first with 98, while runner-up Salem scored 123.

The star of the show was Johnson, as the junior placed first individually with a time of 18:29.09, besting her closest competitor by more than 36 seconds. Johnson was joined by Brin Boyce (32nd), Jordynn Martz (38th), Brynne Reese (42nd), and Bella Ritchie (54th).

For the boys, the news was not as good, as Marlington, competing in the Division II, Region 4 meet, did not have any runners advance. The Dukes competed individually, as they did not qualify as a team from districts.

The top finisher for the Dukes was sophomore Gabe Minor, who placed 150th in 17:51.71. He was followed by Brady Griggs (154th), Andrew Bargerstock (325th), and Nolan Henry (331st).

Volleyball 

The Dukes keep piling up wins as they continue their march back to the regional tournament. First up was a Division IV Northeast 1 District semifinal match Oct. 20 against No. 28 seed Mantua Crestwood, and the top-seeded Dukes made short work of the Red Devils, winning 3-0 (25-14, 25-10, 25-15).

Danica Sarchione led Marlington with 11 kills and served for 18 points with five aces. Cali Young dished out 28 assists and collected 12 digs, while Chloe Evanich served 13 points and Gianna Bogunovich added 10 kills.

Two days later, Marlington met West Geauga in the district championship match at Copley High School and again swept its opponent 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-16). Sarchione came up big again with 15 kills and 14 digs, while Young added 27 assists. Evanich logged 12 service points, including three aces, and Justine Doringo recorded four blocks.

The Dukes (23-2) have now won 23 consecutive matches.

Boys soccer 

The ninth-seeded Dukes are headed to regionals following a thrilling win over No. 4 seed Gates Mills Hawken in the Division III Northeast 1 District championship Oct. 25 at Mayfield High School.

To advance that far, Marlington first had to face No. 19 seed Louisville in a district semifinal Oct. 23. The Dukes, who tied the Leopards 0-0 in mid-September, shut them out this time 4-0.

Against the Hawks (15-2-2), Marlington battled to a 2-2 tie after 80 minutes, forcing extra play. After both overtime periods ended without a victor, the teams went to a shootout, and the Dukes (15-1-4) came out on top 5-4 to earn the trip to regionals.