SHERWOOD --- The Sylvan Hills Bears had become the talk of the state for their 3-0 start to the 2025 season after finishing the 2023 and 2024 campaigns winless.
It set the stage for an intriguing conference opener last Friday night at Bill Blackwood Field as Marion invaded, owning a three-game winning streak against Sylvan Hills, including the last two by a combined 106-29.
Marion fashioned a 39-19 third-quarter lead, but had to hold for a wild 46-43 victory over the upstart Bears.
The Patriots (3-1 overall, 1-0 6A East) got two touchdowns apiece from Kajeris Hill, a pair of TD tosses from Zayden Walker to Aamoni "Money" Wren, two scores from tailback Rico Ward, and a Walker rushing score to account for their scoring.
Sylvan Hills (3-1, 0-1) got five total TDs from senior QB Tyler Hampton, including a pair of TD tosses apiece to receiver Tyler Blakely and to tailback Isaiah Howell.
The Bears stopped Marion on the Sylvan Hills 1-yard line with 40 seconds left in regulation to force a turnover on downs, and Sylvan Hills came up with a first down before Marion snuffed out a hook-and-ladder play on the game's final snap to clinch victory.
Marion scored first on its second snap when Walker bolted 30 yards to paydirt for a 6-0 Patriot advantage with 10:55 left in the first quarter.
Hampton scored his first TD of the evening on the ensuing Sylvan Hills drive, and the extra point gave the hosts a 7-6 lead after a quarter.
Sylvan Hills scored on the second play of the second quarter, cashing in when Howell sprinted 16 yards to the house, but a missed extra point kept the score at 13-6 in favor of the Bears.
It took Marion just 4 plays to cover 44 yards on the next drive, Hill culminating the voyage with a 6-yard scoring sprint, and a Brody Wasion extra point tied the score at 13 apiece.
Hampton hit Howell for a 6-yard score on the Bears' following drive, but a bad snap on the extra point froze the Sylvan Hills lead at 19-13.
Hill tied the game at 19 with a 10-yard TD sprint on Marion's next drive, and Wasion's extra point gave the Pats a 20-19 lead with 3:25 left in the first half.
Marion forced a turnover on downs on the Bears' next drive, taking over at its own 29-yard line with 55 seconds left, and Walker made it count, hitting a streaking Wren behind the Sylvan Hills secondary for a 71-yard TD toss that gave the visitors a 26-19 halftime lead.
Ward's first TD plunge capped an 11-play, 37-yard drive from a yard out with 5:31 left for a 33-14 Patriot bulge.
Marion forced a Bear turnover on downs and scored 4 plays later when Walker connected with Wren for a 43-yard scoring strike with 4:09 left, and the Patriot advantage was 39-19.
The Bears struck back 2 plays later with a 58-yard catch-and-run TD connection from Hampton to Howell that got the hosts within 39-27, and that score held entering the fourth quarter.
Sylvan Hills got closer with 8:10 left in the game when Hampton hit Blakely for a 29-yard TD toss, and when Hampton hit Jackson Walker for the two-point conversion, the Bears were within 39-35.
After the Patriot defense forced a turnover on downs, Marion marched 22 yards in 7 plays, hitting paydirt when Ward broke the plane from 2 yards out for a 46-35 lead with 3:04 left in the contest.
Hampton got Sylvan Hills within 46-43 when he connected with Jeremiah Carey for a 14-yard score, and added a two-point conversion toss to Lakobe Brent with 2:07 remaining.
Marion recovered a Sylvan Hills onside kick, and Ward ripped off a 43-yard run on first down to give the Patriots a first-and-goal situation, but the Bears held on the next 4 plays to get one last shot at their own 1-yard line.
Hampton hit Brent on a 15-yard pass for a first down, but Marion sniffed out the hook-and-ladder 2 plays later to close out the Bears.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Marion hosts El Dorado for a conference game on Friday night, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets will be available online, and you can also buy them at the gate. If you can not make it to Southern Bancorp Stadium Friday night, you can watch the El Dorado football game for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel.
RANKINGS RUNDOWN
Marion maintained its stranglehold on the No. 4 statewide ranking on Hootens.com again this week, which is where the Patriots opened the season in July. Marion is also ranked fourth in ScoreBookLive.com's weekly rankings, and the Pats are No. 5 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Class 6A SuperSix rankings and in the Arkansas Media Poll.
MHS CHEER TO LEAD PLEDGE
The Marion High School cheerleaders will lead the Pledge of Allegiance prior to kickoff of Friday night's home date with El Dorado. Fans will also get to see the Patriot Pride Band and the cheer routines at halftime.
6A EAST SCORES FROM 9/26
Marion 46, Sylvan Hills 43
El Dorado 48, LR Catholic 31
Benton 55, Jonesboro 24
Sheridan 64, W. Memphis 20
6A EAST STANDINGS ON 9/29
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
Marion 1-0
El Dorado 1-0
Benton 1-0
Sheridan 1-0
Jonesboro 0-1
LR Catholic 0-1
Sylvan Hills 0-1
W. Memphis 0-1
The top six teams make state playoffs.
6A EAST GAMES ON 10/3
El Dorado at Marion
Sylvan Hills at Benton
W. Memphis at LR Catholic
Jonesboro at Sheridan