Ex Prep Post Grad Lions Settle for Tie with Marietta College JV Amid Costly Penalties

Marietta, OH – October 12, 2025

On a crisp fall afternoon in Marietta, Ohio, the Ex Prep Post Grad Lions found themselves battling more than just the Marietta College Pioneers JV squad. Under partly cloudy skies and a mild 69-degree temperature, the Lions’ hopes of victory faded alongside the changing autumn leaves as penalties and stalled drives led to a frustrating outing at Don Drum Stadium.

Marietta jumped out to an early 16-0 lead, capitalizing on short fields and breakdowns in discipline from the visiting Lions. Despite showing flashes of offensive potential, Ex Prep couldn’t string together consistent drives. Every surge of momentum seemed to be wiped away by yellow flags—11 offensive penalties in total hampered their rhythm throughout the game.

The tide began to turn after a spectacular leaping interception on a zone blitz by defensive end Ted Windom at the Lions’ doorstep, thwarting a Pioneer drive that could have potentially iced the game. The turnover ignited some much-needed energy on the Ex Prep sideline and gave the Lions new life.

One of the afternoon’s most promising moments came midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Ty Stephens connected with Kyree Bunny on a spectacular 39-yard leaping grab that set up the Lions at the Pioneers’ 1-yard line. But Marietta’s defense stood tall, stonewalling Ex Prep on four consecutive plays to keep them off the board.

The Lions caught a break on the ensuing Marietta possession, when a bad snap rolled through the end zone for a safety, giving Ex Prep its first two points of the game. Momentum swung sharply just moments later when Demarius Wallace fielded the post-safety kickoff and weaved 65 yards to the house for a touchdown. The Lions capitalized on the spark with a successful two-point conversion, Stephens finding Noah Baker in the end zone to trim the deficit to 16–10 heading into halftime.

After half, the Lions exploded with a 90-yard screen and run to Tydrez Clements. The Virginia Tech transfer showed his game-breaking ability on a dazzling cross-field run after the catch, weaving through defenders and sprinting into the end zone. The joy was short-lived, however, as a familiar yellow flag lay back at the Lions’ 36-yard line—negating the touchdown and deflating what could have been a momentum-shifting play.

That’s when Demarius Wallace stepped up again. This time, jumping a Pioneer route, Wallace picked off a pass and raced 58 yards to paydirt, knotting the game at 16-16. The two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score tied.

Late in the fourth quarter, Sincere Ollivierre Agyen came up big with another interception, giving the Lions new life. Sparked by a 48-yard reception from Zayden Ward, Ex Prep mounted a promising drive deep into Marietta territory. It seemed the offense had finally broken through when, on third and eight from the Marietta 20, Stephens connected with Bunny on a short route. Bunny made a great move and dove into the end zone, appearing to give the Lions the lead—but once again, joy was short-lived, as another holding call wiped the score off the board. It marked the second touchdown nullified by penalty on the afternoon.

The gray turf of Don Drum Stadium served as a fitting backdrop for the Lions’ up-and-down afternoon. Time and again, promising runs and completions were erased by holding calls, false starts, and illegal formations.

Defensively, Ex Prep showed resilience after the early deficit, tightening up in the second half and forcing several Marietta punts. However, the offense struggled to turn those opportunities into points, undone by the same self-inflicted wounds that plagued the first half.

As the final whistle blew, the Lions (4-1-1) were left to reflect on a game that slipped away not for lack of talent, but lack of discipline. With lessons learned and plenty of football left this season, the focus now shifts to cleaning up the details before their next matchup at Ohio Dominican on 10/26.