It's the midway point of the 5A East soccer schedule and the Marion Patriot boys and girls soccer programs are in playoff position. And both are hungry for more. Following a pair of 1-0 victories on Tuesday night at Premier Bank Stadium against old rival Greene County Tech, both teams are the No. 4 playoff seed in a league where the top four teams advance to the postseason. “Making the state tournament would be a huge step for our program, but our goal this season isn't just to make it to the tournament,” said Marion girls coach Chris Paslay. “We want to win a state tournament game for the first time in Marion soccer history. We want to be the starting point of excellence for our program. The group that people look back and say 'that 2022 team is where it all started,' and I believe that is what we are going to do.” The Lady Pats' (4-5-2 overall, 3-2-2 5A East) victory over Greene County Tech (5-4, 4-3) gave Marion an opportunity to climb as high as the No. 3 playoff seed. The Marion boys have not appeared in the state tournament since 2018, but last spring's club would have likely broken through if not for five one-goal losses. “They say experience is the best teacher,” said Marion boys coach Matt Johengen. “We are fortunate enough to have a majority of our starters return from last year's team. I think they felt what it was like to suffer heartbreak so many times last year, and we've used it for motivation this year.” Marion's (4-6-1, 4-3) thrilling victory over Tech (6-6-1, 2-4-1) gave the Pats a five-point cushion on the Eagles for the final playoff seed from the 5A East. Teams get three points for league wins and one point for a tie. “I firmly believe that effort is a skill. Since I have been here, Tech has led the league in that department,” said Johengen. “They play hard in every game, and in the past, we've let their style get to us. Leading up to the game we talked about being mentally tough. We've preached about controlling the controllables and staying together as a team. I think (Tuesday night) was a perfect example of embodying those philosophies.” Luke Kennedy and Ivan Gamez anchored Marion in the middle, while Jordan Harris performed well on the outside. Tim Smith pressured the defense off the bench until Marion broke through when Macario Arredondo delivered a great ball on a corner kick that Marcus Leonard converted for the game-winning goal. It was Marion's third shutout in league play behind goalkeeper Garren Truitt. The girls match was just as dramatic. Scoreless until well in the second half, junior Alivia Hampton tallied the only goal of the night on a “beautiful shot,” said Paslay. “She positioned herself in the center of the field about 23 yards from the goal, received a pass, and launched a high shot that sneaked into the upper 90. It was probably the best shot we have made all season.” While a prosperous first half of the league schedule has put Marion's soccer programs in good standing, neither club is satisfied. “We've still got a lot of work to do. We have to fix our mistakes and improve our techniques,” said Paslay. “A lot can happen between now and the end of the season, but I'm impressed with this team and our desire to win.” “So far we have been able to be gritty and find success in these close matches,” said Johengen. “Making the state tournament would be great, but the task in front of us is Nettleton on Thursday.”