PINE BLUFF -- Simeon Blair threw a 65-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds to play, then added a two-point conversion to lift Pine Bluff to a 44-42 victory over Marion in 6A-East game.
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Pine Bluff (5-2, 4-1 6A-East) trailed Marion 42-36 and faced a 3rd-and-15 situation on the game's deciding play. That's when Blair found Jyrimee Thompson behind the defense to tie the game. Blair's two-point conversion gave the Zebras the lead.
"We were just trying to stretch them deep and [Thompson] just got behind them," Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding said. "Then, I'm scared they're gonna come back and do the same thing to us."
The game featured six lead changes and a tie, pitting two of the four teams who started the night tied atop the 67A-East with a 3-1 record.
"I'm past the point of moral victories right now," Marion Coach Jed Davis said. "I know some people will say 'hey, that's great, Marion's playing better,' but you know what, we expect to win these games."
Marion senior receiver Collin Chambers caught 8 balls for 191 yards and 4 scores.
His first score tied the game at 6-6 and came on a 52-yard pass play.
Blair accounted for 6 touchdowns.
The Zebras extended a 14-13 lead to 30-20 after turning two interceptions into touchdowns.
"I told our guys that we could get back into it, we saw a few things that we felt like we could take advantage of, and they really bought in," Davis said.
Marion (4-4, 3-2) got within 30-27 when quarterback Peyton Walker found senior running back Tom Young on a slant with 3:12 left in the third quarter.
Pine Bluff responded when Blair found Xavier Smith from 27 yards for a 36-27 lead.
Marion scored on consecutive drives -- both capped off by Chambers touchdown catches -- to claim a 42-36 lead after a Young two-point conversion.
Pine Bluff took over on its 28 with 2:35 remaining and after converting a second down into a fresh set of downs, Marion came up with sacks on consecutive plays, including a fumble that the Zebras recovered, to face 3rd-and-15.
The Patriots got pressure again, but Blair found Thompson, who got behind the Marion secondary. His touchdown tied the game, and Blair's two-point conversion gave Pine Bluff the lead.
"We really showed a lot of character there," Bolding said. "I'm just really proud to get this one because both teams played so hard."
Sports on 10/22/2016