In a lot of ways, first-year Marion head football coach Lance Clark is preparing for more than just defending 6A East champion Sylvan Hills this week. For starters, the Marion School District is in the first of a two-week fall break that's part of the district's new hybrid schedule. Students and teachers return to school October 11. The second opponent is complacency after Clark's Patriots soundly defeated the West Memphis Blue Devils 33-3 last Friday night for Marion's first win in series history. “A win over a rival propels you to bigger and better things, or you rest and get worse,” said Clark. “You never stay flat. It's been an up-and-down week so far, and I think fall break has a lot to do with that as well. We have to maintain the energy and focus that we've had Monday and Tuesday.” Clark, who's served as offensive and defensive coordinator in his career, made his name as Class 5A power Little Rock Christian's defensive coordinator 2018-2020, when the Warriors played for three state titles and earned the 2018 crown. “We were able to check off one of our goals last Friday night. But our program will not be defined by one game,” said Clark. “We have bigger goals. We want to win the conference. That's in front of us. We want to host a playoff game and that's in front of us. The biggest goal every year is advancing in the playoffs. That's certainly in front of us. It's all in play, but if we don't handle this the right way then it could be a hard lesson for us.” Last Friday night, Clark's defense controlled the line of scrimmage at West Memphis, limiting the Blue Devils to 109 total yards, recorded 10 plays of negative yardage including five sacks and forced a pair of turnovers. It's the second time this season that Marion has limited a team to less than 200 yards, the first coming in the Pats' Week 0 conquest of the Wynne Yellowjackets and their Flexbone attack. Sylvan Hills' base offense is the Flexbone, but Clark is quick to remind that the schemes are not carbon copies of one another. “Wynne has a lot of Wing T in its flex. More counter and cross buck in that scheme. You get more pull and cross action,” said Clark. “(Sylvan Hills coach) Chris Hill takes their offense straight from Harding University and Harding is an option team. Wynne might be 20 percent mid-line option stuff, Sylvan is more 40 percent veer option. A Veer option team gets wide and reads the edge player.” Marion is 4-2 all time against Sylvan Hills, including a 10-7 conquest last fall that doubled as the Bears' only league loss. The Patriots have won three of the last four meetings. Sylvan Hills won a 2018 quarterfinal game at Premier Bank Stadium to advance to the semifinals. This year's Bears return just three starters (all on defense), but each earned all-conference honors or better in 2020. Junior Jaden Foster anchors down at defensive tackle while senior Xavier Okafor and Matthew Spencer man the linebackers. Sylvan Hills' top two returning rushers transferred during the off-season. Sylvan Hills rides into Friday on a three-game winning streak after losing its opener 31-21 Week 0 to Class 5A Maumelle. The Bears own victories over Little Rock Central (30-0), Jacksonville (50-29) and league foe Pine Bluff (35-30). Sylvan Hills trailed 14-0 in the first quarter last week at Pine Bluff before rallying for a 35-23 fourth-quarter lead. Fullback Orrin Bosnick carried 22 times for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns at Pine Bluff while Jahuan Smith bolted for a pair of scores. The Bears score 34 points per game and allow 22.5 PPG. Marion expects senior guard Newt Reed to return to action this week, but Clark is unsure of his status for the Sylvan Hills game. Reed has not suited up in 2021. Kickoff at Sylvan Hills on Friday night is scheduled for 7 p.m. That contest will be livestreamed on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app.