HERNDON – Marian head coach Stan Dakosty knew his team let one get away Friday night.

Marian made too many mistakes and instead of improving to 3-1, dropped to 2-2 after previously winless Line Mountain beat the Colts 26-19 in a non-conference football game.

“Let me say this, they deserved to win, but you can’t do the things like turning the ball over and giving things away,” Dakosty said with a touch of frustration in his voice.

“What did we give up two touchdowns on turnovers?”

A muffed punt and a fumble played a role in Line Mountain increasing a 13-6 lead to 26-6 in the second half.

“We need to get more playmakers involved,” Dakosty said. “Our offense has potential, and Brandon Klitsch is an outstanding player and we need to get him the ball more.”

There was nothing fancy about the way the Eagles roared down the field to erase a 6-0 deficit, take a 13-6 lead and never look back.

“We had to put our big boy pants on and match their physicality,” Line Mountain head coach Brandon Carson said.

That meant corralling Marian’s senior running Matty Martin. Line Mountain contained Martin, who finished with 99 yards on 25 carries, but couldn’t break loose in the game.

Brandon Klitsch served as a setup man for Marian. He had 27 yards rushing and a pair of catches for 23 yards. Jayden Fermin, another junior, cranked out 39 yards rushing including a 4-yard dash into the end zone for Marian’s final touchdown.

For the second straight week, the Colts blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, and for the second straight game it was Jesse Rodino blocking the try. Michael Gelatko raced 19 yards on the play for a 6-0 lead with 3:31 in the first quarter. It was the only scoring did until the final 3:27 of the game.

In between, it was the Eagles flying high. They put the equalizer on the board 19 seconds after the Marian defensive touchdown. Speedy sophomore Ian Bates zipped 68 yards on the first offensive play to tie the game.

Bates then scored from 57 yards on the next offensive possession for a 13-6 halftime lead.

“That should never, never happen,” Dakosty said about the way Bates got free on those touchdown runs. “It’s simple dive, cripes! That’s stoppable and we just didn’t execute.”

Marian had a muffed punt at its own 27, and the Eagles took the gift and turned to Baumert to cash in the score on an 8-yard run. Once again, Marian gave it away, this time fumbling on the Line Mountain 23.

“We’re going in for a score, and we turn it over,” Dakosty said.

Baumert ran for 57 yards, with Chandon Maurer finishing the drive with a 3-yard dive into the end zone.

Marian was in quick-mode trying to beat the clock and mustered up a terrific 64-yard drive, which featured Bruce Hopeck connecting with Klitsch on a 52-yard pitch and catch. A late hit on Bruce Hopeck put the ball closer for a score. Then Hopeck came back to deliver a clutch 14-yard scoring strike to Gelatko.

But time was ticking and Marian did cut the margin on Fermin’s 4-yard touchdown run, but there was just 79 seconds to play, and not enough gas in the tank to make one more offensive surge.

JESSE, JESSE … Rodino had another stellar game at linebacker and bull rushed through Line Mountain’s line to block his second punt of the season.

SPEED KILLS … Line Mountain’s one-two quarterback punch of Bates and Baumert outlegged the Marian secondary three times. Twice Bates scored, and Baumert rang up an impressive 57-yard run to setup the final touchdown.