Lance Clark may be the first coach in football history to call for his players to actively do less this week during preparation. To do what's never been done sometimes calls for a shift against more conventional methods. It's West Memphis week in Marion, and the Patriots look to topple the Blue Devils for the first time on the gridiron. West Memphis is 18-0 against Marion, with the last 15 victories coming in conference play. “In big games, you have to simplify your life,” said Clark, Marion's first-year head football coach. “Whatever you normally do during the week, do less. You have to keep a laser focus on your task because what happens in these types of games is you tend to get very big. The enormity of what you're trying to do is large and if you constantly think about everything but the game, it can be overwhelming.” The Marion-West Memphis series kicked off in the late 1970s with a series of non-conference games at Hamilton-Shultz Field. The series resumed in 2006 as West Memphis dropped to Class 6A and Marion ascended from Class 4A during the Arkansas Activities Association's latest restructuring. Marion and West Memphis shared the 2006 6A-East title with Mountain Home and Jacksonville before each lost in the semifinals. The 2018 and 2019 contests double as the most dramatic games in series history. West Memphis denied Marion's two-point conversion attempt to tie the game in a 22-20 win in 2018. The Blue Devils erased a 20-6 halftime lead, and a seven-point lead with 1:48 remaining, for a 41-40 overtime victory in 2019. So how does Marion finally tame West Memphis? “We need to play free and loose,” said Clark. “Neither team is demonstrably better than the other one on talent. So it's going to come down to who executes better and for how long. Execution ultimately comes down to how you handle your emotions. We want this to be a football game and enjoy the moment as it presents itself.” The teams enter play this week with dueling 1-2 records. Marion was idle a week ago, when Class 7A power North Little Rock downed West Memphis 41-0. West Memphis beat Class 7A newcomer Little Rock Southwest 21-0 Week 0 but the Blue Devils struggled in a 35-13 loss at Wynne Week 1. Blue Devil Bryson Jenkins triggers the West Memphis offense at quarterback and a host of tailbacks likely earn carries this week Linebackers Malcolm Perry and Geraldo Winkfield and safety Brandon Peters anchor the defense, which forced a pair of turnovers and surrendered just 71 rushing yards last week in the first half against North Little Rock. “They're comfortable playing field position and leaning on their defense,” said Clark. “They're really good at it and believe in it.” The conference lid-lifter is scheduled for a 7 p.m. Kickoff Friday night at Hamilton-Shultz Field. The contest will be streamed on marionpatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. Tickets can be purchased at either school's main office. Gates open at 5:45.