Marion Junior High's boys basketball team left its mark in school history over four crucial days last month. The Junior Patriots capped a 16-5 overall season with a district tournament championship, the school's second in four seasons, completing the title run with a 57-40 victory over West Memphis Wonder at Fidelity Bank Arena. “To me, that's about the character and attitude of our kids,” said MJHS head coach Corey Garrett. “We always thought we could play with any of the teams that beat us, we just had to go out there and do it. So I'm not surprised that we won, but I am proud that we won because it proves the type of team we thought we had all along.” Garrett's 2024-2025 outfit started fast, sitting at 10-3 with a pair of non-conference losses into January, but a pair of February district defeats dropped MJHS to the No. 3 playoff seed, meaning that the Junior Pats would have to win four games in eight days, and likely two away from home, to earn the 2025 district crown. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, Marion rallied back in the elimination round. The Junior Pats opened the knockout round with a dominant home win over Mountain Home to set up a quarterfinal trip to Batesville. Batesville fashioned a late lead against Marion before a late bucket and defensive stop pushed the Junior Pats over the top and into the final four round. Marion's semifinal tilt at Jonesboro Annie Camp would be against a team that had already beaten the Pats two times this season, and a third Annie Camp conquest would send MJHS home for the season. But Marion had no plans of leaving on that Thursday night, securing a second straight dramatic road victory to set the scene for a title game inside the friendly confines of Fidelity Bank Arena in Marion. “Those are two really tough places to play and win,” said Garrett. “Winning in those places, and when things aren't always going your way all the time, means a lot. It shows you the type of players, it proves the character of our guys. They were fun environments to play at, and I'm thankful we found a way to win.” Marion would play Wonder for the third time on the season, and while Marion had won the previous two meetings, they were far from dominating outcomes. In fact, the Pats had to rally in the fourth quarter past the Golden Lions at home about two weeks before the district final. Wonder proved its mettle early in the final, leading 15-14 after a quarter, but the Pats flipped the script in the second, forcing seven Golden Lion turnovers and making five of eight shots to take a 27-24 lead to halftime. Marion's offense stayed in high gear after the break, connecting on seven of 10 field goals in the third to open up a 42-29 lead to start the fourth quarter, and the Pats closed out a 57-40 victory in front of their supportive fans. “It was an awesome crowd out here today, and our kids fed off of that,” said Garrett. “We love playing at home, and our guys responded to playing a really good Wonder team. Everybody on our team played a role for us this year and in this game.” Eighth-grader Terreigh Barnett led the way with 17 points, while freshman Gary Hays scored 13 points, as did Liam Henry.