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By John Miller (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Marshfield, Mo. – After forcing six turnovers and holding Marshfield’s offense in check all night, it took one more play from the Mount Vernon defense to lift the Mountaineers to victory Friday night.
Leading 14-12 with 54 seconds remaining, Mount Vernon forced a Marshfield incompletion on 4th-and-8 at the Mountaineer 23 yard-line, ending the Jays come-from-behind attempt and lifting the Mountaineers to a 3-0 record on a rainy night at R.A. Barr Field.
“I asked them if they were nervous,” Mount Vernon coach Tom Cox said of his defense before the fourth down play. “They were like, ‘Nah, we got this.”
Mount Vernon led 14-0 at halftime on Friday, but the game felt like their lead should have been much bigger. In the first half, the Mountaineers recovered three fumbles, had an interception, and started drives beyond its own 40 yard-line five times. Time after time, Marshfield’s defense bended but didn’t break. The Jays were outgained 258 to 43 in the first half, but only trailed by 14.
At halftime, the game changed. Just moments after both teams got to the locker rooms to start their halftime routine, lightning was detected three miles away, and a 30-minute lightning delay began.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“We talked to the kids before the game about the conditions tonight, that they were going to deteriorate,” Cox said. “I told them that we probably would have a lightning delay. We tried to keep our focus (during the delay), and I thought we did a good job of that.”
Rain followed in buckets and continued through the rest of the night. Once both teams started play in the second half, the nature of the game was totally different than the first half. Snapping and receiving snaps was difficult, and hanging onto the football was nearly impossible.
“The footballs were just incredibly wet and heavy and very, very tough,” Cox said.
Just five minutes into the third quarter, a Mount Vernon snap got away and Marshfield pounced on it at Mount Vernon’s 16 yard-line. Just a few plays later, Daylon Kanengieter ran it in to make it 14-6.
With just over three minutes remaining in the game, Marshfield flipped the game on its side. Brock Utecht’s pass towards midfield was tipped in the air by defensive back Patrick Lester, only to be snagged by wideout Brennan Espy, who took it 76 yards for the score. A failed two-point version kept Mount Vernon in front 14-12.
After Mount Vernon was forced to punt on its next possession, Marshfield took over at the Mountaineers’ 37 yard-line with 1:40 remaining. The drive extended to the 23, before an incomplete fourth-down pass ended the Jays’ comeback attempt.
“That’s a good win,” Cox said. “That’s a good football team we just played. I have tremendous respect for (Marshfield Coach Cody) Bull and these guys and think they’re going to do well this year.”
Mount Vernon 14, Marshfield 12
1Q – MVHS – 5:40: Zach Jones to Kelly Vaughn, 11 yards (2-pt successful)
2Q – MVHS – 2:55: Will Boswell 6-yard run (2-pt fail)
3Q – MHS – 6:45: Kanengieter 4-yard run (2-pt fail)
4Q – MHS – 3:12: Brock Utecht to Brennan Espy, 76 yards (2-pt fail)
