Patriot football players earn postseason awards
Six Marion athletes recognized for on-field accomplishments
By CHUCK LIVINGSTON
Marion School District
Following eight victories on the field, the third semifinal appearance in school history and the second semifinal run in a row, six Marion Patriot football players earned postseason awards.
Seniors Johnny Nichols, Cam Anderson, and Dylan Pieri earned allstate, and all-conference awards, while seniors Hudson Dulli, and Kyjuan Rodgers, and junior Donnie Cheers landed on the all-conference team.
Nichols, the 6A East’s Defensive Lineman of the Year, paced the Patriots with 80 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and he tied for the team lead with seven sacks. Anderson, the 6A East Running Back of the Year, rushed for 1,806 yards and 24 touchdowns (both team-highs). Anderson’s 1,806 rushing yards are the most since Tre Franklin rushed for more than 2,000 yards in 2011. He averaged 139 yards rushing per game. Pieri, the 6A East Kicker of the Year, anchored Marion’s kicking game the past four seasons. In 2021, Pieri connected on 10 of 12 field goals, with a long of 41 yards, and he made 45 of 48 extra points. Pieri averaged 31 yards per punt, with six resting inside the 20-yard line.
Rodgers ranked fourth on the Marion tackle chart this season with 53 stops, including 10 behind the line of scrimmage. Rodgers registered a safety for the game’s first score in Marion’s 33-3 victory in September at West Memphis. Dulli started every game the past two seasons on the offensive line, most often at center. Cheers logged team-highs this season in receptions (41), receiving yardage (948), and touchdowns (11). Cheers emerged as a special- teams stalwart, too, averaging almost 24 yards per return, including an 84-yard kickoff return for a TD at Sheridan.
Six Marion football players earned postseason awards after the Pats won eight games on the field, and advanced to the semifinals for the second straight season. All-state performers were Cam Anderson (3), Johnny Nichols (29), and Dylan Pieri (15). All-conference performers were Hudson Dulli (78), Kyjuan Rodgers (6), and Donnie Cheers (11).
