By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville played like a team with plenty left to fight for as it outlasted and upset a tough Marion Patriot team 20-16 in the final week of 6A-East Conference play at Jan Crow Stadium on Thursday. The win guarantees the Red Devils a four seed and a home playoff game next week in the first round of the class 6A playoffs. A loss and a Mountain Home win over Searcy on Friday would have dropped Jacksonville to the five seed. The Red Devils wanted to remove all question by overcoming a terrible outing last week and pulling off the improbable win.
Junior Kevin Richardson hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Tirrell Brown with 56 seconds remaining to secure the victory for Jacksonville (5-5, 4-3). The Red Devils flexed their muscles defensively by holding the Patriots out of their red zone on three drives, and holding on two other trips inside the red zone by Marion.
The Patriots finally conceded their first punt of the game with 9:48 left to play and trailing 13-8.
Senior defensive end David Johnson lived up to his nickname of “The Animal” with a series of big hits for losses against the Patriots. Johnson repeatedly sniffed out third and fourth down plays in the first half to force turnovers on downs.
“That’s as big as the homecoming win we had last year against Searcy,” Jacksonville coach Rick Russell said. “The kids all played extremely hard. It was senior night – our seniors played their best football. The young guys played their best football, and that’s what we ask them to do. It’s a great win for us.”
The Patriots (7-3, 4-3) dominated the clock, but lost the battle for field position due to a series of stalled drives. Marion marched into or near Jacksonville’s red zone five different times, only to come away empty handed after going for it on fourth down each time.
Richardson proved to be a playmaker regardless of what position he was put in for Jacksonville, scoring on a 76-yard touchdown scramble from behind center to start the second half before catching the go-ahead touchdown pass from Brown in the final minute. He threw, ran and caught a pass for all three of Jacksonville’s scores in that order.
All told, Richardson was 5 for 13 passing for 53 yards with a touchdown and an interception, he carried five times for 89 yards and had just one reception, but that one reception proved to be Jacksonville’s biggest.
Richardson started the game at quarterback, but Brown found his way into the lineup late in the second quarter. In the second half, the two traded off frequently, sometimes after one play, with Richardson running a Wildcat-type of scheme while Brown primarily stuck with the spread.
“With Richardson, there’s more of a running threat, so they have to play a little wider,” Russell said of the QB trade off between Richardson and Brown. “With Tee Brown, there’s more of a passing threat, so they’ve got to play a little deeper. It worked to our advantage. The offensive coaches did a great job in practice this week.”
Jacksonville took a 7-0 lead when Richardson hit junior tight end Brandon Brockman for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 9:58 remaining in the first quarter of the Red Devils’ opening drive.
Marion responded with a 15-play, 63-yard drive that featured 10 rushes by senior running back Tre Franklin. Franklin finally finished off the drive at the 1:54 mark of the first quarter with a one-yard rumble, and sophomore Corey Garrett, the other half of Marion’s rushing attack, ran in the two-point conversion to put the Pats up 8-7.
Franklin and Garrett provided nearly all of the Patriots’ yards, with Franklin rushing 36 times for 173 yards and Garrett carrying 21 times for 113 yards.
The remaining backs combined for 32 additional yards to bring Marion’s total to 318 yards.
Jacksonville struggled at time offensively with 207 total yards.
But the Devils defense carried the night.
Johnson made a big stop on Garrett on fourth-and-seven at the Jacksonville 10-yard line early in the second quarter, and ended another Marion drive in the final minute of the half when he stuffed Ralph Smith for a three-yard loss. Johnson sacked Patriots quarterback Cody Gross on the opening drive of the second half for a seven-yard loss.
“David Johnson, you know they call him ‘The Animal’ – he’s a big-time player,” Russell said. “He’s got speed, strength, he loves football, has a motor that won’t quit. He’s made plays for us all year, and in his last regular-season football game, we’re so proud of him, he did a great job.”
Richardson’s 76-yard touchdown run was aided by a bruising block from Brockman up field, as Richardson cut back to the right and easily outran Marion’s secondary.
Marion regained the lead with 2:32 left to play when Garrett scored from nine yards out to convert an 11-play drive.
Regardless of the outcome, and whatever else happens around the conference, the Red Devils are locked into the No. 4 seed, and will have a home playoff game next week at Jan Crow.
“With the 6A/7A points system, I don’t think head-to-head matters at all,” Russell said. “Even though we beat Marion, and we’re tied with them, we’re fourth. It goes on your opponents wins based on points. It’s just crazy.
“We should have the No. 3 seed because of beating Marion head to head. But we won’t know anything until after (Friday) night, so we’re going to try and continue this effort next week.”
