It's Week 10, and playoff scenarios run rampant for the Marion Patriots. The Pats extended their school-record string of playoff appearances to 17 seasons with last Friday night's 42-12 victory at Sheridan, but Marion (4-5, 3-3 6A East) can finish anywhere from the No. 3 playoff seed to No. 6 depending on what happens Thursday night when Jonesboro (7-2, 6-0) invades Premier Bank Stadium. Marion can nab the No. 3 playoff seed with a victory, a Searcy win over Sylvan Hills and a West Memphis loss to El Dorado. Tiebreaker points would come into play in this situation, and Marion (38 tiebreaker points) has fewer points right now than Sylvan Hills (44) and Searcy (39). The Pats earn the No. 4 seed with a victory over Jonesboro. Should Marion lose, the Pats could still finish No. 4 with losses by Searcy and West Memphis. A No. 3 or No. 4 playoff seed gives Marion a first-round home playoff game, while finishing No. 5 or No. 6 puts the Pats on the road. Marion has not won a road playoff game since 2015 (14-13 at Lake Hamilton). Marion sinks to the No. 5 playoff seed with a loss to Jonesboro and a Searcy victory. The Pats drop to No. 6 in the playoffs with a loss and victories by Searcy and West Memphis. “We're focused on the task at hand, first and foremost,” said Marion coach Lance Clark. “If we want to make noise in the playoffs, we have to beat teams like Jonesboro.” Clark and his staff know Marion's playoff destiny with each outcome, but which quarterback starts against Jonesboro remains a mystery. Will it be senior Ben Gerrard, who's missed the last two games with a knee injury? Or sophomore Ashton Gray, who led Marion to victories the past two weeks in Gerrard's absence? Or could both see action? “They split reps in practice (Tuesday and Wednesday) and we're going to see who gives us the best chance,” said Clark. “Look, Ben is a senior Team Captain. He's back and we love what Ben brings to us. We've really liked what Ashton has done for us, too. He's 2-0 as a starter and has played well. We have two guys who we trust, and it's a good position to be in.” No matter who starts for Marion, they're going to have their hands full with a Jonesboro defense that allows just 17.2 points per game this fall, and only 9.8 PPG to league opponents. “It is going to take some creativity to beat a team like Jonesboro,” said Clark. “We think we can run the ball a little bit, but we won't be able to steamroll like we did against Searcy, or Sheridan or even Pine Bluff.” Jonesboro senior QB Rykar Acebo completes 69 percent of his passes this fall for 2,381 yards and 29 touchdowns with just five interceptions. Six Jonesboro receivers have caught 11 passes or more this season, led by senior Kavon Pointer's 46 receptions for 769 yards and 11 TDs. Jesse Washington (39 receptions for 497 yards and seven scores) and Tyrin Ruffin (31 catches for 580 yards and nine TDs) also make plays. Three Jonesboro rushers have recorded 200 yards or more this season, paced by junior tailback Brock McCoy. The Golden Hurricane clinched the No. 1 playoff seed from the 6A East with last week's 34-14 victory over Sylvan Hills, but Jonesboro can win its first outright league title since 1980 with a victory over Marion. Jonesboro leads the all-time series 10-5 (first meeting in 2006), but Marion has won three of the last four. “Jonesboro is my favorite type of team to coach against because they're good and sound,” said Clark. “We know what each other is gonna do. It's a toughness game and a mentality game. It's a chess match game for a coach. For me, it's a litmus test. We've gone through adversity. We finally won back-to-back games. This is another opportunity to find out where we are.” Kickoff against Jonesboro is scheduled for Thursday, 7 p.m. at Premier Bank Stadium. Senior Night festivities begin at 6:28 p.m. Both events will be livestreamed on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app.