It was a heck of a game to miss.

During my first season covering the Marion Warriors I was out-of-town during a match-up against Southeast of Saline.

The Warriors dropped that game 34-7, and I wasn’t too upset about missing it.

Flash forward to Friday. I was again out-of-town, but missed a completely different ball game this time.

With 50 points in the first half against Ellinwood in a 50-34 victory, the Warriors (5-1) scored 62 percent of their total points during the first five games of the season.

What was so impressive is that they did it in a plethora of ways.

The Warriors scored on fumble, interception, and kickoff returns, as well as four rushing touchdowns from three different players.

It was hard to say who was the star of the game.

One could argue it was Marc Washington who scored on a 12-yard rushing touchdown and a 92-yard kickoff return.

However, it would be easy to say it was Boone, who had 69 yards and two scores on the day.

Or even the steady Mitchell Leppke at quarterback, who rushed for 41 yards and touchdown and was 2-3 passing for 36 yards.

Head coach Grant Thierolf would more than likely pick the entire team as the star.

As a unit, they are playing as a team more than the first few games of the season.

“The kids were focused,” Thierolf said. “We played well from the opening whistle. It was the first time we have done that all year.”

He also noted his teams stats weren’t padded because the defense (and the wind) kept giving Marion short fields to work with.

“That’s fine, we don’t care about [stats],” the old-school coach said.

What matters is the fact the Warriors are 5-1, and playing together at the perfect time in the season.

The first district match-up of the season looms Friday at Herington, as the Warriors will look for a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

“We have to play, the old coach speak, one game at a time,” Thierolf said. “We have to practice like champions all week long.”

Leading 50-13 in the second half, and with the better part of the junior varsity team on the field, it was clear to Thierolf by looking at the sidelines good things are yet to come.

“It was good to see the kids smiling and having a good time,” he said.

If that happens the next three weeks, the five-year playoff streak will end, and hopefully a new kind will begin.