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MARSHALL -- Despite a slow start to their season opener on their home turf, Marshall football quickly showed why it has made the state tournament in each of the last two seasons, rolling to a 49-14 victory over Westonka on Friday night.
The Tigers found themselves in an early 7-0 hole against the Whitehawks.
That deficit did not last long, however, as Marshall reeled off 42 consecutive points to take control of the game. The Tigers carried a 28-7 lead into halftime, scoring all 28 of those points in the second quarter, before continuing to pull away in the second half.
"We talked and had eight new starters on offense, and seven or so on defense, and it took us a bit to get going," Tigers head coach Terry Bahlmann said. "Once we got some early penalties cleaned up, it was one of those games where defense got the offense rolling."
Once Marshall settled in and worked through the early jitters, the Tigers executed at a high level and were able to force Westonka to play the game on Marshall's terms.
"It was a typical early season game," Bahlmann said. "Emotions are high, but I thought we showed a lot of explosiveness as the game went on. We made some big plays when it mattered."
Sam Meier led the charge offensively for Marshall on the ground, carrying the ball nine times for well over 100 yards. He also found the end zone twice, including on a 70-yard touchdown run.
Meier added two receptions for 32 yards through the air.
The Tigers will return to action next Friday, Sept. 11, when they host Rocori. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.