Photo by Jordan Holland Marietta’s Anthony Avendano (5) returns a kick as Warren’s Thomas Miller tries to tackle him during a high school football game Friday at Don Drumm Stadium in Marietta.

MARIETTA — Marietta High won the Al Miller United Way Bowl going away, 50-16, at Don Drumm Stadium Friday night.

But the annual Washington County rivalry football game was actually tough going for the Tigers in the beginning.

“We started extremely slow,” said MHS head coach Jason Schob, whose orange and black gridders improved their record to 2-0. “Part of that was Warren. Warren came out and punched us in the mouth. We didn’t really expect that. The kids fought back and found a way to pull out the game. We’ll take it.”

Marietta QB Corbin Alkire led the way, passing for over 100 yards and four touchdown, two to Ethan Coffield and one each to Jermaine Burke and Chase Taylor.

“Corbin was pretty impressive for a sophomore,” Schob said.

Alkire had plenty of help from his backfield mate Dominic Vanfossen, who rushed for 176 yards on 22 carries and one TD run of 68 yards.

“Right now, a lot of the teams are loading the box to try to stop Dominic and Corbin’s taking advantage of that, which is nice when you have a quarterback and a running back that are pretty solid,” Schob said.

MHS also got a lift from Anthony Avenando, who ran the second-half kickoff back 80 yards to paydirt.

“Anthony did not play last year,” Schob said. “And he decided to come out his senior year. That was a big pickup for us. He’s a very good athlete and is doing everything we ask. He’s working hard. I was really happy for him on that one.”

Avenando also recovered a fumble.

And, Tiger kicker John Mannix booted six extra points; Brady Vincent scored on a two-point conversion; and Kail Hill had an interception.

Warren (0-2) was led by QB Ronnie Hill, who scored on two short touchdown runs. Running back Tyler Schafer rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries; and Ethan Yost kicked a 35-yard field goal and one extra point.

“We came out and held them, and we’re actually in the lead for a while,” Hill said.

Indeed. The Warriors scored on their second offensive possession with Hill sneaking in from the one. Yost’s PAT made it 7-0.

Marietta came back, though, and tied the score at 7-all on Alkire’s 21-yard scoring strike to Burke on a fourth-and-17.

“We came out thinking that we could just show up and beat them,” Alkire said. “You never want to think that before playing a game.”

Late in the second quarter, Alkire passed 37 yards to Coffield for a six-pointer, and Mannix split the uprights to give the Tigers their first lead of the game, 14-7.

Just before halftime, Alkire hooked up with Coffield again, this time from 12 yards out, and the orange and black led 21-7.

Thing is, though, it wasn’t a quiet MHS lockerroom at the intermission.

“We kind of got yelled at in the lockerroom,” Alkire said. “In the second half, we came out and fought.”

Did the Tigers ever, and it started with Avenando busting one to the house to stretch the Tiger advantage to 28-7.

“That was sweet,” Alkire said. “I liked that.”

Warren got three of those points back when Yost, a standout soccer player, nailed one from 35 yards out to cut it to 28-10.

But MHS and Alkire were just too good as the latter passed nine yards to Taylor another TD, making it 35-10.

“I just try to do whatever I can to get them (receivers) the ball,” Alkire said. “Because I know if they can get it, they can make plays.”

Late in the third, Hill scored his second TD of the contest on a short three-yard run, and Vanfossen answered that with a 68-run to the end zone.

Early in the fourth quarter, Alkire capped all the scoring when he raced 33 yards to paydirt.

“We’re 2-0 and this is where we hoped we’d be now,” Schob said. “But we can’t start out like we did tonight against Williamstown next week.”

Note: Warren played without senior star running back Cole Riffle, who was injured (torn bicep) in the Warriors’ season- and home-opener last Friday. He had surgery on the bicep this week and will miss the remainder of the football campaign.