Marshfield quarterback Kyle Tedder gains some yards on a keeper with Willamette defenders David Busenbark and Dillon Machado coming up from behind on the play Friday night. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

If Marshfield’s win last week against North Eugene made a statement that the Pirates are back in the Midwestern League football playoff picture, Friday night’s 47-12 home blowout over Willamette added an exclamation point.

Marshfield quarterback Kyle Tedder stole the show offensively and the Pirates defense forced four crucial turnovers in a much-needed win that put the team at 2-1 in league play. The victory set up another must-win game against 2-1 Springfield next week to keep Marshfield’s postseason hopes rolling.

“This was a big night, our biggest game of the season,” said Tedder, who rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. “The way we look at it now, we’re 1-0, and next week’s a whole new season.”

The Pirates came into the game worried about Willamette’s shifty, explosive tailback Craig Loper, and he didn’t disappoint, earning 205 yards on 22 carries.

It didn’t matter. It also didn’t matter that Willamette had 17 first downs to Marshfield’s 13, and the fact that the two teams had similar offensive nights — 298 yards for the Wolverines and 327 for the Pirates — was also moot. The important number Friday night was 4-1: The Wolverines’ and Pirates’ turnovers.

“Our defense stepped up tonight,” said Tedder. “Turnovers determine the ballgame. That’s what’s going to win us games.”

Case in point: Willamette’s first possession lasted about a half-second, as Rafael Hidalgo fumbled Marshfield’s opening-drive punt and Chris Krajcir recovered for the Pirates on the Wolverines’ 19. On a third-and-5 option play from the 13, Kyle Brown scrambled 13  yards to the end zone with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter.

Marshfield rode the early-game momentum through the first quarter, forcing Willamette to punt on the ensuing drive and then manufacturing a 63-yard scoring drive. Levi Meline scrambled 23 yards on a reverse to the Willamette 17 that set up a 15 yard TD run from Ryan Scoville on an option pitch from Tedder. After the kick, the Pirates went up 13-0.

Willamette wasn’t going to go that quietly, though. On the ensuing drive, Loper rushed up the middle, paused to wait for a block, avoided a tackle and disappeared up the left sideline for a 45-yard TD run with 1:37 left in the first.

“We ran the ball fine,” said Loper after the game. “The ball just didn’t roll in our court. That’s football.”

Marshfield made Willamette pay for a turnover again in the second quarter, when Shane Daly made a diving interception on Wolverines quarterback Jacob Hughes — who was filling in for injured starter Spencer Phillips — at the Willamette 37.

“I feel like we stepped it up tonight,” said Daly, who also noted the turnovers were crucial. “That’s a big part of it.”

On the next play, Tedder shot up the middle, broke a tackle 10 yards into the run and made it to the sideline for a 37-yard TD run to make the count 19-6.

“I had wide-open holes all night,” said Tedder. “Our line played great.”

Willamette had its last answer of the game on the next drive, though. The Wolverines drove 75 yards on 11 plays behind the running of Loper and Hidalgo, eventually converting a fourth-and-13 TD pass from the 13 as Hughes found a flying Kenny Gebhart in the back of the end zone.

From there out, it was all Pirates. After taking the kickoff with the score at 19-12, Tedder took the first snap of the drive and rolled 68 yards on a quarterback keeper to the end zone and Marshfield went up 27-12.

On the second play of Willamette’s next drive, Meline intercepted Hughes’ pass in the flat and had nobody in front of him en route to a 39-yard TD run-back.

“I saw the two receivers out there, and the quarterback looked right there, and I knew,” said Meline of the read. “I was tired before that play. Afterward, I was so excited.”

Loper said the team sorely missed veteran quarterback Phillips, who sat out his second straight game.

“I’ve been playing with (Phillips) since the fifth grade. To see him sitting on the sideline, watching — there aren’t even words,” said Loper.

The Pirates went into halftime up 33-12 and never looked back. Marshfield ended another Willamette drive in the third quarter when Callen Cooper picked off Hughes again, and Bo Cutting again cut short a Wolverine drive with a sack near the end of the third quarter. Cutting had a huge night defensively. He had a sack on Willamette’s first drive of the evening, causing a fumble that pushed the Wolverines back 13 yards after Loper had given his team a first down near midfield.

“We played great. The defense stepped it up,” said Cutting. “We’re improving every week.”

After taking over on downs, Marshfield drove into Willamette territory, where Tedder darted up the middle for his third TD run from 21 yards out with 10:15 remaining in the game.

The Pirates got their last score with 3:32 on the clock, when Tedder connected with Jordan Shepherd on an 11-yard TD pass.

Tedder threw for 63 yards on 5-for-12 passing, but his low completion percentage was due mainly to dropped balls. He made completions to five different receivers.

Kyle Brown backed up Tedder on the rushing front, gaining 51 yards on 14 carries and getting some important short-yardage gains.

On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines got 71 yards passing on a 10-for-22 night from Hughes, and Hidalgo managed 31 yards on seven carries.

But it was mainly the Loper show, and the 200-plus-yardage night for the dangerous back was worrisome for Marshfield coach Kent Wigle, because allowing big gains for speedy runners has been a problem for the Pirates.

“We need to limit the run a bit, but we’re sure a lot better,” said Wigle. “We ran to (Loper) well tonight.”

But overall, Wigle is happy the team seems to be coming together as the league season winds down, after the squad dropped three straight games before rebounding last week against North Eugene.

“We’re really improved, we’re getting over the hump,” said Wigle. “We’re still missing a lot of guys who were starters at the beginning of the year, but other guys are filling in.”

Marshfield was still without linebacker Chris Thomas, lineman Jordan Chaplin and defensive back Geoff VanPulliam in the game.

The Pirates’ win, and Springfield’s Friday night victory over Churchill, a team that was tied for first place in the Midwestern League, has left the team with high hopes for the rest of the season.

“I’m really pumped,” said Cutting. “With Churchill losing, we’re in the hunt for second place.”