By Steve Chapman (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Mt. Vernon Mountaineers defeated the Lamar Tigers 42-32 at the Thomas O’Sullivan Stadium in Lamar on Friday, Sept. 27. The game was the fourth victory for the Mountaineers this season and the second defeat for the Tigers, who previously lost to the Cassville Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 20. It was also a milestone victory for the Mountaineers; it was the first time that they had defeated the Tigers in 15 years.
The Mountaineers were first on the board when Braden Dodson capped off the team’s initial 81-yard offensive drive with a three-yard touchdown plunge midway through the first quarter. Landon Popa followed up with a successful PAT to make the score 7-0. The Tigers quickly responded with a touchdown of their own when Cooper Haun made a 38-yard touchdown run. However, an attempt at a PAT failed, making the score 7-6.
Lamar scored another touchdown with about eight seconds left in the first quarter when Haun capped off their drive with a three-yard plunge. However, an attempt at a two-point conversion was blocked, making the score 12-7 at the end of the quarter.
Mt. Vernon pulled ahead near the start of second quarter when Braden Dodson made a six-yard touchdown plunge into the endzone. Quarterback Gavin Johnston then completed a two-point conversion pass to Juliun Hernandez to make the score 15-12.
The Tigers, however, quickly took the lead again when Trey Pittsenbarger received the ball from the Mountaineers and made a 76-yard kickoff return to give Lamar their third touchdown of the night. Lamar then attempted a two-point conversion, but the Mountaineers blocked it, making the score 18-15, Tigers leading.
The Mountaineers went back on offense, but Pittsenbarger intercepted the ball to give possession back to the Tigers. However, Mt Vernon forced the Tigers to punt near the end of the half and took the ball back. On an offensive drive which included Johnston completing a 26-yard pass to Jarrett Zerby, the Mountaineers scored their third touchdown of the game when Dodson capped off the drive with a one-yard plunge. An attempt at a two-point conversion was blocked by the Lamar, making the score 21-18 at the end of the half.
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The Mountaineers received the ball in the second half and went on offense. Backed up to their 11-yard line due to a penalty, the team surged forward when Johnston completed a 41-yard pass to Coy Felton, putting Mt. Vernon on the Tigers’ 49-yard line. The Tigers’ defense slowed Mt. Vernon’s offensive drive, putting the Mountaineers on a fourth and nine on at the Tigers’ 39-yard line. However, the Mountaineers broke through when Johnston completed a 29-yard pass to Jarret Zerby, putting the Mt. Vernon on the 10-yard line. Dodson took the ball into the endzone to cap off the drive. Popa followed up with a successful PAT, making the score 28-18.
Lamar scored again when Haun made a 53-yard touchdown run about midway through the quarter, but an attempt at a PAT was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 28-24.
The Mountaineers made an immediate response when Johnson completed a 59-yard touchdown pass to Grayson Gann, which Popa followed up with a PAT to make the score 35-24. The Tigers then started their own offensive drive, but the Mountaineers forced a turnover on downs near the end of the quarter. With just seconds left in the third quarter, Mt. Vernon scored again when Johnston completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Gaddy. Popa then made a successful PAT to make the score 42-24.
The Tigers made their final touchdown about midway through the fourth quarter when Alex Wilkerson completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Eli Ngugi. Lamar then followed up with a successful two-point conversion when Toby Ansley ran the ball past the Mountaineers’ defense to make the score 42-32.
The Mountaineers began their final offensive drive with about two minutes left in the game, but after they advanced to the Tigers’ seven-yard line, they went into victory formation, ending the game a Mt. Vernon victory.
Tom Cox, the Mountaineers head coach, said the game was a landmark win for the Mountaineers.
“We have not beaten Lamar since 2009,” he said, “and we didn’t get to play them all those years, but still, it’s been that long since we’ve beaten them. And for these seniors, we played them when they were freshmen, and it’s been 1,091 days since we played them, and we were waiting for this day.”
Cox attributed the Mountaineers victory to “excellent teamwork.”
“The guys were so unselfish (in their playing),” he said. “(To) give you an example, with the wide receivers running their route and knowing they’re not going to get the ball but (they were) running it to the … best of their ability at top speed to open somebody else up, which is what we did many times. You had these linemen just blocking, working together, talking up on the line of scrimmage, and I just was really, really proud of our guys. We just hung in there. We showed really good grit and just showed … just toughness, mental toughness.”
Mt. Vernon will return to Mountaineer Stadium in Mt. Vernon on Friday, Oct. 4, where they will face the Cassville Wildcats, while Lamar will host the Nevada Tigers.
