Perhaps the most impressive thing about Marion's 47-28 benefit scrimmage victory over Class 5A Maumelle last Friday night was the few opportunities that the Pats did not convert, which kept the hosts from really blowing open the contest. The ruthless Marion offense scored touchdowns on all but three of its drives with starters on the Southern Bancorp turf last week, and the Pats led 41-21 when the first-team offense and defense exited the game early in the third quarter. On defense, Marion struggled to tackle at times and surrendered two explosive plays that went for TDs. “Realistically, we are three, maybe four plays, away from really being ahead 43-7 when the starters leave,” said third-year Marion coach Lance Clark. “I know you can probably do that in any game and pick and choose, but if we don't let them go 80 yards on a third-and-14 if we make a tackle and keep them from going 40 or 45 yards for a score, it looks and feels different.” Maumelle scored first on an 86-yard TD catch and run with the Hornets backed up inside its 20-yard line. The visitors ran seven plays on their second scoring drive, and five of them resulted in a first down or a touchdown. The Hornets took their last lead of the ballgame on the initial play of the second quarter when Maumelle connected on a 44-yard TD catch. Once the Marion stop troops dug in their heels, the Pats allowed just one more score to the Hornets, and it was late in the third period. “So, we are not where we need to be right now as far as being a great team,” said Clark. “It's not uncommon for a team to struggle out of the gate and be up and down. We played well enough to win, but we didn't play well enough to operate on that great team level, and that's what we are striving for.” Marion's explosive offense was on display against Maumelle as four players found the end zone, and “that's how the best version of this offense will look,” said the coach. “Last year, the plan was to stop (tailback) Jalen (Smith) and stop Donnie (Cheers, Jr.). The better teams could do that, and that's how we lost. This year, we know that we have a number of guys who can have a big game, and we just have to know who's going to step up in a given week and rid with them.” Clark's 2023 team officially opens their season at 8 p.m. Friday night when Marion continues its oldest, longest-running rivalry in school history when the Wynne Yellowjackets invade Southern Bancorp Stadium. Marion's only non-conference game this fall will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. Marion and Wynne had met every season since 1969, first as league rivals from 1970-2005. The schools began a non-conference series when Marion moved up to Class 6A before the 2006 season. “It's a really fun one,” said Clark. “The proximity, the familiarity with them, playing them from seventh grade on up. They've always had good teams and great coaches. I know what this game means to our community, and I know they feel the same way in Wynne. So it'll be a really fun atmosphere on Friday night.” The Yellowjackets lead the all-time series with Marion 34-12-1, but some of the bigger victories in Patriot football history have come against Wynne. Marion beat Wynne in 1983 and 1984, making the playoffs each season including a share of the 1984 conference title. Marion's 1984 victory was celebrated in town by fire trucks driving around and honking their horns once the Pats had clinched victory in the thriller. But Wynne took over the rivalry and established itself as one of the top programs in the state following Marion's consecutive victories in '83 and '84. The 'Jackets won state titles in 1986 and 2001 while earning a bushel of conference titles. Marion won the team's last conference meeting in 2005, nipping the 'Jackets on a cold late October evening at home. As a result, the Pats earned the league's No. 2 seed and ripped Crossett 44-7 in the opening round of the playoffs, the first home postseason game in Marion football history. Uber-successful head coach Clay Totty takes over Wynne this fall after guiding Class 3A Rison to unparalleled success over 26 seasons. Totty guided the Wildcats to 242 victories in his career, including state titles in 2000 and 2004. Totty's victory total is 11th most in state history. Wynne returns just four starters from last year's 9-3 outfit but “they still have plenty of tradition and will be excited for this game,” said Clark. “The worst thing you can do in a game like this is not think you can lose. We played well last week, but we are nowhere near the point right now where we can just show up and beat a program like Wynne.” HOW TO FOLLOW Friday night's game against Wynne will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app with coverage beginning around 7:30 p.m. You can also listen to David Fogleman and Brian Doyle on Country 92.5 for radio coverage. MARION VPA WILL LEAD PLEDGE Students from Marion Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School will lead Friday night's Pledge of Allegiance prior to kickoff. HOME SWEET HOME Marion is 7-2 against Wynne inside the friendly confines of Southern Bancorp Stadium since topping the Yellowjackets Week 9 of 2005. RANKINGS RUNDOWN Reputable high-school football website hootens.com had ranked Marion eighth in that site's initial rankings of 2023. El Dorado held down the No. 7 spot, while Lake Hamilton checked in at No. 9. PROSPEROUS RUN Marion's 15 victories over the past two seasons are the most in a two-year span since the Pats won 15 times in 2010 and 2011. The best two-year span in Marion's school history was 17 wins in 2005-2006. 6A EAST WEEK 0 GAMES Wynne at Marion Benton vs. Bryant W. Memphis at Jonesboro Little Rock Catholic at North Little Rock Sylvan Hills at Maumelle Batesville at Searcy Sheridan at White Hall Paragould at Greene County Tech Beebe at Jacksonville El Dorado is open