At first glance, you might think that the Marion defensive line couldn't have played much better in the Patriots' 59-37 quarterfinal victory at Benton. Marion (6-6 overall) produced seven tackles for loss, including five sacks, and several other quarterback hurries. The pressure generated by Marion's down linemen helped the Pats limit the Panthers to four of 14 on third downs, and Marion surrendered only 64 rushing yards. But first-year coach Lance Clark thinks the numbers could have been even more gaudy. "Actually, early on, I put the reins on them a little bit because we were so afraid of Benton's screen game," said Clark. "Once we cut them loose, I thought it was their magnum opus." Marion's defensive line rotation of Johnny and Jeremiah Nichols, Kyjuan Rodgers, Tyron Smith, and Antanius Tiggs burst onto the scene Week 0 against Wynne, limiting the Yellowjackets to less than 200 yards as the Pats dealt Wynne its only regular-season loss on the field. Class 7A juggernaut Bryant downed Marion 58-7 Week 1 but "our guys competed as well as you could expect against a team like that," said Clark. "They have three, three-year starters, all with big-time offers, and we more than held our own." During Marion's five-game winning streak, the Pats have allowed three touchdowns or fewer three times, and the Patriot defense performed well in wins over 6A East co-champion and No. 1 playoff seed Jonesboro, and last week at outright 6A West champion Benton. "We've all played together since we were little kids, and we've really come together during the year," said Johnny Nichols, who leads Marion with 77 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss with five sacks. "A lot of teams haven't seen a defensive line like us, because we work out a lot, we're physical, and we're strong." The Marion down linemen will face perhaps its stiffest test Friday night, when the Pats play at El Dorado in the semifinals for just the third time in school history, and the second straight season. El Dorado leads the all-time series with Marion 6-0, including a 36-7 victory on October 15, which was Marion's last loss. Four of El Dorado's victories against Marion have come in the playoffs. "My challenge to them this week is we've got to take it up a notch," said Clark. "Right now they play well, but in this game, we will also have to think well." El Dorado (9-2) poses many issues for its opposition. Quarterback Sharmon Rester completes 64 percent of his passes this fall for 3,196 yards and 40 touchdowns with five interceptions. The dual-threat senior has also rushed for 707 yards and six scores in 2021. Junior tailback Shadarious Plummer averages almost 9 yards per carry for 1,016 yards and 18 scores. Four El Dorado receivers have caught 20 passes or more this fall, keyed by senior Jackie Washington's 49 receptions for 1,113 yards and 15 TDs. Junior receiver Deandra Burns snagged 36 passes for 762 yards and nine scores. El Dorado led Marion 14-0 late in the second quarter in the October matchup ahead of a fourth and three, when Rester connected on a slant to Burns for a 21-0 El Dorado lead at halftime. The Wildcats would score on their first two second-half drives for a 36-0 advantage to trigger the mercy rule. Marion skill players committed seven drops in the first half of that game. So why should anyone believe this game will go any differently for the fightin' Pats? "Well, we're different. They're playing as well as they were at the time, and they've played really well all year," said Clark. "We were up and down at the time, but we have gained some consistency and confidence since that night. They play hard, and they're physical at linebacker. They make life hard on you on defense." Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in El Dorado is scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest will be livestreamed on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app.