Marion – After reaching the AA football state championship game in 2020, Marion High School had gone out in the first round the past two seasons despite going into the playoff as region champion.
The Swamp Foxes lost to a pair of historical football schools that finished fourth in their regions in Barnwell in 2021 and Cheraw last season. The same scenario was in place this year as Marion won Region 8 and was facing another traditional power that was a No. 4 seed in Central.
The same fate did not befall the Swamp Foxes this time around, not even close. Marion rolled to a 40-0 victory over the Eagles on November 3 to improve to 10-1 on the season.
The Swamp Foxes will be at home in the second round on November 10 against Barnwell.
Marion quarterback Gabe Cusack, who started in the state championship game as a freshman, passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Shrine Bowler Quay'Sheed Scott had a touchdown catch and senior Jamorious Wilson had two touchdown receptions.
The Swamp Foxes’ performance against Central just confirms the grade head coach Brian Hennecy gave his team prior to the start of the playoffs.
“I would probably give us a good, solid A,” said Hennecy, who saw Marion win its fifth straight region title. “I’m very pleased with how we’ve played to win nine football games. They put in a lot of work over the summer, in the offseason.
“To finish 9-1 with our schedule is outstanding. It's a lot of hard work put in for these guys to be able to do that.”
Marion’s only loss was by a 59-20 count to AAAA Myrtle Beach, which is 9-2 after advancing to the second round of the state playoffs.
The Swamp Foxes have 19 seniors on the roster, many of whom have been major contributors like Cusack since their freshman seasons. Hennecy is proud of this big class for how it incorporates the underclassmen into the scheme of things.
“We’ve got a lot of younger kids who’ve become acclimated to what we’re trying to do,” Hennecy said. They’ve made contributions throughout the season.
"We’ve got a good mixture of leadership, the seniors working with the newcomers. Everybody is buying into what we do in all phases of the game.”
Coming into the playoffs, Cusack had completed 56 of 101 passes for 1,269 yards and 15 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He was the team’s leading rusher with 668 yards and 13 touchdowns on 112 carries.
“As he goes, we kind of go,” Hennecy said. “He throws it well, he runs it well. He’s helped us a lot on defense. He’s given us 3 1/2 years of quarterback play. He has a lot of weapons that he utilizes.”
Among those is Scott. The Kentucky commitment was the leading receiver with 20 catches for 583 yards and eight touchdowns while running it 39 times for 482 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s also thrown a TD pass, returned two kickoff for touchdowns, had 53 tackles and two interceptions.
“Quay’Sheed’s selection to the Shrine Bowl is an outstanding accomplishment for a great 4-yeaer starter at Marion High School,” Hennecy said. “His versatility as a football player has been on offense as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver and on defense as a free safety and cornerback and as a kick returner on special teams.
“Quay’Sheed is one of the best football players I’ve coached in my 30 years. He has spent many hours in the weight room and on the practice field working to improve his game.”
Starring in the secondary with Scott and Cusack is another senior, Tyshawn Sanders. He is an Appalachian State commitment.
All Rights Reserved | The High School Sports Report 1986-2021