With almost two weeks to reflect on his team's last outing, a highly competitive 19-0 loss to Class 7A power Conway, Marion head football coach Lance Clark was able to find a major silver lining.
His team trailed just 6-0 at halftime, and 12-0 in the fourth quarter, but with the ball and driving, against Conway, and while the Wampus Cat defense made enough plays to win, the bigger picture was evident to Clark.
“At the end of the day, I was proud that we held up physically against one of the more physical teams in the state,” said the coach. “Sure, we lost, it drove us crazy, but it wasn't like it's been at other times since I've been here, where we were just physically outmatched. We ran the ball well enough; we had some things we liked in the passing game. Our defense played a tremendous, tremendous ballgame, and they outplayed us. It's a credit to our kids that they have put in the work to get to this level.”
Conway topped Marion 49-7 in 2024, and while the Patriots were on the losing end again this fall, Marion gained almost twice as many yards this season as a year ago, and held Conway to its season-low scoring output.
Marion (2-1 overall) hopes that its physical style travels this week, when the Patriots open 6A East conference play in Sherwood against the Sylvan Hills Bears.
Much has changed at Sylvan Hills since the Bears visited Marion last fall on Homecoming. The Bears ended the 2024 season mired in a 20-game losing streak, but Sylvan Hills hired longtime Searcy head coach Mark Kelley in January after he enjoyed a successful run as Conway's offensive coordinator.
Kelley, who led Searcy to a 44-17 record in his time and the 2019 Class 6A state title, has quickly revived the Sylvan Hills football program, guiding the Bears to a 3-0 start after wins over Maumelle, Vilonia, and Russellville.
“Coach Kelley was exactly what they needed at that time,” said Clark. “He's one of the top offensive minds in our state. His teams at Searcy could score on anybody. They were great on offense at Conway. He's really positive and encouraging, and his guys play really hard.”
Sylvan Hills boasts several three-year starters this season, including senior quarterback Tyler Hampton, who has almost thrown for 1,100 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, and Isaiah Howell, who's rushed for almost 400 yards and five scores in his first significant action at tailback.
“The big thing with their offense is they have speed all over,” said Clark. “The QB is fast, the receivers are all fast, the running back is fast, fast. It's just a lot of speed. They're considerably better up front than they've been, also, which is why they're scoring so many points (50.3 points per game).”
The Bear defense is also significantly better this season behind all-state defensive end Malachi Summons. Sylvan Hills has allowed just 68 points through three games, but 54 of those came in the season-opener against Maumelle. The Bears beat Vilonia 46-14 and Russellville 50-0.
“The defense is big enough, plenty strong, and they play hard,” said Clark. “They've forced some turnovers this year and have made some big plays. They're disciplined and rally to the ball.”
Marion is 7-3 all-time against Sylvan Hills, including three straight victories.
HOW TO WATCH
Marion's 6A East opener at Sylvan Hills is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m., and you can watch for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel.
6A EAST GAMES ON 9/26
Marion at Sylvan Hills
Benton at Jonesboro
Little Rock Catholic at El Dorado
Sheridan at W. Memphis