EL DORADO --- The longest Marion football season in school history ended Friday night with a 60-27 defeat at El Dorado's Memorial Stadium in the Class 6A state football semifinals. Marion finishes its season 6-7 overall on the field after forfeiting a pair of victories in October. Eight victories would tie the second-best mark in school history. The Patriots played in the semifinals for the second straight season, and the third time ever (all since 2006). El Dorado advances to play Greenwood Saturday at noon at War Memorial Stadium for the Class 6A state title. El Dorado (10-2 overall) quarterback Sharmon Rester racked up 421 yards and five touchdowns against Marion. "He's (Rester) as good a player as we've seen this year," said first-year Marion coach Lance Clark. "He always seems to make somebody miss when he's running it. He's a handful for any team." Four special team miscues sank Marion in the semifinals. Leading 7-3, El Dorado recovered an onside kick, which Rester immediately cashed in by outrunning the Marion defense for a 46-yard TD run, and a 14-3 lead, with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter. On the following drive, the El Dorado defense forced a Marion three and out to set up a Dylan Pieri punt. El Dorado's Jyrind Stewart blocked Pieri's boot and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown, and a 21-3 Wildcat bulge, which doubled as the score after the first quarter. "The blocked kick, and the onside kick put us in positions that was going to make it difficult to remain competitive," said Clark. "It's tough enough to beat El Dorado, and even tougher when you do those types of things." Trailing 45-20 late in the third quarter, Marion failed on a fake punt, which allowed El Dorado to take over first and 10 at the Patriot 13-yard line. The pats logged a pair of lost-yardage plays to force El Dorado into a third-and-31 situation, but Rester lofted a beautiful pass to junior receiver DeAndra Burns, Jr. for a 33-yard TD pass, and a 52-20 Wildcat lead. Marion went three and out on the ensuing possession, before a high snap to Pieri led to an El Dorado safety, and a 54-20 lead. The Wildcats fielded the free kick, and on first down, Rester ran 62 yards to the end zone for a 60-20 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter, triggering the sportsmanship rule. Marion made the game interesting in the second quarter after falling behind 28-3 behind senior QB Ben Gerrard, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 198 yards and two TDs. Gerrard's first TD pass got Marion within 28-10 when he connected with Zion Burnside for a 51-yard score. Senior kicker Dylan Pieri's second field goal of the night, a 31-yard boot, moved the Pats within 28-13. Gerrard got Marion within 35-20 at halftime when he connected with senior Kaleb Catt from 42 yards out with 39 seconds left in the first half. El Dorado got the ball to start the second half, and the Wildcats moved 80 yards in just five plays, capped by Rester's 3-yard TD run, for a 42-20 lead with 9:52 left in the third quarter. "Ultimately, El Dorado offers a lot of stuff that's Kryptonite to us," said Clark. Marion seniors were part of 18 victories the past three seasons, including consecutive semifinal appearances in 2020 and 2021.