Team effort lifts Patriots over Jonesboro

Marion weathers Hurricane in big 51-30 win against Jonesboro

By CHUCK LIVINGSTON

Marion School District

JONESBORO — Coaches like to say that winning on the road for a football team takes the entire roster.

The Marion Patriots may have to agree after last week’s 51-30 victory at Jonesboro.

Marion improved to 6-1 in 2024 and remained unbeaten in league action at 4-0 by outgaining Jonesboro 409-320 in total yards, forcing four Golden Hurricane turnovers, and creating more first downs (22-15) than their regional rivals to win at Cooksey- Johns Stadium for the first time since 2018.

Marion junior defensive back Kajeris Hill forced two of the Jonesboro (1-6, 1-3) turnovers, returning interceptions for touchdowns in the third and fourth periods, the last of which capped the scoring.

Patriot junior quarterback Zayden Walker completed 11 of 17 passes for 144 yards and a 48-yard TD toss to sophomore Jeremiah Dent in the second quarter. Dent (98 total yards at Jonesboro) would later add a 5-yard TD run as a tailback.

Two-time senior all-state tailback Jalen Smith broke the school’s all-time rushing record in the second half of a game in which he racked up 126 yards on the ground with a TD. Junior tailback Rico Ward ran 12 times for 93 yards and a score, while Walker capped off a Marion drive with a short TD plunge of his own.

Marion scored with the opening kickoff, capping off an 11-play, 80-yard TD drive when quarterback junior quarterback Zayden Walker scored from a yard out with 7:25 left in the opening frame for an early 7-0 lead.

Marion forced its first turnover of the night when defensive end Zadean Walker recovered a fumble in Marion territory to end Jonesboro’s (1-6, 1-3) first drive.

Jonesboro got on the board when Marco Cisneros booted a 30-yard field goal to make the score after a quarter 7-3 in favor of the Pats.

Marion took a 14-3 lead when Walker hit Dent for a 48-yard TD pass with 11:15 left in the first half.

Jonesboro got within 14-9 on the ensuing drive when Myers connected with Kelen Smith for a 7-yard TD pass with 8:07 left in the second, but after the twopoint conversion failed, Marion led 14-9.

A Smith 5-yard TD run pushed the Pats up 21-9, and that tally held into halftime.

Jonesboro got a 3-yard TD run from T.J. Brown to get the hosts within 21-16 early in the third.

That score held until Hill’s first interception return late in the third period, but the Golden Hurricane worked within 28-23 after the third on a 42-yard TD toss from Myers to Smith.

Dent opened the fourth-quarter scoring when he registered his 5-yard scoring plunge, but Jonesboro again answered back with a short TD sprint to work within 36-30 midway through the fourth.

Ward pushed the Pat lead to 44-30 with a 30-yard TD run on Marion’s ensuing drive, and Hill’s second interception clinched the victory for the Pats.

Marion senior defensive back Taheem Frost ended the final Jonesboro drive with a diving interception.

What’s next?

Marion hosts Sheridan on Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Marion will present its 2024 homecoming court at 6:30 p.m., an event that was rescheduled from Marion’s September 27 victory over Sylvan Hills. You can watch the presentation of the homecoming court and the Sheridan game for free on MarionPatriots.com, on the MPAN YouTube channel, or on the MPAN mobile app.

Rushing king

Smith’s 3,671 career rushing yards are now the school’s all-time record. The senior has run 501 times in his career, racking up that total at an astonishing 7.3 yards per rush. Smith has three regular season games, and at least one playoff game left to add on to that total.

Playoff pats

Marion clinched a berth in the state tournament for the 20th season in a row with its victory last week at Jonesboro. It’s the longest playoff streak in Marion school history.

Marion last missed the state playoffs in 2004 when the Patriots tied with Paragould for the last playoff spot, but lost out on the tiebreaker. MHS returned to the postseason in 2005 and hosted the first home playoff game in program history and advanced to the state quarterfinals for the second time ever. The 2006

See PATRIOTS, page A10

Marion all-state left tackle Carius Curne (57) blows open a hole during his team’s 51-30 victory last Friday night at Jonesboro.

Photo by Eryn Edwards