Year One of the Jared Carkuff era came to a close in their final regular season game against Region 4-2A champions, the Marion County Warriors, 76-7, at The Stable on Friday night.

Marion County only attempted one pass all night, a 54-yard TD from Tilton Pickett to Sam Pickett III in the first quarter, as they ran for over 250 yards in the blowout win. Mason Mays led all rushers with 103 yards and 1 TD on just six attempts, all in the first half. 

Braxton Burris led Cascade with 15 total yards, going 5/11 for 17 yards and 2 INTs through the air. Before a 15-yard loss on a bobbled snap, he was leading Cascade with 11 yards rushing and 1 TD on 8 carries. Christian Casey led the Champs with 15 receiving yards on 4 catches in his final game for Cascade.

The Warriors defense was on point all night long, not allowing the hosts to get into any rhythm offensively at any point, and their offense created chunk plays seemingly at will. On the second play of the game, Sam Pickett III jumped a Burris pass attempt and picked it off, returning it 43-yards for a pick-six to give Marion County a 7-0 lead with 11:10 to go in the opening period. After forcing a three-and-out, the Warriors quickly doubled their lead on a 12-yard Tilton Pickett TD run with 8:27 left in the first quarter. 

Marion County tacked on two more touchdowns before the quarter ended, starting with a 1-yard Chris Kilgore TD run with 5:25 left before the Warriors lone pass completion from Pickett to Pickett III from 54 yards out with 2:46 to go in the opening frame to end the first quarter up 27-0.

Mason Mays got the second quarter started with a 5-yard TD run with 10:54 left before Braxton Burris ended the lone Champions touchdown drive with a weaving 15-yard scramble to cross the goalline and cut the lead to 34-7 with 5:47 to go in the first half. On the ensuing kickoff, Zaiden Humphrey took it back all the way to the end zone to go back up 41-7. After Sam Pickett III ran it in for a 22-yard TD with 2:09 left, Myles Mays ended the dominant first half with a pick-six to go up 55-7 heading into the break.

In the second half, it was more of the same from the visiting Warriors despite benching the majority of their starters for the final 24 minutes with Ashton Richards finding the end zone from 11 yards out with 4:48 left in the third quarter to go up 62-7. Marion County tacked on two more garbage-time touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get to the final score of 76-7.

Marion County improves to 8-2 (4-0) and will host Smith County in the first round of the playoffs on Friday night.

Cascade ends its season at 1-9 (0-4).