EL DORADO --- The El Dorado Wildcats peppered the Marion Patriots with big plays last Friday night to pull away in a 36-7 homecoming victory at Memorial Stadium. El Dorado (5-2 overall, 3-1 6A East) bested 25-mile-an-hour winds all night when senior quarterback Sharmon Rester totaled 277 yards (140 rushing and 137 passing) with four touchdowns while tailback Shadarious Plummer rushed for 143 yards and a score. Marion's (3-4, 2-2) defense battled in the first half, but seven drops kept the offense behind the chains, which resulted in seven punts before halftime. Marion QB Ben Gerrard's first five passes all resulted in drops. "Our offense just came out nervous and tight," said Marion coach Lance Clark. "We had some opportunities to make some plays early on and keep the football, but when you shoot yourself in the foot like we did, a team as talented as El Dorado will make you pay." The visitors forced punts on El Dorado's first two drives, highlighted by sacks from Kyjuan Rodgers and Jeremiah Nichols. El Dorado, which returns nine all-conference performers and four all-state players from last year's 5-5 team, came up with the first red-zone possession of the game when the Wildcats marched 51 yards on just three plays to set up first and goal at the Marion 8-yard line. However, the Marion defensive line got into the backfield and forced Rester to roll out and throw off balance near Marion safety Donavin Brewer, who came up with his second interception of the season. Brewer's interception kept the game scoreless after a quarter. The game changed on the the first play of the second quarter when Plummer took a handoff and eluded defenders en route to the end zone for a 42-yard TD sprint and a 7-0 El Dorado lead. A Marion three-and-out was compounded when Dylan Pieri's punt traveled only 14 yards in the air due to the wind screaming in from the north and El Dorado took over at the Marion 48-yard line. Rester, who boasts 4.6 speed, covered 48 yards on first down on a designed QB run for the second El Dorado score in as many plays. But Marion battled into the late stages of the second quarter, forcing El Dorado into a fourth-and-three situation on the Patriot 17-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the first half. Rester fired a pass directly between Marion linebacker Carter Waldo and cornerback Columbus London for a 21-0 El Dorado advantage that doubled as the halftime tally. "That was a very aggravating score because we had the call we wanted, they just made a better play," said Clark. "El Dorado causes a lot of issues to a defense because it has so much speed at receiver and the quarterback and running back are electric with the ball in their hands." El Dorado scored on its first two drives of the second half to push ahead 36-0. Marion got a lift from sophomores Ashton Gray and Jamar Foster on its final drive, a 58-yard, 11-play drive where Foster bolted for 27 yards and Gray scrambled 5 yards for a TD. "I was pleased to see them get some Friday reps and put together a TD drive because we have high hopes for those guys," said Clark. "I thought they played well and without fear." Marion hosts Pine Bluff this week for homecoming. The game will also be junior Patriot night where Marion football players in grades 7-9 will be admitted for free by wearing their jersey. The homecoming court presentation will start around 6:30 p.m. on Friday followed by kickoff at 7:00.