Chicks hold off Marion, 34-31

The Blytheville defense forced five Marion turnovers and denied the Patriots five times in the red zone Friday night, as the Chicks held on for a thrilling 34-31 win at Haley Field.

Malik Smith had a big night for the Chickasaw defense, returning an interception 95 yards to paydirt once when Marion was inside the Blytheville 10.

Blytheville didn't allow a second half point until five seconds remaining, when Marion cut a 10-point deficit to three. The onside kick went out of bounds to ice the game for the Chicks, who improved to 2-1 on the season in their final non-conference game.

The Chicks had another big night from workhorse running back Demekko Clark, who rushed 29 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

Blytheville trailed 24-22 at halftime, but quickly regained the lead in the second half.

On the second play of the third quarter, senior Desmond Moore fired a strike to a wide-open Rashon Amerson, who scored on the 69-yard play. Marion blocked the extra point to keep it 28-24 with 11:06 left in the third.

Marion, which totaled 453 yards on the evening, drove from its own 35 to the Blytheville 4 on the ensuing drive. However, the BHS defense forced a turnover on downs, stopping a Peyton Walker quarterback keeper at the Blytheville 4. The Chicks fumbled two plays later, giving it back to Marion at the Blytheville 10 and starting a wild sequence of events..

The Chicks got it right back as big Steven Sifuentes corralled a Walker pass on the third play of the series. Marion returned the favor two plays later as Jamal Pearson picked off Moore, who finished 12 of 19 for 141 yards, a touchdown and interception.

The Blytheville defense denied the Patriots once again, getting a turnover on downs when stuffing a Walker run from the 1 yard line.

The Chicks maintained the four-point lead going into the fourth quarter. They forced Marion into a third and 32 from the MHS 8, but Walker heaved a 48-yard bomb that was ruled a catch. The Blytheville sidelines and Chickasaw fans argued the receiver dropped the ball, but the Marion drive continued. The Chicks did eventually force a punt.

On the first snap of the next Marion possession, the Patriots coughed it up and Blytheville's Kadren Hunt pounced on the fumble at the Marion 17. That set up a seven-yard Clark touchdown with 3:45 to play. The holder couldn't handle the snap on the PAT attempt, which turned into an unsuccessful two-point try, keeping it 34-24.

On the ensuing series, Tremaine Jamison intercepted Walker in the end zone with 1:53 to play.

The Chicks punted deep in their own territory with 12 seconds left, and Walker fired a touchdown pass with five seconds left to trim the lead to three. However, the onside kick went out of bounds on the Marion sideline to seal the game for the Chicks.

Blytheville scored first with 7:58 left in the first quarter, when Clark ran left for a 10-yard touchdown. Reggie Gant booted the PAT for a 7-0 lead. Hunt recovered a Marion fumble on the ensuing series, though the Chicks went three and out.

A targeting call against Blytheville on what would have been a turnover on downs kept the next Marion drive alive and set up Tom Young's one-yard TD run that tied it 7-7 with 2:47 left in the first quarter.

Blytheville regained the lead early in the second quarter, when Jalen Gunby ran it in from three yards out with 11:20 left in the half. The score was set up by a 58-yard run from Clark, who had 148 yards in the first quarters.

The PAT made it 14-7.

Marion answered with 6:40 left in the half, when Young, who finished with 127 yards rushing, broke a 29-yard touchdown run to tie it at 14-all. Marion then blocked a Blytheville punt to set up its next series at the Chickasaw 9. However, on the second play of the drive, Smith picked off Walker and returned it 95 yards up the Blytheville sideline with 4:25 left in the half. Blytheville overcame a bad snap on the PAT, turning it into a two-point conversion and a 22-14 lead.

Marion answered with a 38-yard TD strike from Walker to Caleb Brown with 3:26 left in the half, getting within 22-21.

The Patriots took the lead on a 36-yard field goal with 26 seconds left until the break.

The Chickasaws rushed 42 times for 226 yards and finished with 367 total yards. Marion ran the ball 43 times for 137 yards. Walker was 20 of 39 for 316 yards, two touchdown and three interceptions.

The Chicks host Wynne Friday night in the first 5A-East conference game of the season.

Chickasaw defenders make the tackle against the Marion runner Friday night.

mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com