Marion football standouts garner recognition

Nine Patriots earn postseason honors for 2022 season

By CHUCK LIVINGSTON

Marion School District

Nine Marion football players garnered postseason awards for their excellent seasons this fall.

Seniors Donnie Cheers, III and Carter Waldo, and sophomore tailback Jalen Smith earned all-state honors for the 7-4 Patriots, while seniors Jerrimiah Nichols, Jakobe Smith, and Brian Weatherspoon and juniors Aqeelo Allen, Martaveon Banks, and Carter Benton earned all-conference nods.

Cheers capped a prosperous career with one of the finer seasons for a Marion receiver ever. The senior paced the 2022 Pats with 51 receptions for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns. Cheers also played a fair bit of cornerback this fall, intercepting two passes in Marion’s 2723 victory on September 9 over defending state champion, El Dorado. Cheers exits Marion with a school record 26 touchdown receptions along with 104 receptions for 2,003 yards. The 2022 Team Captain is just the second Marion wideout to top the 2,000-yard career receiving mark.

Waldo caps his career as a four-year varsity letterman, the first Marion football player of modern times (since 1969) to accomplish that feat. The senior linebacker racked up 60 tackles this fall despite missing three games. The Team Captain’s scoop-and-score touchdown against Sylvan Hills on Senior Night made the difference in a 27-23 Marion victory. The all-state performer exits Marion with an eye-popping 201 tackles, including 18 for losses.

Smith produced one of the more productive sophomore seasons of any Marion tailback in school history, bolting for 1,306 yards and 14 TDs this fall despite missing almost two full games with injury. Smith eclipsed 100 yards rushing eight times this fall, including a career-high 213 steps with a TD against Sylvan Hills. He shifted to quarterback in September against Greene County Tech and produced 245 balanced (126 rushing and 119 passing) yards and three TDs.

The active Nichols alternated this fall between defensive end and defensive tackle, but his impact never changed as he racked up 64 tackles, including five for losses with three sacks. The all-league defensive dynamo recorded 10 total sacks over his last two varsity seasons. Nichols exits Marion with 109 career tackles, including 13 behind the line of scrimmage, and 10 sacks.

Smith took over at cornerback early in his sophomore season and started 26 of the last 27 games to cap his career. This Team Captain stacked 53 tackles this fall, and he paced the Pats with three interceptions. Smith exits Marion with 96 career tackles, seven TFLs, and three interceptions.

Weatherspoon emerged midway through his sophomore season at linebacker, and he ended up starting 28 of his last 30 career games. The senior All-6A East performer topped the Marion tackle chart this fall with 101 stops, 12 TFL, and three sacks. Marion’s 2022 most Outstanding Defensive Player finishes his career with 179 tackles, 21 TFL, and five sacks.

Allen and Benton anchored the Marion offensive line all season, paving the way for more than 345 yards per game on average. Benton started his second straight season up front, and he started games this year at tackle, guard, and center. He also deep snapped the first half of the season before an arm injury prevented him from doing so later in the fall. Allen took over at right tackle prior to the El Dorado game and dominated from there, pacing the Pats in pancake blocks, including 15 in Marion’s 16-12 victory on October 14 over West Memphis.

Banks emerged last year at midseason at safety, but 2022 proved to be his breakout season. The junior finished fourth on the Marion tackle chart with 61 tackles and two interceptions. Maybe just as important as his ability to make plays was his understanding of the defense and his communication skills as he was often tasked with lining the defense up presnap.

Marion likely returns 10 starters in 2023 on offense, including the top nine offensive linemen who played the most snaps this season.

Defensively, Marion returns three of its top four tacklers (Victor Turner, Dewayne Williams, and Banks), and several other players who started some and rotated heavily could be back.

Earning postseason honors for the Marion Patriots for the 2022 season were: Carter Waldo (8), Carter Benton (60), Aqeelo Allen (77), Donnie Cheers III, (11), Jalen Smith (4), Martaveon Banks (34), Jakobe Smith (1), Brian Weatherspoon (2), and Jerrimiah Nichols (47).

Photos by Londa Hamrick