Five turnovers proved too much to overcome for El Dorado on Friday as the Wildcats lost to Marion 34-28 at Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats fell to 2-3 overall, 0-2 in 6A East play while the Patriots improved to 4-1, 2-0.
With the score knotted 28-28, Marion used 13 plays on a 51-yard drive. The Patriots converted a pair of fourth downs, the crucial one a fourth-and-6 at the El Dorado 30. Marion opted for a halfback pass. The ball was underthrown but the Wildcat defender bumped into the receiver for pass interference.
Jalen Smith had nine carries on the drive, including a 3-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds on the clock.
Marion opened the scoring with a 4-yard run by Zayden Walker with 9:05 left in the first quarter. Nick Bledsoe kicked the PAT.
El Dorado’s AJ Gilmore returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the Marion 20. The Wildcats got to the 2-yard line before turning the ball over on a QB sneak.
El Dorado threw an interception to Kejeris Hill on its next offensive play. On their next offensive play, Marion’s Kendrick Cauley recovered a fumbled lateral.
After the third straight three-and-out by the El Dorado defense, the Wildcats drove 83 yards. Jeremy Samuel peeled off a 54-yard run to the 1-yard line. Cannon Jacobs scored on the next play and Cooper Henry’s PAT tied the game with 10:17 left in the second quarter.
The Patriots answered with an 80-yard, 11-play march, capped by Walker’s 2-yard TD run. Bledsoe’s kick put Marion on top 14-7 with 6:08 left in the second.
El Dorado answered when Gilmore took a short pass from Jacobs, and zipped past the defense on his way to a 51-yard touchdown reception. Henry tied the game 14-14 with the PAT with 1:59 left in the half.
Marion threatened after Smith’s 82-yard kickoff return to the 16. But Gilmore intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play of the half.
The Wildcats took a 21-14 lead when Gilmore intercepted a pass and returned it seven yards to the end zone with 5:45 left in the third.
El Dorado had a chance to go up two scores after recovering the onsides kick followed by a 27-yard run by Samuel. But Hill intercepted Jacobs at the 22-yard line.
The Patriots drove 78 yards with Smith scoring on a 6-yard run. The PAT was blocked and El Dorado led 21-20 with 11:26 left in the fourth.
Marion took the lead with a 64-yard drive. Smith had an 18-yard run and Walker hit Rico Ward for 41 to the 5-yard line. Three plays later, Smith would score from three yards out. Smith ran for the two-point conversion and a 28-21 lead with 7:41 remaining.
El Dorado answered with a drive set up by Gilmore’s 37-yard kickoff return. Jacobs completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Paxton Strong, who went up over a defender for the catch with 5:12 left in the game. Henry’s PAT tied the score 28-28.
Samuel rushed for 152 yards on 23 carries to lead the Wildcats, who threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.