Blytheville drops Marion to 1-2

Blytheville drops Marion to 1-2

Pats host Devils on Friday

Sports Editor BLYTHEVILLE — Just three games into its 2016 season, it would be safe to say that the Marion Patriots are a totally different team at home and one that plays on the road.

Just one week after playing as close to lights out as a team could play in the friendly confines of Patriot Stadium in a 62-35 win against Jackson, Missouri, Marion headed just north to Mississippi County for a showdown with Blytheville at Haley Field.

Once there, Marion lost the turnover battle 5-3, in addition to turning the ball over on downs four times in Blytheville territory, twice inside the 20-yard line of the Chicks, in a 3431 loss.

Marion head coach Jed Davis was almost at a loss for words following the game.

“I haven’t felt this disgusted since Little Rock Central,” Davis said, referencing a 2015 loss against the Tigers in which Marion limited that team to less than 180 total yards, but lost 14-6. “Fumbling the football. Oh man. I mean, come on. We’re ruining big plays. I don’t know how many drops we had, but I know early on, it was a bunch. Defense, I thought, played really well at times, but then we give up the big play. I don’t know.”

Marion also lost 5 turnovers in a 43-40 win against Blytheville last year at Patriot Stadium.

To that end, Marion’s five three drives all ended in a turnover on downs, or a turnover, before the Pats hit paydirt on a Tom Young (113 rushing yards on 28 carries, 2 rushing touchdowns) 2-yard touchdown run that knotted the score at 7-all in the first quarter.

Marion’s fourth drive ended on downs at the Blytheville 35-yard line.

The Pats seemed to be poised to hit the halftime lockers with at worst a 1714 lead on a 2nd-and-goal situation from the Blytheville 9-yard line.

Marion junior quarterback Peyton Walker (19 of 38 passing, 327 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions) went to throw a screen pass, but the play was diagnosed nearly perfectly by Blytheville defender Malik Smith, who collected the ball and returned it 91 yards for a touchdown that got Haley Field swaying with excitement. On the point-after, the snap was bobbled and the Chicks scored a twopoint conversion for a 2214 lead.

“All I had to worry about was getting my coach off of the field,” joked Blytheville head coach Ben Fisher about the play.

“They have all the momentum at that time, they’re fixing to go up. Our guy drops back into coverage like he’s supposed to. I think their quarterback didn’t see him until it was too late, you know? Our guy made a great play on it and he had to stretch out and grab it, and he did a better job of taking it to the house.”

However, Marion responded well by scoring the last 10 points of the half on a 38-yard scoring connection between Walker and junior Taylor Brown and a 35-yard Bradford Doherty field goal and the visitors led 24-22 at the break.

The drive following a Blytheville score for a 2824 lead, was another turning point, and it also went the way of the Chicks.

Marion again responded with a marathon of a 12play drive that got the Pats down to the Blytheville 4yard line ahead of a 4thand- goal situation.

Young was hit in the hole, and though he gained two yards, Marion was held out of the end zone with no points to show for it.

“We run a basic iso play there and we don’t block the nose guard. That’s inexcusable. Absolutely inexcusable up front. I don’t care what week it is, first year starting or whatever. We can’t have it,” Davis said.

However, the Pats got a reprieve when junior defensive lineman Demont Chalmers stripped the ball from Blytheville’s Jalen Gunby and recovered the loose ball, as well. That turnover gave Marion a fresh set of downs at the Blytheville 10-yard line.

Following a penalty and a 14-yard completion to Ryan Robins, Walker was intercepted by Steven Sifuentes on second down to again help the Chicks keep the lead.

On Blytheville’s second down, Marion’s Jamal Pearson came up with a pick of his own to once again give the Pats a first down, though it was a 1stand- goal situation.

That fact came into play when Young rushed for 4 yards on 3rd-and-goal to go, which appeared to give Marion a 1st-and-goal since the yard marker sticks were still being held by the Blytheville chain crew, but when Walker rushed into the line for no gain on what was fourth down.

That gave Marion three consecutive possessions inside Blytheville’s 10yard line, with no points to show for it.

Blytheville led 28-24 after the third quarter.

The Chicks scored with 3:45 left in the game on a 7-yard Demekko Clark (23 rushes for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns) run for a 3424 lead.

Walker found senior receiver Collin Chambers (8 catches for 160 yards) from 22 yards out for a score to get within 34-31, but the ensuing onside kick popped out of bounds to end Marion’s bid for a win. Marion opens conference play this week with a game at Patriot Stadium against West Memphis. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

By Chuck Livingston