Marion Athletics -

VAN BUREN --- The Van Buren Pointers ended Marion's 2024 football season in dramatic fashion last November, scoring with less than a minute on the clock to stun the Patriots inside their home stadium.

Almost exactly one year later, it's only right that Marion returned the favor.

The Patriots twice erased nine-point deficits in the second half last Friday evening at Blakemore Field, including a 29-20 hole with 5:55 left in regulation, to stun the Pointers 32-29 in the opening round of the Class 6A state football playoffs.

Marion advances to the state quarterfinals for the fifth time in eight seasons, playing Friday night at 6A East co-champion Sylvan Hills.

The Patriots dealt Sylvan Hills (9-1 overall) its only loss of the 2025 season, a dramatic 46-43 victory in the conference opener at Bill Blackwood Field.

Marion (7-4 overall) got within 29-26 when tailback Rico Ward scored from 11 yards out with 4:19 left in regulation.

The Patriots kicked off traditionally following the score, and after one Van Buren first down, the Patriots came up with a fourth-down stop when Marion forced an incompletion with 2:25 left, taking over at the Patriot 43-yard line.

But, the Pointers responded by pushing the Pats behind the chains on the first three downs after the turnover on downs, and Marion faced a fourth-and-16 situation with 2:01 left in the game.

That's when Marion senior QB Zayden Walker eluded the pass rush and found Ward for a 22-yard completion to move the sticks and give the visitors a fresh set of downs in Van Buren territory.
On first down, Walker ran 28 yards inside the Pointer red area to give Marion another first down with 1:41 left in the game.

With 1:01 left, Walker connected with Kam Riley on a quick slant, and Riley turned it into the winning points when he scored a go-ahead touchdown to give the Patriots their first lead since 13-7.

The Pointers came up with a 33-yard completion on their final drive, but Marion held and forced a potential tying field goal on the game's last play that was well short and gave Marion a dramatic 32-29 road playoff victory, the 10^th postseason conquest in school history.

Marion started the scoring in the first period when Walker hit Solomon Flores for a 6-yard TD pass and a 6-0 lead.

That lead hit 13-0 on Marion's following drive when Jeremiah Dent ran 66 yards to paydirt on the first play from scrimmage.

Van Buren got within 13-7 to end the first quarter on a short TD run, and the Pointers pushed ahead 15-13 following a 2-yard TD plunge and two-point conversion, and that margin held into halftime.

The Pointers took a 22-13 lead in the third period following a bad snap on a Marion punt that the hosts recovered in the end zone, but Dent struck again late in the third, running 85 yards virtually untouched to glory to get Marion within 22-20 after three quarters.

Van Buren took that 29-20 lead early in the fourth on a TD pass to an open tight end.

Marion outgained Van Buren 616-324 for the game, helping the Patriots balance out losing the turnover margin 3-0.

Walker completed 14 of 30 passes at Van Buren for 272 yards and a pair of TDs, while Dent rushed for 205 yards and a pair of scores, and Ward added 71 steps on the ground with another score. Aamoni Wren snagged two passes for 89 yards, while Dent plucked four passes for 68 yards, and Flores caught four passes for 60 yards.

Christopher Byrd paced the Patriot defense with 14 tackles, while Makhi Guyton racked up 11 stops, and Colton Kimbell and Marterion Basemore made 10 apiece.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Marion travels to play 6A East co-champion Sylvan Hills in the Class 6A quarterfinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and you can watch the contest for free on the MPAN YouTube channel.

CLASS 6A FOOTBALL FINAL SCORES FROM 11/14
Marion 32, Van Buren 29
El Dorado 28, Lake Hamilton 10
Mountain Home 78, Sheridan 42
Jonesboro 42, FS Southside 34

CLASS 6A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINAL GAMES ON 11/21
Marion at Sylvan Hills
El Dorado at Shiloh Christian
Jonesboro at Greenwood
Mountain Home at Benton