JASPER, Tenn. - Fair warning for the rest of the Class 2A East bracket: After struggling earlier in the season, Marion County has found its way and will be a very dangerous football team in the playoffs.
Led by senior speedster Jacob Saylors, the Warriors throttled visiting Polk County 47-13 Friday night, securing second place in Region 3-2A and a home game against Westmoreland (5-5) in next week's first round.
"We're playing with a lot more confidence now than just a few weeks ago," Marion coach Joey Mathis said. "I couldn't give them experience at the start of the season, that's the one thing we were missing, but now they've played in some big games and realized that we can be pretty good. We've grown up quite a bit."
The Warriors (5-5, 3-1), who have played in three straight state title games, once stood at 2-4 but have won three of their past four - scoring at least 47 points in each win - with the only loss coming to Class 5A's Rhea County.
Saylors has rushed for nearly 600 yards the past two weeks and was a one-man show against the Wildcats, gaining 161 of his 231 in the first half to help Marion race out to a commanding lead early. Saylors averaged 21 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns, with his night's work ending after a 70-yard scoring sprint on his first carry of the third quarter to make it 40-7.
"We knew it was very important to jump on them and get out to a big lead early," Saylors said. "We knew they couldn't really score fast, so if we could get a big lead it would be tough for them. Tonight was definitely about the offensive line. They made it easy for me."
The Warriors drove 73 yards in 10 plays on the game's opening possession, with Saylors sweeping over right end on fourth-and-three, breaking a tackle near the line and sprinting 29 yards for a score.
A fake punt near midfield by Polk County (4-6, 2-2) failed, and the Warriors cashed in with a quick scoring drive, capped by Saylors' 15-yard run, again converting a fourth down.
Marion struck for three touchdowns in the second quarter to pull away, beginning with a 13-play drive that ended with a one-yard score by Saylors. After that, the Warriors sandwiched big-play strikes around Polk's lone touchdown. First it was Saylors racing 77 yards for his fourth touchdown, then after Polk countered with a 50-yard scoring pass from Nate Waters to Chandler Stafford, Marion capped the first half with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Sampson to Kane Hale.
Marion's defense was also stout, stuffing Polk for either no gain or negative yards on 17 plays, leading to a 364-187 advantage in rushing yards.
"Whoever they face in the playoffs better not look at their record or they'll get fooled real fast," Wildcats coach Derrick Davis said. "They're an impressive team. They've got a lot of weapons, but none better than Saylors. He's got that extra little gear that even when you've got him defensed, he can break free and be gone in a step."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.