CABOT -- Junior fullback Alex Roberts carried 13 times for 106 yards and 2 first-half touchdowns in Cabot's 42-20 victory over Marion in 7A/6A-East action Friday night at Panther Stadium.
The Panthers (5-0, 2-0 7A/6A-East) led 35-7 at halftime en route to beating the Patriots (3-2, 0-2) for the fourth consecutive year.
Cabot scored on its first four possessions to lead 28-0 with eight seconds remaining in the first quarter and invoked the Arkansas Activities Association's sportsmanship rule (a running clock when the score differential is at least 35 points in the second half) on a 1-yard touchdown run by senior halfback Jess Reed with 7:34 remaining in the third quarter.
"We kind of had that glazed look, in the first half, in our eyes," Marion Coach Jed Davis said. "But I was really proud we kept competing. It wasn't a lack of effort. There's not many teams on Cabot's level right now."
The Panthers finished with 385 total yards, all rushing.
Junior halfback Austin Morse ran 6 times for 88 yards and 2 first-half touchdowns. Junior quarterback Jarrod Barnes ran 14 times for 87 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown with 8:52 left in the first quarter to give Cabot a 7-0 lead.
Roberts followed with a 13-yard touchdown run with 7:42 left in the first quarter.
After Morse ran 9 yards for a touchdown at 2:36, he capped the early scoring flurry by taking an option pitch 63 yards with eight seconds left in the first quarter.
Cabot led 35-7 at halftime after Roberts ran 8 yards for a touchdown with 2:18 left in the second quarter.
The Panthers finished the first half with 302 total yards. Senior Caleb Schulte finished the game 6 of 6 on extra-point attempts.
"We did what we needed to do," Cabot Coach Mike Malham said following his 279th career victory. "Got the win; got a conference win. They're really much improved over last year."
Marion junior quarterback Tyler Holmes completed 10 of 30 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Holmes completed an 80-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Collin Chambers on the final play of the first quarter and a 55-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Devin Blakely with 5:37 left in the third quarter.
Marion's other touchdown came against reserves in the fourth quarter - a 7-yard run by junior tailback Tom Young at 1:34.
Young finished with 89 yards on 13 carries. The Patriots finished with 313 total yards.
Cabot won last year's meeting 42-6.
Sports on 10/03/2015