A win this week would give Marian its sixth of the season, and its first winning season since 2015.

The Colts will look to surpass that milestone when they travel to Hegins to take on a tough Tri-Valley team in the Times News Game of the Week.

Marian is coming off a 13-6 loss to Williams Valley last week, and the Bulldogs are coming off a 27-20 loss to Mahanoy Area.

What has been the reason for Marian’s turnaround this season? There are many, but first and foremost is the Colts’ (5-3) stingy defensive play.

Marian’s defense has been one of the best in the Times News area this season, giving up just 13.5 points and 227.6 yards per game. The unit has pitched two shutouts, and most of its total points given up came in a 41-39 shootout loss to a now 7-1 Minersville squad.

“We knew we had some good football players returning from our defense last season, and that has really carried over to this season. Our defense has kept us in every single game this season,” said Marian head coach Stan Dakosty. “You can’t have a good defense without good players, but I really want to emphasize what a great job my coaches have done. Game-planning, developing players at practice and just the extra time they put in. They have done such a good job.”

The Colts have been solid throughout every position group defensively. Marian’s front seven has been tough against the run, and in the secondary, the Colts have shut down the opposition, giving up just over 50 passing yards per game.

“We have some good athletes up front both at defensive end and at defensive tackle, and our linebackers are athletic as well and have been making plays for us,” said Dakosty. “But I want to really highlight our secondary. They have performed exceptionally for us this season. That unit has faced some good quarterbacks and talented receivers, and they have not given up much.”

The Colts defense will face off with an always tough Tri-Valley (4-4) team this week.

The Bulldogs once again boast a formidable rushing attack led by electric junior running back Noah Porter. who leads the Bulldogs with close to 700 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.

Senior Kash Tobin has also had a productive season, as he’s rushed for 433 yards and six scores. Sophomore Cole Gemberling has rushed for 273 yards and three touchdowns to give Tri-Valley a trio of rushers that help it average 187 rushing yards per game.

“We face another good football team this week in Tri-Valley. Defensively, we know we’re in for another challenge, but we just need to be us. We need to continue to play fast and make plays,” said Dakosty. “The margin of error in games like this one are so small. So, we need to do our best not to allow the big play.”

The Marian rushing offense has been solid in its own right this season, and that has continued even after the Colts lost their lead back in Jayden Fermin a few weeks ago. Fermin was putting together a nice season before his injury, averaging almost six yards per carry and rushing for 272 yards and four touchdowns.

Freshman Rory Dixon has come in and done a nice job filling in for Fermin, as he’s rushed for 527 yards and seven scores. Power back Jesse Rodino has also started to see some additional carries as well, and has taken advantage of that opportunity, rushing for 197 yards and two scores.

Establishing the run, and finishing off drives, figure to be two critical keys for the Colts against the Bulldogs in this one.

“We just need to be a little more consistent in our execution this week. We need to really fire off the ball up front, and be physical in our run game,” said Dakosty. “We also need to hit some timely passes when given the opportunity. The big thing is just limit mistakes. Again, the margin of error in these types of games is so slim, so we just need to be focused and mentally locked in and play good football.”