By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There may not be a better word to describe the Tom Cox era at Mt. Vernon than resilience.
The Mountaineers have seen it all in his 16 seasons, including a state runner-up finish in 2017 to a 1-10 season in 2021. But, the last two years have seen Mt. Vernon grow to eight wins in 2022 and 10 in 2023, setting the stage for what has a chance to be yet another historic season for Cox.
“Our seniors went 1-10 as freshmen and four of them started,” said Cox. “We only had one senior that was healthy enough to play that year. We weren’t terrible, we were just young (we started four sophomores that year also). We’ve played for district championships the last two years. We have worked hard in the offseason to get tougher mentally and physically.”
Mt. Vernon returns one of the top backfields in Missouri with seniors Braden Dodson (5-8, 190) and Gavin Johnston (5-11, 165).
Dodson rushed for 1,720 yards and 23 touchdowns, earning All-State honors. Johnston is an All-Big 8 quarterback returning after passing for 2,611 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior.
Last year’s 38.3 PPG is the most explosive offense Cox has had during his tenure.
“Braden is an amazing player, on both sides of the ball,” said Cox. “We have to find a way to get it to him in space. He has exceptional hands (2024 Class 4 First-Team All-State catcher) and is a threat out of the backfield. He draws a crowd wherever he goes.
“Gavin has a really good grasp of what we’re trying to do offensively. We still have some work to do on a few concepts, but I am very proud of the work he puts in. He did have 12 interceptions last year, but that’s only 4% of the balls he threw. He has a strong arm and has a great deal of confidence in his own abilities and those of his receivers. We are working on just taking what the defense gives us. You can’t go broke taking a profit. He has improved his leadership skills also. That has been a key to our success as well.”
Despite losing several big-time receivers, Cox is excited about a crop of skill position guys that will take on a larger role in the passing game, as well as help lighten the load on Dodson.
The graduation of All-Big 8 receivers Ryder Kempf, Jake Leeper and Calvin Dawson has opened the door for Jerrett Zerby to become a go-to option.
“Jerrett has always been a focus on offense,” said Cox. “He missed five games last year with a broken wrist and still caught two touchdown passes against Seneca in the district championship game with a massive foam cast on one hand. He can score from anywhere, anytime.
“Juliun Hernandez, Grayson Gann, Lane Konrad, Hudson Gaddy, Hunter Dawson and Coy Felton give us great depth at wide receiver. We are a lot more successful when we have multiple guys with 25-30 catches.”
While Dodson received many of the honors, Mt. Vernon was fantastic at getting others involved in the game plan as well.
The aforementioned Hernandez, as well as junior Hunter Conway, were All-Big 8 selections in 2023. Both are big-time playmakers. Preston Hardyman and Jacob Erpelding will also see carries.
All of these weapons will be operating behind an offensive line unit that features plenty of experience.
Seniors Bryce Rinker and Danny Fields are all-area selections on the offensive line but will likely be two-way players.
Fellow senior Payton Jones, as well as juniors Jakoby Wilson and Landon Popa also return. Isaac Henry leads a cast of talented newcomers that will compete for roles up front on both sides of the ball.
“I like our O-Line/D-Line guys,” said Cox. “They have been working hard since the season ended to get bigger, stronger and more explosive. Depth was a factor up front last year. We have some good size and good leadership in the trenches. They are the heart and soul of our team.”
Seniors will man much of Mt. Vernon’s back end defensively.
Zerby was an All-Big 8 defensive back and is joined by Gann and Hernandez. Dodson and Conway were both All-Big 8 linebackers and will be joined by senior Dominic Schnelten.
Juniors Jacob Erpelding and Coy Felton , as well as sophomores Garrison Nordyke, Matthew Hodgson and Jackson Collier are also competing for reps.
Mt. Vernon hasn’t won a district championship since 2018 but has played for one each of the last two years.
This group is eager to make it back to the state playoffs and if that is to happen, Cox believes health and execution will be critical.
“We have to stay healthy; we have a lot of guys going both ways,” said Cox. “Defensively, we must give ourselves a chance to line up and play defense one more play. In the two games we lost last year, we gave up too many big plays.
“There are three phases of the game, and we must win at least two of them to have a chance. Execution is huge in all phases. We must get lined up right, do our job once the ball is snapped and play with great effort from start to finish. The toughest team usually comes out on top.”
Mt. Vernon will host Forsyth, McDonald County and Neosho for a jamboree on Aug. 23 before opening the 2024 regular season at home against rival Aurora.
