Marion's Tigers Face South Sioux City

The Linn-Mar Lions, currently ranked sixth in the state, are taking on the Sioux City South Senior High School Cardinals Friday.

So far, the Lions have enjoy a record of 4-2, while the Cardinals, ranked, fifth in Nebraska, have a record of 6-2.

However, the Cardinals are currently ranked 124 nationally, while the Lions have taken a drastic drop this year, from 8 to 553, after their 2011 season, where they went undefeated with a record of 28-0.

At this point, the Lions aren't in any place to match the success of last season, but with their star athlete Marcus Paige, in addition to a promising, if disappointing state ranking, it's not over yet.

Paige is one of the top high school point guards in the country, ranked as high as the No. 1 point guard by ESPN. 

"He's a special player,'' said Chris Robertson, Linn-Mar coach in a Sioux City Journal story. "He's one of those guys that just don't come along all the time."

Robertson said the reason for the disappointing season despite Paige's star status is simple: The Lions aren't the same team as last year.

"Marcus was not [just] the only starter we had returning, but basically seven of our top eight are gone,'' he said. "It's a young group. We're excited about where they can be, but we're clearly not there yet. Right now, we're trying to get consistent support for Marcus.''

If you want to cheer on the Lions, you have quite a drive ahead of you. The game starts at 8 p.m. at South Sioux City Senior High School, in South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Stay tuned for an update of the season thus far on Marion Patch.