When assessing football games and teams, there's nothing quite like overreactions after the season opener. A victory over your rival by 20 points surely means that you're bound for glory and an extended playoff run, right? Unless the team falters a few times because of a penalty or a dropped pass then those issues will never get fixed and this was always going to be a rebuilding season. Like most things, though, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and when asked about his team's 27-7 Week 0 victory over Wynne, Marion coach Lance Clark kept it simple. “We did exactly what we needed to do to win our opener,” said the third-year coach. “Look, there wasn't anything perfect about the performance, we were up and down in many areas. What it comes down to for us is that we played decent, but not great, and still managed to win a real football game and didn't have to sweat it out down the stretch.” The highlights for Marion against Wynne were obvious. The Pats scored touchdowns on four of their offensive drives, while a deep, hungry Marion defense surrendered less than 200 yards and just one touchdown. But if you played a pessimistic side then you would point to four receiver drops on offense and two very long drives allowed to a one-dimensional Wynne offense, though only one led to a score. “The main goal every week for us is to win the game, so we did that,” said Clark. “We did that, and the good news is that you can learn after a win sometimes just as easily as you can from a loss.” Clark's Patriots resume their 2023 schedule this Friday night when they open conference play with a scintillating matchup at 7 p.m. at El Dorado. El Dorado leads the all-time series against Marion 7-1, but the Pats topped the Wildcats last season for the first time, riding a late-game stop to a 27-23 home victory inside Southern Bancorp Stadium. Marion senior quarterback Ashton Gray ran 51 yards for the game-winning score last year against El Dorado, which won the 2021 Class 6A state title. It's been an eventful couple of years for the Wildcats. El Dorado strung together back-to-back losing seasons in 2019 and 2020 before overwhelming the competition in 2021, finishing 12-2 with the crown. In 2022, El Dorado lost two games by a combined 11 points and exited in the first round of the state playoffs. Following the season, Steven Jones resigned his post as head coach at El Dorado, which led to the school hiring veteran coach Chris Hill last spring. Hill oversaw successful stints throughout his coaching career at Morrilton, Van Buren, Ashdown, Wynne, and Sylvan Hills. It was at Wynne where Hill saw arguably his greatest success, as his Yellowjackets logged a 62-15 record over six seasons, including three conference titles, and a pair of state runner-up appearances (2014 and 2016). Hill spent the last three years as head coach at Sylvan Hills, where his teams went 19-15, including a league title and a spot in the state semifinals in 2020. “You know when you play Chris Hill's teams that they aren't going to beat themselves,” said Clark. “They're going to play hard, and they're going to play together. You don't win as many games as he has, at different places, if you don't know what you're doing, and he clearly does.” El Dorado's offense goes behind sophomore QB Mitchell Polk and sophomore tailback Jakori Lumsey. The Wildcat receivers “are deep and long,” said Clark. “They don't have the D1 guys they've had, but there are a lot of them this year and they can all make plays.” Quiston Fairley, Peyton Toney, and A.J. Craig anchor El Dorado up front. The El Dorado defense usually lines up in a four-man front (four defensive linemen) and linebackers “who aren't big, but they're awesome,” said Clark. “It's not always about being the biggest dude if you know how to play, and these guys do.” El Dorado topped Class 5A power Camden Fairview 21-20 last Friday night for the South 7 rivalry trophy and “that's how they want to win games,” said Clark. “Great defense and special teams, and controlling the ball on offense and not making mistakes. We know that possessions will be important in this game.” HOW TO WATCH You can watch the Marion-El Dorado game on Friday night on MarionPatriots.com and the game will kick off at 7 p.m. RANKINGS RUNDOWN Marion checks in at No. 7 in this week's hootens.com weekly rankings, while El Dorado is just ahead at No. 6. SERIES HISTORY Marion has met El Dorado in the playoffs five times, including four inside Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats kicked game-winning field goals late in 2008 (21-20) and 2011 (16-15) and advanced both years to War Memorial Stadium to play for the state title, winning it all in 2011. El Dorado earned mercy-rule victories over Marion in the opening round of the 2014 and 2016 playoffs and in the 2021 semifinals. COMMON FOES Marion plays El Dorado for the fourth time in 23 months this Friday night. El Dorado downed Marion on October 15, 2021, in a conference ballgame before the Pats returned to Union County six weeks later for a 60-27 semifinal loss back at Memorial Stadium. Marion beat El Dorado for the first time ever on September 7, 2022, at home, which will set the stage for Friday's ballgame. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Marion senior linebacker Dewayne Williams earned Crittenden County Farm Bureau's Player of the Week award following his team's 27-7 victory over Wynne two weeks ago. Marion senior offensive lineman Allen Miller earned the team's Offensive Lineman of the Week after earning a blocking grade of 84 and recording five pancake blocks against Wynne. Sophomore Kejeris Hill earned the team's Scout Player of the Week for the Wynne game. WYNNE WIN Marion's 27-7 victory over Wynne was historic because it was the second-largest margin of victory ever for the Pats over the Yellowjackets. Marion opened the 2009 season with a 21-0 home victory over Wynne. From the 2009 game until the 2023 season opener, Marion had beaten Wynne four times by a combined 10 points. 6A EAST WEEK 2 SCHEDULE Marion at El Dorado Searcy at Sheridan Greene Co. Tech at LR Catholic Benton at Sylvan Hills Jacksonville at W. Memphis