November in most places means that fall is officially in gear.
The weather is crisp and cool, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
For the Marion football program, November means it's time for playoff football, just as it has for the past 18 seasons.
The Patriots have qualified for the postseason every year since 2004, with runs to the state semifinals in 2006, 2020, and 2021.
Marion and Greenwood are the only two programs to qualify for the Class 6A semifinals in each of the past two seasons.
Since returning to the playoffs in 2005 for the first time in 13 seasons, Marion has advanced to the quarterfinals or deeper nine times.
Marion hosts old 6A East rival Mountain Home Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Premier Bank Stadium. The Mountain Home contest will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. The winner advances to the quarterfinal round at 6A West runners-up Pulaski Academy a week from Friday.
“We have a great opportunity this week to compete in the playoffs against another good team,” said second-year Marion coach Lance Clark. “The playoffs give you a chance to see how good you can be against the best teams from elsewhere in the state. Everyone is winless starting this week, so no matter what type of year you've had up to that point, it can go away in a hurry, or if you haven't had the type of year that you've wanted to up to that point, you can flip it.”
Marion arrives at the 2022 playoffs sporting an impressive 7-3 overall record with a 7-2 conference mark. The Patriots lost their season-opener at Wynne 21-10 before embarking on a three-game winning streak to open 6A East play, Marion's first 3-0 start in league action since 1989.
6A East runner-up Benton snapped the Pats' winning streak on September 30 as Marion played without eight starters, including six on offense. The Marion victory extended a Benton seven-game winning streak to cap the regular season where the Panthers scored 36 points or more in every game and scored 55 points or more six times.
Marion recovered from the Benton loss and ripped off a four-game winning streak of its own, highlighted by mercy-rule road wins at Searcy (57-28), and Sheridan (43-7), while the Pats defended their home turf by outlasting West Memphis (16-12), and Sylvan Hills (27-23).
Unbeaten Little Rock Catholic utilized a pair of pick-sixes a week ago to slip past Marion and earn the 6A East title outright.
Marion averaged 30.5 points per game this fall, a figure that's even more impressive when you consider that Marion's leading passer (Ashton Gray), leading rusher (Jalen Smith), and four of its top five receivers (Mitrell Lewis, Matthew Kearney, Cameron Garrett, and Christian Young), and all five starting offensive linemen (Carius Curne, Carter Benton, Charlie Cantrell, Jermaine Davis, and Aqeelo Allen) are eligible to return next season.
Adding to Marion's playoff prosperity is that the Pats will host a playoff game for the seventh straight season and “anytime you can host a playoff game, that's a big deal,” said Clark. “That's important for the program to be able to win enough to earn that chance, and it's a bigger deal to win those games once you host them.”
Clark's Patriots are 9-2 on the field in his two seasons at Premier Bank Stadium, including a 42-20 victory over Russellville last year in the first round of the playoffs.
Marion leads the Mountain Home (3-7 overall, 3-5 6A West) series 13-4 all-time, including 11 consecutive victories dating to 2008. Mountain Home won the only other playoff meeting 17-7 in the 2006 semifinals, but the Bombers have won just once at Marion (21-14 in 2004).
Marion fans might recall Mountain Home losing 30 of 31 games between 2016 and 2020, but these aren't the same Bombers.
Mountain Home's fortunes flipped in 2020 when the school hired Missouri Hall-of-Fame coach Steve Ary to take over its football program.
Under Ary, the Bombers have sculpted a 13-20 record over the past three seasons, but have proven to be a formidable playoff opponent, winning first-round road playoff games each of the past two seasons.
The 2022 Bombers started 0-7 this fall, but have averaged 47.6 points per game during their current three-game winning streak over Siloam Springs, Van Buren, and Greenbrier.
“They're a hot team that has discovered another gear here down the stretch,” said Clark. “The playoffs started for them three weeks ago, and they've responded. In addition to that, they dominate our junior-high conference and have for years. We may not have played them lately in high school, but a lot of our kids played them then, so they've got confidence coming in, they're playing good ball, and we have to be ready to meet that challenge.”
Two quarterbacks have started this season for Mountain Home, and the Bombers took flight when Ary shifted senior Brady Barnett to receiver and tailback. All Barnett has done this season is produce more than 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, while junior Brayden Yates has completed 54 percent of his passes for 1,429 yards and eight touchdowns at QB. Sophomore tailback Jacob Chenowith paces the Bomber running game this season with 555 rushing yards and 10 scores, while he caught 24 passes for 299 yards and two TDs.
In addition to the skill players, Mountain Home returned every 2021 starter up front, including senior all-state right tackle Elijah Lagg. The Bombers return seven starters on defense, including junior Robert Dover, who landed on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Underclassmen team of a season ago.
“Mountain Home does not give away games,” said Clark. “They don't make key mistakes. They don't throw four or five interceptions. They don't have a bad snap every other down. They're a sound, well-disciplined football team, and we will have to play well to win this game.”

2022 BASEBALL STATE CHAMPS TO BE HONORED
The 2022 Class 5A state baseball champions will receive their championship rings in a ceremony held at halftime of the Mountain Home game.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Marion senior Carter Waldo earned the Crittenden County Farm Bureau Player of the Week award last week, while sophomore Carson Catt earned the Patriot Award. Junior guard Jermaine Davis earned his third Offensive Lineman of the Week award of the season.

BIG WEEK FOR CHEERS
Marion senior receiver Donnie Cheers, III returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and caught a TD pass in last week's 52-29 loss at 6A East champion Little Rock Catholic. His TD reception established a new school record for TD receptions with 25.
Memphis offered Cheers on Tuesday evening, and the senior is less than 300 yards away from setting the school record in receiving yardage.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
While Marion entertains Mountain Home for the 18th time on Friday night, the Pats' game last week at LR Catholic was the first meeting of those schools.
Should Marion down Mountain Home this week, the Pats would face state power Pulaski Academy for the first time ever.

MOUNTAIN HOME RESUME
Nettleton L 39-49
at Harrison L 7-20
at Greenwood L 0-49
Lake Hamilton L 19-28
at Russellville L 28-38
Pulaski Academy L 14-52
at LR Christian L 13-45
Siloam Springs W 44-17
at Van Buren W 43-42
Greenbrier W 56-21

WEEK 10 6A EAST RESULTS
LR Catholic 52, Marion 29
Searcy 40, West Memphis 31
El Dorado 56, Jacksonville 14
Benton 36, Sheridan 14
Sylvan Hills 35, Greene County Tech 14

FINAL 6A EAST STANDINGS
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
LR Catholic 9-0
Benton 8-1
Marion 7-2
El Dorado 5-4
West Memphis 5-4
Searcy 4-5
Sheridan 3-6
Sylvan Hills 3-6
Greene County Tech 1-8
Jacksonville 0-9

CLASS 6A WEEK 11 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Greenwood has a bye
Russellville at West Memphis
Benton has a bye
Searcy at Lake Hamilton
LR Catholic has a bye
El Dorado at LR Christian
Pulaski Academy has a bye
Mountain Home at Marion