By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

Marion and Hillsboro’s game Tuesday, which ended in an 85-22 victory for the Trojans, was a collision of teams at two very different places in their seasons.

For Marion, it was an opportunity to show how much it was able to grow in the first two weeks of play, while for Hillsboro it was a time to exert dominance over a county rival, and both succeeded in their own ways.

Hillsboro was a force to be reckoned with, racking up 69 points with two minutes left in the third quarter.

The Trojans spread the wealth on offense, though no single player took over the stat sheet. At least three players landed in double figures, with Matthew Potucek and Grayson Ratzlaff each dropping 12 points, and Wyatt Plenert adding 10 of his own.

Marion’s scoring in the first quarter looked troublesome with just two points, but the Warriors showed grit going forward. Marion scored 12 points in the second quarter and tacked on eight more in the third.

More than anything else for the Warriors, the game showed they could play hard even down big with their limited number of players.

It also might show who Marion’s marquee players will be going forward. Braedon Mercer led the Warriors with 11 points, and Bryce Mermis added 9 of his own.