Marion starts quickly, takes down Sheridan

6A-EAST

MARION 55, SHERIDAN 21

MARION — Marion scored touchdowns on its first six possessions Friday night, running past Sheridan 55-21 at Southern Bancorp Stadium.

Senior quarterback Ashton Gray totaled 484 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Patriots (7-1, 5-1 6A-East), while junior tailback Jalen Smith carried 13 times for 104 yards.

“Overall, I’m really pleased with our performance tonight in almost every facet,” third-year Marion Coach Lance Clark said. “Offensively, I continue to be impressed with our execution and how we play and perform. Defensively, we gave up a few big plays, and that’s concerning, but you have to also give Sheridan some credit because they did some things that impressed us.”

Gray’s fourth straight rushing performance of 210 yards or more started on Marion’s initial drive when the Patriots drove 73 yards in six plays, culminating when Gray scored from 9 yards out. Marion’s lead was 8-0 when Gray hit Christian Young for the 2-point conversion with 10:41 left in the first quarter.

Sheridan (2-6, 2-5) bounced back on the next drive when quarterback Brady Dillon hit Jackson Bourne for a 25-yard touchdown with 7:30 left in the first quarter. The extra point brought the Yellowjackets within 8-7.

Marion moved 91 yards in 10 plays on the next drive, highlighted by Gray rushes of 17 and 41 yards, and Smith gave Marion a 14-7 lead with a 6-yard touchdown run.

Following a Sheridan three and out, Gray set sail for a 62-yard touchdown run on first down. Smith’s 2-point conversion pushed the Pats ahead 22-7 with 3:44 left in the first quarter.

“I appreciated how we approached tonight’s game coming off a big win last week,” Clark said, referring to the Patriots’ 20-14 win over West Memphis. “We have much to play for still, but our focus all week and tonight was on this game, and that’s really impressive.”

The Marion defense forced another three and out, leading to a seven-play, 74-yard drive that Gray punctuated with an 11-yard touchdown run for a 28-7 Marion lead.

Marion safety Kendal Brister intercepted a Dillon pass on the first play of the second quarter. Smith wasted no time cashing it in, sprinting 23 yards for a score on first down for a 34-7 Marion advantage.

Sheridan then had an eight-play, 56-yard drive, scoring when Dillon hit Bourne with a quick pass. Bourne dodged a few tackles and scored from 18 yards out with 8:33 left in the first half to get the Yellowjackets within 34-14.

But it took Marion two plays to score again, this time when Gray sprinted 69 yards for a 40-14 halftime lead.

Sheridan marched into Marion territory with the first drive of the second half, but Brister got his second interception in the end zone.

Two drives later, Marion pulled ahead 48-14 when Gray connected with junior receiver Mitrell Lewis for a 74-yard touchdown pass with 4:16 left in the third.

Marion enabled the sportsmanship rule on the third play of the fourth quarter when senior tailback Jamar Foster scored from a yard out for a 55-14 lead with 10:45 left.

Sheridan capped the scoring when C.J. Davis plunged over from a yard out with 3:42 remaining.

“All things considered, a big game last week and the week after, we probably met or exceeded expectations in some areas,” Clark said. “But we can’t get complacent and rest on our laurels. We want to continue improving every week. That’s been the goal since we started this year.”

Marion’s 7-1 start is its best since 2011. The Patriots never started a season 8-1.