When Lance Clark took over the Marion football program in June 2021, he immediately saw the potential of that fall's sophomore group. A few of them immediately cracked the starting lineup that season, while others saw plenty of playing time for a Marion team that finished 8-5 and made a second straight run to the state semifinals. Flash forward two years and 21 seniors are now ready for their time to shine in their last go-'round. Marion football's 2023 season unofficially opens at 6 p.m. Friday night when the Pats host their annual benefit scrimmage against Class 5A Maumelle inside Southern Bancorp Stadium. “This is a group that I have always felt is a blue-collar, hard-working group,” said Clark. “We wound up having a very talented, big group in 2021, last year's group was very talented but much smaller. This year's seniors have all just kept working and improving and they've all made their impact in many ways, and have another year this year to show that.” When Marion took the field for its scrimmage game in 2021 at Little Rock Central at historic Quigley Field, it did so with sophomore Carter Benton starting at right tackle, and while he was the only sophomore starter that night, more were on the way. Safeties Martaveon Banks and Kendal Brister earned starting jobs at midseason, while cornerback Amari Lee took over late in the regular year. Quarterback Ashton Gray started victories over Pine Bluff and at Sheridan while playing almost half the snaps in Marion's Week 10 victory over conference champion Jonesboro. Linebacker Dewayne Williams, Jr. iced Marion's victory over Searcy with an interception as he played more snaps every week. Offensive lineman Jermaine Davis missed the 2021 season with injury and Jamar and Jordan Foster earned carries at tailback while standing out for the junior varsity. Austin Watson and Johnny Miller anchored the JV's line before playing many snaps as juniors in 2022. Some seniors have joined the program along the way, as well. All-conference right tackle Aqeelo Allen arrived in Marion last July before locking down a starting role in a 27-23 victory over El Dorado and never looked back. Projected inside linebacker Javen Griffin moved from Wynne to Marion last summer before tackling well and producing an excellent off-season. Jermiah Miller logged heavy varsity minutes last year for a Marion team that earned the outright 5A East title before signing up to play football for the first time since seventh grade. “Every, last one of our seniors has helped mold our program into something good and something to be proud of,” said Clark. “We know they're all good football players, and that's a huge plus, but they're also good people and have made sacrifices to make our program better every day. I'm really proud and excited to see these guys get after it.” As many as 13 seniors could start against Maumelle in Friday's scrimmage, led by 2023 Team Captains Gray, Griffin, and Banks. The Maumelle scrimmage will follow a familiar script for the schools as starters are expected to play the first half, and one drive each after halftime. Following that stretch, teams will rotate in fringe starters and backups for the rest of the third period before giving way to younger players for the fourth quarter which will feature a running clock. Special teams will be dead, meaning no returns and no rush on field goals or extra points. “We want to see guys play with enthusiasm and energy on every play,” said Clark. “Anytime you get a chance to compete and suit up to play football, we want to win. We need to see great execution both ways, and I just don't want to see any dumb stuff. No mental mistakes or penalties, we need to avoid all of that because that will get you beat in big games.” Maumelle opens in 2023 under second-year head coach Brian Maupin, who was a longtime assistant for ultra-successful Joe T. Robinson teams over the past decade. The Hornets finished 3-7 a season ago, but lost three times by a touchdown or less, and “they're very massive up front,” said Clark. “They were young last year, but they played a bunch of young guys, and now they're set up for this year and the next.” GAMEDAY INFORMATION The Maumelle scrimmage will kick off Friday night at 6 p.m., and it's important to note that only AAA passes will be accepted for entry to this ballgame. Patriot Passes and school ID passes will not be honored on Friday night but will be accepted at every other regular-season home football game this season. HOW TO WATCH The Maumelle contest will be broadcast on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. SEVENTH-GRADE PATRIOTS A select group of students from Marion Seventh Grade Academy will lead the Pledge of Allegiance prior to kickoff on Friday night. TEAM CAPTAINS Senior QB Ashton Gray, safety Martaveon Banks, and linebacker Javen Griffin will serve as permanent Team Captains for the 2023 Marion Patriots.