Mount Vernon started a new era of Mustang football Friday night at Armstrong Field, part of the Martha Parsons Family Activities Complex.
The Mustangs christened the new Field Turf facility with a 24-7 victory over Davenport Assumption.
“It was a great environment,” Mount Vernon Coach Lance Pedersen said. “We had a huge crowd and a lot of excitement.
“It is a really nice field, no doubt about it. We were happy to play on it.”
The answer to the trivia question, “who scored the first touchdown at Armstrong Field” will now always be Joey Rhomberg. The senior quarterback snuck it in from the 1-yard-line in the first quarter.
Bennett Harp kicked a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Mount Vernon led 10-0 at halftime.
“Harp hitting that field goal was a difference-maker,” Pedersen said. “A two-score lead leads to a different mindset on both sides.
“Those three points were very, very critical.”
Pedersen said that Bennett, who also plays soccer, made a commitment after last season to “be the best kicker he could.”
“He made it part of his routine last winter, spring, summer,” Pedersen said. “He’s put a lot of work into it.”
Bennett wasn’t the only standout on special teams. After the Knights scored a touchdown in the third quarter to narrow the MV lead to 10-7, Jase Jaspers returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards to the house.
“Anytime you have a Jaspers, you have a chance of breaking one,” Pedersen said. “Momentum was changing, and that got it back.”
Pedersen said it is special to be able to line up sophomore Jase Jaspers and his older brother, senior Jackson Jaspers, together back deep on kickoff and punt returns.
“They are both dynamic kids,” Pedersen said. “They are hard to bring down, tough-nosed kids.
“I tell our return team to just give them a small seam, and they can make something happen.”
The brothers enjoy blocking for each other, as well, Pedersen said.
Mount Vernon put the game out of reach with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Rhomberg to Jackson Hird in the fourth quarter.
Rhomberg finished with 172 passing yards, including six catches for 53 yards by Hird, and five catches for 58 yards for both Jase Jaspers and Ethan Wood. Hird also had 125 rushing yards on 22 carries.
Pedersen was happy with all three phases, but the defense got special laurels.
Assumption senior Angelo Jackson came into the game as one of the top rushers in 3A, but was held to 25 yards on 10 carries.
“The kids just shut down their run game,” Pedersen said.
Overall, the Mount Vernon defense held Assumption to just 155 yards of offense and 9 first downs.
“And a lot of that came on the opening drive of the second half,” Pedersen said.
Mount Vernon (5-1, 2-0) continues its march towards a District 4 title with a trip to Fort Madison (4-2, 1-1) on Friday, Oct. 6.
“It is a long drive for us and it is important to stay focused,” Pedersen said. “We want to be district champs, and Fort Madison is in the way of that.”
And then it is back at Armstrong Field for a game against Washington on Oct. 13. And the Mustangs may make a few adjustments.
“We might need sleeves,” Pedersen said. “A few kids got turf burns.”
Mustangs 24, Knights 7
TEAM STATS
DA MV
First downs 9 18
Rushes-yds. 24-60 33-131
Cmp.-Att.-Int. 11-20-1 17-24-0
Pass yds. 95 172
Total yds. 155 303
Fum.-lost 0-0 1-1
Pen.-yds. 5-35 11-97
Punts-ave. 5-29.2 3-35.0
Assumption 0 0 7 0 – 7
Mount Vernon 7 3 7 7 – 24
MV – Joey Rhomberg 1-yard run (Bennett Harp kick)
MV – Harp 31-yard field goal
A – Jake Timmons 3-yard run (Moore kick)
MV – Jase Jaspers 92-yard kickoff return (Harp kick)
MV – Jackson Hird 4-yard pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing – Assumption: Jake Timmons 11-28, Angelo Jackson 10-25, Lane Gerard 2-9. Mount Vernon: Jackson Hird 22-125, Joey Rhomberg 7-11, Jase Jaspers 2-4, team 2-(-9).
Passing – Assumption: Jake Timmons 10-19-97-1, Lane Gerard 1-1-(-2)-0. Mount Vernon: Rhomberg 17-24-172-0.
Receiving – Assumption: Bauer Caspers 6-48, Lane Gerard 1-41, Angelo Jackson 1-4, Will McIntosh 2-2, Carson Bakey 1-0. Mount Vernon: Jase Jaspers 5-58, Ethan Wood 5-58, Jackson Hird 6-53, Michael Ryan 1-3.
Tackles – Mount Vernon: Jackson Jaspers 4-5-6.5, Tyler Williams 4-3-5.5, Ethan Plotz 5-0-5, Ethan Wood 3-3-4.5, Jase Jaspers 2-3-3.5, Nova Lane 0-5-2.5, Michael Ryan 2-0-2, Kael Riniker 1-2-2, Kellen Haverback 1-2-2, Miles Francois 0-4-2, Atticus Rood 1-1-1.5, Cole Thurn 1-0-1, Erik Lamb 0-2-1.
MV FB Agate Mustangs 24, Knights 7 TEAM STATS DA MV First downs 9 18 Rushes-yds. 24-60 33-131 Cmp.-Att.-Int. 11-20-1 17-24-0 Pass yds. 95 172 Total yds. 155 303 Fum.-lost 0-0 1-1 Pen.-yds. 5-35 11-97 Punts-ave. 5-29.2 3-35.0 Assumption 0 0 7 0 – 7 Mount Vernon 7 3 7 7 – 24 MV – Joey Rhomberg 1-yard run (Bennett Harp kick) MV – Harp 31-yard field goal A – Jake Timmons 3-yard run (Moore kick) MV – Jase Jaspers 92-yard kickoff return (Harp kick) MV – Jackson Hird 4-yard pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick) INDIVIDUAL STATS Rushing – Assumption: Jake Timmons 11-28, Angelo Jackson 10-25, Lane Gerard 2-9. Mount Vernon: Jackson Hird 22-125, Joey Rhomberg 7-11, Jase Jaspers 2-4, team 2-(-9). Passing – Assumption: Jake Timmons 10-19-97-1, Lane Gerard 1-1-(-2)-0. Mount Vernon: Rhomberg 17-24-172-0. Receiving – Assumption: Bauer Caspers 6-48, Lane Gerard 1-41, Angelo Jackson 1-4, Will McIntosh 2-2, Carson Bakey 1-0. Mount Vernon: Jase Jaspers 5-58, Ethan Wood 5-58, Jackson Hird 6-53, Michael Ryan 1-3. Tackles – Mount Vernon: Jackson Jaspers 4-5-6.5, Tyler Williams 4-3-5.5, Ethan Plotz 5-0-5, Ethan Wood 3-3-4.5, Jase Jaspers 2-3-3.5, Nova Lane 0-5-2.5, Michael Ryan 2-0-2, Kael Riniker 1-2-2, Kellen Haverback 1-2-2, Miles Francois 0-4-2, Atticus Rood 1-1-1.5, Cole Thurn 1-0-1, Erik Lamb 0-2-1.
Mount Vernon’s Atticus Rood (No. 33) and Tyler Williams (No. 50) were among the group tackling earlier this season.