Leopards Rip Off 38 Unanswered in 45-7 Rout of Dukes, Improve 4-0 – Varsity Football
Louisville 45, Marlington 7
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The Louisville Leopards Varsity Football Team rolled past the host Marlington Dukes 45-7 Friday night at Marlington Stadium. With the victory, Louisville improves to 4-0 for the first time in 12 years.
Game Stats | Scoring Summary | Team Stats | Individual Stats
1310 AM Audio Broadcast & Sam Bourquin Show
DiMarzio Runs Back Opening Kickoff for a TD
Owen DiMarzio set the tone early by returning the opening kickoff back 81 yards for a touchdown to give Louisville a 7-0 lead just 12 seconds into the contest.
DiMarzio would break the century mark in all-purpose yardage for the game as he also ran the ball 6 times for 34 yards on the ground.
Walder Leads Dukes on Opening Scoring Drive
The Dukes answered in their opening possession with an 8-play, 78-yard scoring drive to tie the game.
Freshman quarterback Tyler Walder led Marlington down the field. He completed a 3rd-and-1 pass to Malcum Salyers for 6 yards on the first series, ran for an 11-yard gain to move the sticks, and then hit Cole Jones for a 20-yard pass completion on the next play to put the Dukes deep into Leopard territory.
The drive ended with the Walder to Jones combination hooking up again for a 36-yard touchdown. Talon Cyders’ extra-point kick knotted the game at 7-7 with 7:58 left in the opening quarter.
Walder finished 13 of 22 passing for 191 yards on the night. Cole Jones was his top target making 6 catches for 109 yards, while Bryce Jones also recorded 3 receptions for 56 yards.
Norris’s Acrobatic Interception Shifts Momentum
The Dukes’ defense forced a three-and-out on the next possession. It would be the only time the Marlington defense would get off the field on third down as Louisville converted its final 10 third-down attempts. Gabe Stoffer buried the Dukes on their own 3-yard line with a 55-yard coffin-corner punt.
Walder hit Bryce Jones for a 39-yard gain on 3rd-and-8 to get Marlington out of the shadow of their own end zone. However, Walder’s 3rd-and-8 pass deep downfield in the next series was tipped by Louisville defensive back Colton Norris who dove to make an acrobatic interception at the Leopard 21.
Stoffer Engineers 4 Straight Scoring Drives
It was all Louisville after that. At quarterback, Stoffer accounted for 224 yards of offense, 3 touchdowns, and led the Leopards down the field on four consecutive scoring drives before calling it a night.
Stoffer Hits Seaman for 25-Yard Touchdown
The Leopards got things going when Stoffer hit running back Owen Wilson on a short pass on 3rd-and-19. Wilson ran all the way to the right past several Duke defenders gaining 20 yards to move the chains. Wilson and Stoffer both ran to convert 3rd-and-1 plays before Stoffer hit a wide-open Anderson Kandel for a 7-yard reception on 3rd-and-6 to the Marlington 25. Stoffer threw to his right to Luke Seaman on the next play, Seaman made a defender miss, and then scampered 25 yards to the end zone to give Louisville a 14-7 lead capping off a 13-play, 79-yard scoring drive.
Stoffer Finds Burick for 42-Yard Touchdown
The Leopards’ defense forced a punt and Louisville began its next drive on its own 23 after an 18-yard punt return by Wilson. Stoffer ran 16 yards on 3rd-and-8 to kickstart the scoring drive and then hit Norris over the middle for a gain of 14 on 3rd-and-6.
Stoffer was sacked in the next series by defensive lineman Noah Seaburn pushing the Leopards into a 3rd-and-11. Louisville went for broke on the next play as Stoffer dropped back and lofted a deep ball to Quin Burick, who hauled it in between two Duke defenders and tiptoed the sideline inside the pylon for a 42-yard touchdown reception that extended the Leopard lead to 21-7 with 2:26 to play before halftime.
Daum Hits 24-Yard Field Goal as Time Expires
Blaize Horn returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the Marlington 48, giving the Dukes hope to inch closer before halftime. On the next play, Horn was tackled in the backfield for a 2-yard loss and Marlington ended up going three-and-out.
Louisville took over at its own 39 and Stoffer continued to be surgical behind center. He found Wilson and Burick for first down throws to the left sideline. Stoffer then ran 11 yards on a 3rd-and-5 and converted a 3rd-and-1 to the Marlington 8, while getting out of bounds with two ticks remaining.
Placekicker Parker Daum booted through a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Leopards a 24-7 halftime lead. Daum finished a perfect night with nine points: that 24-yard field goal and 6-for-6 on PATs
DiMarzio Sets Up Stoffer 1-Yard Touchdown Plunge
Louisville began the second half much like the first with a huge play on special teams. Daum’s kickoff was mishandled by the Dukes and Drake Wilson and company converged on the kick returner for a 6 yard loss back to the Marlington 9. The Dukes moved the chains once before the drive stalled when two Division I recruits converged for a sack—Trevor Burick and Aden Norris—to force Marlington into a 3rd-and-9.
Wilson ran the ensuing punt back 19 yards into Marlington territory. Stoffer scrambled for a 24-yard run to put the Leopards on the edge of the red zone. Then DiMarzio ran left tip-toeing the sideline and into the end zone. The ref ruled him out of bounds at the one, but the 19-yard run set up Stoffer’s 1-yard “tush push” touchdown to increase the Louisville advantage to 31-7 with 6:57 left in the third.
Louisville’s first-string offense: four drives, 24 unanswered points.
Seaman Blocked-Punt Return Seals the Deal
Walder scrambled for 17 yards on a 3rd-and-15 trying to spark the Dukes on their next drive, but a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against Marlington set them back to 2nd-and-25. They recovered and lined up to punt on their own 46.
Seaman burst through the middle of the line, blocked the punt, scooped it, and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, making it 38-7 and removing all doubt with 3:38 left to play in the third quarter. With the Leopards ahead by more than 30, the clock ran the rest of the way.
After the game, Seaman was named Player of the Game by the coaching staff.
Regimbal Interception Sets Up Neff Touchdown
Gabe Regimbal hauled in an interception on the second play of the next Duke drive, giving the ball back to the Leopards at their own 45.
Louisville’s second-string quarterback Cody Zahler took the field and led the Leopards on a 10-play, 55-yard scoring drive to cap the night. Zahler came out firing on the first play and just missed Burick, who had a man beat 35 yards downfield for what would have been a touchdown pass. Wilson ran 13 yards for a first down across midfield on the next play and then more second-string players filed in.
Zahler found Ryan Rush on a screen pass to his left to begin the fourth quarter for 31 yards to put the Leopards in the red zone. Zahler then weaved his way through the Marlington defense for a 10-yard gain to set up goal-to-go. On third-and-goal, Lucas Neff punched in the game’s final touchdown from a yard out to give Louisville a convincing 45-7 lead with 7:12 to play.
The 45 points are the most the Leopards have scored in a game since Louisville won at Green 49-34 back on September 13-14, 2019 (that game was postponed on Friday from weather and resumed Saturday morning).
Louisville Vs. Marlington All-Time Series
The Leopards have now defeated the Dukes in three straight meetings dating back to 2017. Louisville leads the all-time series 46-6 overall, which includes a 20-5 record in games played at Marlington. The Dukes had won 3 out of the last 4 matchups with the Leopards at Marlington Stadium coming into the contest.
<<< Previous 2024 | Marlington All-Time Series
UP NEXT: The Leopards will next host the North Canton Hoover Vikings on Friday, September 19. Game time is set for 7:00 PM from Louisville Leopards Stadium. This will be the first time both enter the rivalry game unbeaten this late in the season since 1970, when both were also 4–0.
Cover Photo By: Rick Everhart Photography
Louisville Opponents Week 4 Scores
Ashland 34, @New Philadelphia 7
Alliance 26, @Akron Ellet 0
@Northwest 32, Triway 29
North Canton Hoover 27, @Green 21
Salem 49, @Canton Central Catholic 20
Canfield 35, at Poland Seminary 13
Cincinnati Elder 16, @Cincinnati La Salle 8
Mansfield Madison Comprehensive 28, @Wooster 17
45-7 Scorigami?
No Scorigami, the Leopards have won a game by a 45-7 score once before. Louisville won at Minerva 45-7 on September 29, 2017.
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Louisville at Marlington Football Game Statistics
Scoring Summary
LEOPARDS 45, DUKES 7
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Louisville 7-17-14-7–45
Marlington 7-0-0-0–07
1st Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Owen DiMarzio 81-Yard Kick Return (Parker Daum Kick) | LHS 7, MHS 0, 11:48
MARLINGTON – Cole Jones 36-Yard Pass from Tyler Walder (Talon Cyders Kick) | LHS 7, MHS 7, 7:58
8 Plays, 78 Yards
2nd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Luke Seaman 25-Yard Pass from Gabe Stoffer (Parker Daum Kick) | LHS 14, MHS 7, 9:42
13 Plays, 79 Yards
LOUISVILLE – Quin Burick 42-Yard Pass from Gabe Stoffer (Parker Daum Kick) | LHS 21, MHS 7, 2:26
9 Plays, 77 Yards
LOUISVILLE – Parker Daum 24-Yard Field Goal | LHS 24, MHS 7, 0:00
3rd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Gabe Stoffer 1-Yard Run (Parker Daum) | LHS 31, MHS 7, 6:57
4 Plays, 49 Yards
LOUISVILLE – Luke Seaman 32-Yard Blocked-Punt Return (Parker Daum Kick) | LHS 38, MHS 7, 3:38
4th Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Lucas Neff 1-Yard Run (Parker Daum Kick) | LHS 45, MHS 7, 7:12
10 Plays, 55 Yards
Records: Louisville 4-0, Marlington 2-2
Team Stats
First Downs
Louisville: 18 (9 Rushing, 9 Passing)
Marlington: 24 (6 Rushing, 9 Passing)
Total Offense
Louisville: 49 Plays, 349 Yards (7.1 Average)
Marlington: 47 Plays, 280 Yards (6.0 Average)
Rushing
Louisville: 28 Carries, 154 Yards (5.5 Average)
Marlington: 24 Carries, 89 Yards (3.7 Average)
Passing
Louisville: 14 of 21 for 195 Yards, 2 Touchdowns
Marlington: 13 of 23 for 191 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 2 Interceptions
Fumbles/Lost
Louisville: 1/0
Marlington: 1/0
Penalties/Yards
Louisville: 4 for 27 Yards
Marlington: 6 for 65 Yards
3rd Down Conversions
Louisville: 10 for 11 (91%)
Marlington: 5 for 11 (45%)
4th Down Conversions
Louisville: None
Marlington: 0 for 1 (0%)
Punt Yards
Louisville: 1 Punt, 55 Yards
Marlington: 3 Punts, 89 Yards (29.7 Average)
Kick Return Yards
Louisville: 2 Returns, 97 Yards, Touchdown (48.5 Average)
Marlington: 5 Returns, 58 Yards (11.6 Average)
Punt Return Yards
Louisville: 2 Returns, 37 Yards (18.5 Average)
Marlington: None
Field Goal Attempts
Louisville: 1 for 1 (24 Yards)
Marlington: None
Individual Stats
Rushing
Louisville
Gabe Stoffer 10 Carries, 60 Yards, Touchdown
Owen DiMarzio 6 Carries, 34 Yards
Owen Wilson 4 Carries, 27 Yards
Ryan Rush 2 Carries, 4 Yards
Lucas Neff 3 Carries, 3 Yards, Touchdown
Cody Zahler 2 Carries, 17 Yards
Luke Seaman 1 Carry, 9 Yards
Marlington
Jacob Rose 6 Carries, 36 Yards
Tyler Walder 4 Carries, 21 Yards
Brayden Penrod 2 Carries, 7 Yards
Blaize Horn 10 Carries, 3 Yards
Caden Dine 2 Carries, 2 Yards
Passing
Louisville
Gabe Stoffer 13 of 19 for 164 Yards, 2 Touchdowns
Cody Zahler 1 of 2 for 31 Yards
Marlington
Tyler Walder 13 of 22 for 191 Yards, Touchdown, 2 Interceptions
King 0 for 1
Receiving
Louisville
Quin Burick 3 Catches, 61 Yards, Touchdown
Luke Seaman 5 Catches, 44 Yards, Touchdown
Ryan Rush 1 Catch, 31 Yards
Owen Wilson 2 Catches, 29 Yards
Colton Norris 2 Catches, 23 Yards
Anderson Kandel 1 Catch, 7 Yards
Marlington
Cole Jones 6 Catches, 109 Yards, Touchdown
Bryce Jones 3 Catches, 56 Yards
Jack Jarvis 1 Catch, 19 Yards
Malcum Salyers 1 Catch, 6 Yards
Cam Evanich 2 Catches, 1 Yard
Kick Returns
Louisville
Owen DiMarzio 1 Return, 81 Yards, Touchdown
Anderson Kandel 1 Return, 16 Yards
Marlington
Blaize Horn 4 Returns, 53 Yards, 30 Long (13.3 Average)
Bryce Jones 1 Return, 5 Yards
Punt Returns
Louisville
Owen Wilson 2 Returns, 37 Yards, 19 Long (18.5 Average)
Marlington
None
Punts
Louisville
Gabe Stoffer 1 Punt, 55 Yards
Marlington
Tyler Walder 3 Punts, 89 Yards, 39 Long (29.7 Average)
