The Washington Demon football team was fired up Friday night, unofficially allowing just 198 yards of total offense in their 42-14 win over Marion.

It was Marion who started out with the ball, but it was the Demons who showed up to play from the first snap, using their quickness on their defensive line and linebacking core to get into the backfield and not allow Marion to go anywhere. For Washington they went on their first drive and tried to pass a few time, including a wide open pass to Tanner Knupp for a touchdown, but he couldn’t hang on to it, so Marion took over on downs, but not for long as they had to turn it over and the Demons didn’t make the same mistake twice. Carl Sivels took the handoff on a four down play and took it to the house on a 42 yard touchdown run for the only score of the first quarter.

Defensively Jeff Knupp, Garrett Covington, Brad Skubal and Tama Leutele continued to be pests in the backfield for Marion, keeping their yardage low and scoreless, while the Demons got inside the Marion zone as time ran out in the first, the first play of the second quarter was a 47 yard touchdown run by Alex Coker to make the score 14-0.

Marion made it a game though, calling a timeout on a fourth down to talk things over, and then Trevor Hardman found Quinn Cannoy for a 34 yard touchdown grab wide open and behind the Demon defense, but Washington responded with a 90 yard kick off return touchdown run by Coker, that initially had a flag thrown on it but was waved off to make the score 21-7. Marion got their final score of the game in the second quarter though, with another timeout, and another Hardman to Cannoy connection, this one for 39 yards to make it 21-14 at halftime.

After the half it was all Demons, receiving the opening kickoff and a 61 yard return by Tanner Knupp setup the five play drive that was capped off by a four yard touchdown run by Coker made it 28-14. Then the special teams showed up again, this time on a punt, as Coker took 56 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-14. The Demons had to punt just twice in the game, the first one coming in 2:40 in the third quarter, but Marion never got inside the Demon 40 for the rest of the game, and Washington scored one more time off a three yard touchdown run by Tanner Knupp that was setup by a 14 yard punt by Marion that had the Demons starting on the opponents 39.

Demon head coach Randy Schrader said in his years at Washington this is one of those games to be really proud of.

“This is the second time since I’ve been there that we beat a quality team but this is the first time we really beat one sound, and Marion is a quality team and a great program,” Schrader said. “Our kids were ready to play, and I was concerned all weekend, and my biggest concern was traveling, are we going to travel well, are we going to be ready from the get go, and we did a great job.”

Coker had 95 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns, a 90 yard kickoff return and a 56 yard punt return. Carl Sivels had 75 yards on four carries and a touchdown, and Mason Quigley was a perfect 6-6 in his PAT’s.

Washington returns to district play next Friday when they travel down to district and conference rival Keokuk.