THE SKINNY
Edwardsville quarterback Dan Marinko rushed for five touchdowns and threw for one as the host Tigers scored on nearly every possession and overwhelmed Andrew in an opening round Class 7A matchup. Edwardsville improved to 10-0 while the Thunderbolts, who were in the playoffs for the third straight season, ended at 5-5.
TURNING POINT
Andrew senior Daniel Ball returned the opening kickoff 87 yards to the Tiger four. Three plays later, quarterback Jacob Platt scored from a yard out and Andrew led 7-0 just over a minute into the game. But Edwardsville scored the next 21 points, including a 99-yard drive, to set the tone. The Tigers led 28-14 at halftime.
THE STAR
Marinko, a junior, scored on runs of 3, 12, 1, 57 and 1 yard. He had 15 carries for 115 yards and completed 13-of-21 passes for 213 yards. He also fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Darius Crochrell midway through the third quarter for a 42-21 lead.
BY THE NUMBERS
Elijah Crockett had 25 carries for 244 yards and scored on runs of 19 and 83 yards for Edwardsville. The Tigers outgained Andrew 625 to 291. Platt had a 1-yard touchdown run and threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jarvion Franklin. Platt was 10-for-18 for 180 yards and added 14 carries for 44 yards. Franklin scored on a 1-yard run and had 18 carries for 48 yards. Andrew’s Alex Cusimano capped the scoring on a 3-yard run with 1:18 to play.
QUOTABLE
“I was just being patient, staying behind my blocks, and I hit it hard [on the opening kickoff]. It felt great to put the team in good field position to take an early lead. But Edwardsville is a great team and they just kept coming after us.” — Ball.
