BRYANT --- Marion coach Lance Clark preached the importance of being within striking distance at halftime of last Friday's game at top-ranked Bryant. After senior quarterback Ben Gerrard connected with junior receiver Donnie Cheers, Jr. for a 23-yard touchdown at the midway point of the second quarter to bring Marion within 23-7, Clark very nearly got his wish. Instead, Bryant pulled away in a span of five plays to lead 44-7 at halftime of a 58-7 victory. "We played pretty good tonight in most phases," said Bryant coach Buck James. "Our offensive line played great and holding a team like that, with those weapons to seven points is something else." Bryant junior tailback Chris Gannaway, who rushed for 191 yards and four TDs against the Patriots, bolted 80 yards for his fourth score of the first half on Bryant's first snap following Marion's score. The Patriots couldn't field a bouncing kickoff following Gannaway's sprint and Bryant recovered at the Marion 20-yard-line. Two plays later, Bryant QB Carson Burnett connected with Robert Hendrix for a TD and a 37-7 Bryant advantage. The Hornets covered 65 yards in four plays in just 32 seconds on their final drive of the first half for a 44-7 bulge at the break. The Patriots lost about 15 yards after a punt took a Bryant bounce in the second quarter and a bad snap resulted in a Bryant safety in the second quarter. "We just can't have breakdowns like that on defense and special teams and win a game like that," said Clark. "Bryant came out and showed things it had not shown in the scrimmage against Pulaski Academy and against Benton last week and I thought we adjusted to that well but we couldn't sustain it." Marion deployed several heavy sets featuring a tight end and an H-back at Bryant to create mismatches up front, netting 169 yards at Bryant, sparked by senior tailback Cam Anderson's 147 yards. "The non-conference schedule is crucial to figuring out the identity of your team," said Clark. "We have seen how effective those tight end sets have been for us." Marion forced a punt on the Hornets' second possession and recovered a fumble on the third Bryant opportunity, but the Pats could only manage a pair of first downs as Bryant led 14-0 after the first quarter. Trailing 23-0 following the safety, Marion embarked on its most effective drive of the night, marching 69 yards in seven plays, culminated by the Gerrard-to-Cheers TD. Marion hosts Class 4A power Joe T. Robinson Friday night at Premier Bank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the contest will be streamed on marionpatriots.com.