Nobody on the Marion football coaching staff has his doctorate at the moment, but each has earned plenty of experience working in a MASH unit over the past two weeks. Marion won 34-8 last Friday night at 6A East rival Greene County Tech despite seven starters missing all or most of the game. “We battled a ton of adversity leading up to the game, and certainly during the game, but credit our kids for handling it extremely well,” said second-year Marion head football coach Lance Clark. “We didn't play a perfect game, but based on the situation that we were in, it was very encouraging. The best part of Tech was we showed some resiliency. That's what wasn't there against Wynne. We showed we could handle tough situations in a difficult setting without some key players. When you're down some key guys like we were the other day, you have to win on the margins, and I thought we did a great job there.” Marion coaches feared the worst two Saturdays ago after beating Jacksonville 49-18 when quarterback Ashton Gray informed them that his knee was hurting him. The junior went for an MRI Tuesday morning, when Clark and his staff began to make contingency plans in case Gray was not available for the Tech contest. That contingency plan came into focus when coaches shifted emerging sophomore tailback Jalen Smith to QB for Tuesday's practice. The decision was made because Smith started a few games as a freshman at QB in junior high, but mostly because “J is just extremely gamey and gutsy,” said Clark. “We all really trust him. He can just ball.” Smith's transition was a smooth one as the sophomore accounted for 234 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of action before he left following the first play of the fourth quarter with an injury of his own. The Smith shift was a good short-term solution, but part of a larger goal. “What we want to accomplish here in our program is to build something that's sustainable no matter who the quarterback is,” explained Clark. “It wasn't a new offense or anything like that. The kids were doing the same things they'd always done. All we did with J back there was reshape it and tweak it a little to what J does well. The offensive line and tight ends continued to do the same things they've done all year. Skill guys, same story. We had to put that together on the fly, but the kids pulled it off so well.” Following Smith's injury, coaches inserted sophomore Carson Catt at QB, while junior tailback Jamar Foster rushed nine times for 47 yards and a TD. Marion was able to plan for Gray's absence during the week, but coaches had to react quickly while shuffling guys up front. Junior Carter Benton had started 16 consecutive varsity games up front before missing the Tech contest with an arm injury, but he wasn't scratched until later in the week. The situation worsened when sophomore left tackle Carius Curne exited on Marion's first drive, but the new-look offensive front of Aqeelo Allen, Jermaine Davis, Charlie Cantrell, Johnny Miller, and Austin Watson helped pave the way for more than 353 yards at Tech, including 242 rushing yards. “As an offensive line, you're always working as a unit, and there are some things we can improve on this week, but we didn't miss much of a beat without Carius and Carter,” said Clark. “As a rule, we have seven or eight guys who are pretty similar, so even when things go wrong there in certain areas, we are able to sort of push through it and still do some things and execute.” Tech has struggled to an 0-3 start so far in 6A East play, but Marion's next opponent likely offers much more opposition when Benton invades Premier Bank Stadium this Friday night for a 7 p.m. kick. The Benton contest will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. The Benton (2-2 overall, 2-1 6A East) clash is a rematch of last season's quarterfinal contest that Marion won 59-37 to advance to its second consecutive state semifinal. The outcome doubled as Marion's first victory over a No. 1-ranked team in school history, and it propelled the Pats to 3-0 all time against the Panthers. Benton has stamped itself as one of the top programs in all of Class 6A, playing for state titles in 2018 and 2019, while earning conference titles in two of the past three seasons. Benton returns 12 starters from last year's 9-2 outfit, and the Panthers added arguably the state's top tailback during the off-season when junior Braylen Russell enrolled at the school. All the Arkansas commit did as a sophomore was eclipse 1,200 yards rushing to earn all-state honors at Hot Springs Lakeside. “Benton is extremely well coached, and has been for years,” said the coach. “They're big, physical, and confident, and they should be. A team that executes well as Benton does, that also has physicality and confidence has a really high floor and ceiling. We expect a major challenge from them this week.” Benton's two losses this season are to four-time defending Class 7A state champion Bryant and two weeks ago to Little Rock Catholic, which is off to a 4-0 start. Marion beat El Dorado 27-23 on September 9, while Benton blasted El Dorado 56-28 a week ago. RANKINGS RUNDOWN Marion remains at No. 8 in the hootens.com weekly rankings, notes, and picks. The Patriots opened 2022 at No. 8 before dipping to No. 9 following a season-opening loss at Wynne. Benton enters play on Friday night ranked No. 7. JUNIOR PATRIOT NIGHT The Benton game on Friday evening also marks Junior Patriot Night, an event that will resemble an official on-campus visit for prospects. The first 20 players in grades 7-9 will get to enter the locker room before the game, sit in on pregame meetings, and take part in a photoshoot in high school gear. Any Marion football player in grades 7-9 will be admitted for free should they wear their jersey to the game. JUST FOR KICKS Marion expected a big hole following the graduation of Central Arkansas signee, but Ben Cherry has soothed many of those concerns. The senior soccer player has connected on all 15 extra points and three field goals through four games, while added leg strength has helped him pin teams deeper and more often on kickoffs and punts. BENTON SERIES Marion has only faced Benton three times in history, but every meeting has produced a memorable result. A 2011 first-round playoff game doubles as Benton's only previous trip to Premier Bank Stadium. Marion advanced to the quarterfinals with a 42-33 conquest of Benton behind senior wingback Tre Franklin's 323 rushing yards and three TDs. Marion traveled the following week to El Dorado as a 21-point underdog, but the Pats led until the final snap of a 16-15 loss to the eventual state champions. Nine years later, a global pandemic prevented Marion and Benton from playing in the first round of the 2020 playoffs. West No. 3 playoff seed Benton suffered a mass Covid-19 outbreak, which forced them to forfeit to East No. 6 seed Marion. The Pats vanquished Van Buren in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals for just the second time in school history. Marion's quarterfinal victory last November at The Palace pushed the Pats to their second straight semifinal and doubled as Marion's first victory ever over a top-ranked team. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Marion senior receiver Donnie Cheers earned Crittenden County Farm Bureau's Player of the Week award after catching two touchdown passes at Greene County Tech. Cheers' two scoring grabs moved him into a tie for second place for career TD catches with 15. Jerrimiah Nichols earned the team's Offensive Lineman of the Week, while cornerback JaKobe Smith earned the team's Patriot award after intercepting his first career pass and having another interception wiped out due to a penalty. Sophomore Christian Young earned Scout Player of the Week after a strong performance during Monday's junior varsity victory over West Memphis. WEEK 4 6A EAST RESULTS Marion 34, Greene County Tech 8* Benton 56, El Dorado 28 Sheridan 49, Jacksonville 0 LR Catholic 42, Searcy 21 West Memphis 35, Sylvan Hills 16 6A EAST STANDINGS SCHOOL CONF. RECORD TIEBREAKER POINTS Marion 3-0 30 LR Catholic 3-0 39 W. Memphis 3-0 33 Benton 2-1 26 Sheridan 2-1 17 El Dorado 1-2 13 Searcy 1-2 6 Greene County Tech 0-3 Jacksonville 0-3 Sylvan Hills 0-3 WEEK 5 6A EAST SCHEDULE Benton at Marion Jacksonville at Greene County Tech West Memphis at LR Catholic Sheridan at Sylvan Hills Searcy at El Dorado