Explorers Dominate Duchesne, Get First Season-Opening Win Since 2017

Marquette vs Duchesne – Full Game Highlight Reel (8/29)

ALTON – The Marquette Catholic High School football program had something to celebrate Friday night.

After another winless season in 2024, the Explorers ended a 15-game losing streak, dominating the visiting Duchesne Pioneers of St. Charles, Missouri by a score of 56-7.

It was Marquette’s first win in its season-opener since a 21-7 victory over Civic Memorial in 2017.

“I’m excited for them,” head coach Eric Dickerson said postgame as he looked out toward his players celebrating with the student section.

“They’ve worked hard for this. These seniors, I came over when they were freshmen, and I’ve got to be their coach for three years now. We have nine of them who have just worked their tails off to get where they are. This moment right now is something special.”

Marquette’s last win came on September 9, 2023, over East Alton-Wood River by a score of 49-21. That game ended an even longer 22-game losing streak. Before that, it had been since April 9, 2020, during a shortened spring season due to the pandemic.

Those times were grim for the program, having to cancel games due to low numbers/injuries and worrying if seasons would even get off the ground. That problem consisted last season as well.

But 2025 is different.

“We’ve got a boatload of freshmen, and that’s a good problem to have,” Dickerson said.

One particular freshman, quarterback Kyren Robinson, made a lasting first impression, playing nearly the entire second half at QB, scoring two rushing touchdowns.

“Kyren looked pretty good out there tonight,” Dickerson said. “The guys ran the ball hard. I liked what I saw.”

The Explorers would receive to start off the game, and Robinson, playing deep, ran it back to his own 42-yard line to set up the game’s first drive.

Marquette turned it into a first-and-goal from the five-yard line, where sophomore running back Jhordyn Croft would score from short distance to take the early lead. Junior kicker Joe Stephan made good for the extra point, and the Explorers had their first lead of the new season.

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Duchesne, in a similar spot program-wise as Marquette, is coming off a 1-9 2024 season. The Pioneers went 2-8 in 2023.

Both teams came into the season-opener desperately needing a win, but Duchesne proved to be no threat to a much-improved Marquette team.

The Explorers scored on every possession of the first half, leading 42-0.

Junior running back Kaylin McGee had four of those scores. He stepped in for Croft, who left the game injured and never returned after halftime. Dickerson could not give an update on Croft’s status after the game, but was pleased with what he got out of McGee.

“Kaylin, man, that guy came up,” Dickerson said. “The whole saying, next man up, and we truly believe that. We have many capable guys who are going to step up and fulfill those roles.”

The other score of the first half came from QB1, sophomore Toby Eberlin. In a pinch, he can run the football, and that’s exactly what he did to make it 14-0 right inside the second quarter with a short TD run.

Stephan went a perfect 8-8 for extra-point field goals and even had an interception in the first half. Eberlin connected well with QB-turned-wide-out Jack Rea, who made some nice catches on the night, but never found the endzone.

The pieces are there for the Explorers who don’t plan on being one-and-done. There’s hope of a winning season, which would be the team’s first since 2019.

“Every week’s a possibility for us, and that’s the mindset that we have,” Dickerson said. “We have to look at next week, enjoy this one tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll get back down to business and get ready for our week two opponent and build off that.”

That week two opponent is going to prove much tougher than Duchesne. The Explorers head north to take on Quincy Notre Dame next Friday, September 5, at 7 p.m.

The two teams last played in 2021, a 51-6 win for QND. The Raiders are coming off a 10-2 season that saw them reach the IHSA Class 2A quarterfinals.

“It’s going to be a good test. As we get better, we want to play the better teams,” Dickerson said.

But before that, he and the Explorers are going to soak this one a little bit.

“This is what we needed to do tonight: start off with a good win and dominate in all three facets of the game.”

Duchesne Pioneers at Marquette Explorers Football

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