Patriots blow out Bombers

Patriots blow out Bombers

Sports Editor As Marion senior running back Tom Young crossed the goal line from 5 yards out, a thick, pink cloud appeared over the Marion student section.

The score gave the Pats just a 7-0 lead with 9:59 in the first quarter, but “The Trench” had committed to releasing pink powder to support the Komen Foundation’s “Score for the Cure” promotion.

It’s a good thing that they didn’t volunteer to do it after every score.

Marion (4-3 overall, 3-1 6A-East) took a 42-0 lead early in the third quarter and settled for a 42-16 homecoming victory against the Bombers (1-6, 1-3) at Patriot Stadium.

Jed Davis, Marion’s thirdyear head football coach credited his team’s third consecutive win to its renewed commitment in practice.

“I felt like we had great focus this week in practice. We still had to have great focus inside the game too. I mean, we have to always be ready to play, and to be honest, I was a little worried about a letdown after last Friday’s game (a 35-14 win over Searcy),” Davis explained. “I was also worried about homecoming with our guys being up all day, reading this morning, the parade this afternoon, but we came out on fire.”

The Patriots moved above the .500 mark for the first time in 2016, while also staying alive in the conference title race as junior quarterback Peyton Walker finished 16-for-26 passing for 203 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Senior wide receiver Collin Chambers reeled in 6 balls for 55 yards, while junior Taylor Brown caught 3 passes for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Senior Di Granger chipped in with 4 catches for 83 yards and a score of his own.Young rushed 8 times for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Marion defense also remained stiff as they recovered three Mountain Home fumbles, the first coming on the game’s second snap, which set the Pats up with possession on the Bomber 31-yard line.

Young handled 4 carries on the ensuing drive, accounting for all 31 yards, and that 5-yard scoring run that triggered the pinkpowder display from the Patriot pupils.

Where Young was the bell cow on the opening drive, following a Mountain Home punt, Walker took over on the Bomber 44 and completed 4 out of 5 passes for 62 yards, highlighted by a Chambers 10-yard catch on 4th-and-9 and a 32-yard Brown snag for a touchdown that went for a 14-0 Marion lead that was the tally after the first quarter.

“I feel like we’re finally getting to the point where, if you wanna take one away, we can take advantage of the other,” Davis said of his team’s offensive balance. “Okay, you wanna play man coverage? We’ll throw it down the field all the way. You wanna double- team our receivers? We don’t mind running it there.”

Mountain Home’s most promising drive of the first half consisted of 11 plays and spanned 48 yards, but the Pats held firm on a 4th-

Photo by Chuck Livingston

Marion junior wide receiver Ryan Robins (23) stiff-arms a Mountain Home defender on Friday night.

and-14 and forced a turnover on downs at their own 26-yard line.

Marion responded with its third touchdown of the night when Young scored from a yard out for a 21-0 lead with 4:28 left in the first half.

Walker and Brown teamed up again, this time from 7 yards out for a 28-0 lead.

Two plays later, Marion surged ahead 35-0 at the half when senior safety Kabryn “K.B.” Williams recovered another fumble and sprinted to the end zone from 31 yards out with exactly 1 minute left in the second quarter.

On the first drive of the second half, Walker found Chambers for a 13-yard score for that 42-0 lead, and Marion responded by rotating multiple players in.

Mountain Home’s first pass of the ballgame came on its final offensive snap, and it came from 19 yards out and went for a touchdown to make the score 4216.

Marion will now turn its attention to the two-time defending Class 6A state football champions from Pine Bluff this week. The Zebras are 4-2 this season, with a 3-1 mark in the conference, which has them tied with West Memphis, Marion and Jonesboro for the top spot in the league.

“I think this is a good measuring stick for us to see exactly where we are as a program,” Davis said of Pine Bluff. “Two-time state champions. They’ve won a bunch, they have an awesome, rich history. Where do we stand here as the 2016 Marion Patriots? I think Friday will be a good judge of that.”

Marion’s 2016 Homecoming Queen was senior Annalee Parker.

Kickoff in Pine Bluff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Marion will close its home schedule on Friday, October 28 against Jacksonville. That will also be senior night.

By Chuck Livingston