Patriots drop opener to Wynne
Marion stung by Yellowjackets on the road
By TYLER BENNETT
Marion School District
The COVID-19 chapter of Marion Patriot football is off to a slow start following the team’s trip to Wynne last week. The Patriots (0-1 overall) dropped their season- opener at Wynne (1-0) and have lost the last two meetings with the Yellowjackets.
Both teams stalled on their opening possessions before the Jackets found the endzone on a 50-yard counter run by junior Carl Washington to take a 6-0 lead. The run came on 3rd and 17, a point that the Patriot defense has to emphasize moving forward.
The Patriots’ senior quarterback Daedrick Cail connected with senior receiver Markel Wynn on a 38-yard completion on Marion’s next drive. The possession ended with a 21-yard field goal by junior kicker Dylan Pieri.
Third down hurt the Patriot defense again just three plays after the field goal. After holding the Jacket offense to five yards on the first two plays, the Jackets went to Washington again for a 75-yard touchdown run to take a 13-3 lead.
The Patriots had another big play on the following drive, a 41-yard completion from Cail to junior receiver Kaleb Catt. The drive ended with a 14-yard touchdown on a screen to senior receiver DJ Johnson to make it a 13-10 Wynne lead.
Marion gave up another third down conversion on third and nine early in the next Jacket drive. The five and a half minute Wynne drive ended on a two-yard run from quarterback Marterius Ross and a two-point conversion to take a 21-10 lead.
Both teams stalled on their following possessions and Jackets kept their lead at the halftime break. The Jackets started the second half with the ball and kept all of their momentum.
A fourth-and-goal run from the one-yard line by senior back Kamryn Speed pushed the Jacket lead to 28-10. Wynne’s 82-yard drive took more than half of the third at 6 minutes and 22 seconds.
Marion’s next drive ended with a 33-yard touchdown run by Cail on fourth-andtwo to trim the Jacket lead once again. The Pats got the ball back in Patriot territory following a Wynne fumble, but the Pats could not convert the field goal attempt from 28 yards out.
However, the Pats did get two of those points back on the next Wynne possession. After a drive that included a sack led by Tyron Smith, the Jacket punter dropped the snap and ran out of the back of the endzone for a safety.
Down 28-19, the ensuing kickoff did not go well for the Pats. Wynn returned the kick to the Jacket 46-yard line, but left the game with an injury following the play.
Despite the excellent field position, the Pats could not convert on fourth down and gave the ball back to the dangerous Wynne running attack. However, it was a 54-yard pass from Ross to Daeshawn Marrs that swung all of the momentum to the side of the Yellowjackets.
Ross scored from four yards out six plays later to push the Jacket lead to 35-19. Marion got the ball one more time before the Jackets eventually ran the clock out.
Up next for the Patriots is their first ever gridiron meeting with the defending 7A football champions, the Bryant Hornets. Kickoff from Patriot Stadium on Friday, September 4 is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
The Marion Patriots will look for a reversal of fortunes this Friday night after a season opening loss to Wynne last week.
Photo by Londa Hamrick
