Bane Helps ‘Canes Bash Falcons

MARION, Va. – Eric Bane and his friends have lived with a nightmare the past year. Friday night, the demons were exorcised in style.

With the powerful Bane setting a torrid pace, the Marion Scarlet Hurricanes posted a 25-3 win over Southwest District rival Abingdon.

The victory secured a Region IV, Division 3 home playoff game for Marion next Friday. It also erased the sting of a loss to Abingdon last season which knocked the Scarlet Hurricanes out of the playoffs.

Bane said the motivation level was high, especially after Scarlet Hurricanes head coach Mike Briscoe opted to ignore the chilly weather with a wardrobe of shorts and t-shirt.

“We were so motivated, it was insane,” Bane said. “That loss at Abingdon last year carried over to all our sports last year. We decided to return the favor tonight.”

Marion fans can thank the tandem of Bane and sophomore Brett Johnson for the emotional win. Bane rushed for 90 yards on 17 carries. He also continually opened running lanes for the speedy Johnson, who accounted for 147 yards rushing on 21 carries. Marion rushed for over 270 yards as a team, with Bane and Johnson each scoring touchdowns

“Brett and I complement each other well,” Bane said. “We just kept working together as a team tonight and we got the win.”

The score was tied 3-3 at halftime, as Marion (7-3, 3-3) was slowed by 10 penalties for 110 yards and the aggressive Abingdon defense.

“We were feeling good at that point,” AHS coach John Bowles said. “We just couldn’t get anything going on offense, either with our running game or passing.”

The Falcons (3-7, 1-5) were forced to adjust their offense at midseason when proven junior quarterback Jacob Hess suffered a broken ankle. AHS managed just 132 total yards Friday and was hurt by three turnovers.

“It’s hard when you can’t run the ball and have to throw it all the time, but our kids fought hard and I’m proud of the way they played,” Bowles said. “We just put our defense in a bad position and kept them on the field too long.

“Losing Hess hurt us, but Caleb Widner has really played well for us at quarterback. A lot of teams would love to have Caleb as their starter.”
Clark Case, a 6-foot-5, 223-pound senior, contributed a 35-yard field goal and solid defense for AHS. Zac Crosswhite led the Falcons in rushing with 21 yards on nine carries.

Briscoe was delighted with the all-around effort of his squad, which gradually wore down the Falcons in the second half. Briscoe even shook off the pain from taking a helmet to his elbow during a play in the game’s final moments.

“We did a good job with our running game and our defense was solid again,” Briscoe said. “We spend a tremendous amount of time on defense. We actually spent all day Wednesday just focusing on defensive plays.”

The tone of the game changed with 31 seconds left in the third quarter when Bane shook off three potential tacklers en route to a 22-yard scoring charge through the heart of the AHS defense.

“That run got us going, and we just kind of built on that,” Briscoe said. “Bane played like a stud.”

Sophomore Ben Ampudia contributed two field goals for Marion, with both kicks coming from challenging angles.

According to Marion officials, the third-seeded Scarlet Hurricanes will host Graham, Grundy or Patrick County next week under the expanded Region IV, Division 3 playoff arrangement. Graham hosts Carroll County this afternoon in the regular season finale for both teams. Cave Spring and Richlands will have a first-round playoff byes as the top seeds.

“It’s always good to be at home, especially in the playoffs,” Briscoe said. “We all feel a lot better than we did at this point last year.”