No. 3 Mount Vernon didn’t get hacked or slashed on Friday the 13th, instead escaping Benton Community, 15-13, in Van Horne.
“We knew it was going to be a close game,” Mount Vernon coach Brad Meester said. “They match up really well. They are big up front and their skill positions were fast. It was a heck of a matchup.
“For us, it was a lunchpail type of day.”
Mount Vernon (3-0) never trailed and overcame three turnovers.
“The defense did a good job pulling us out of those situations,” Meester said.
The Mustangs opened the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Haverback to Watson Krob.
And then Mount Vernon went for the 2-point conversion. Jase Jaspers scored on a run. Meester said they saw something they liked in the film and wanted to take advantage.
“That changes the game,” Meester said of the 2-pointer. “The other team has to keep up with it and chase the points. That was good for us. It helped change the game a little bit.”
The Bobcats scored on a 1-yard Dylan LeFebvere run, but failed to convert, and trailed 8-6.
Before half, Ethan Wood scored on a 5-yard run and Bennett Harp kicked the extra point to make it 15-6. Wood, normally a tight end, got involved in the running game Friday. As did Jaspers, normally in the slot.
“We knew we needed a little size inside,” Meester said. “With Ethan and Jase (Jaspers) back there, it gave us more of a dynamic look.”
Jaspers finished with 79 rushing yards on 15 carries, and Wood had 36 yards on nine totes. Regular RB, senior Cooper Hird, had four yards and Haverback added 53 rushing yards.
The second half was mostly a stalemate until the Bobcats scored in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass from Carson Nolan to Mayson Mitchell. Down three points they opted to kick the extra point.
Benton had one final drive that started with 56 seconds left. The Bobcats got into Mustang territory but Wood came off the edge and forced a fumble with 22 seconds left. Joe Briesemeister recovered it.
“The defense did a great job and got a key turnover at the end,” Meester said. The Bobcats finished with just 190 yards. Mount Vernon had eight tackles for loss and five sacks, including two by Nova Lane, and one each for Wood, Tyler Williams and Kael Riniker.
“The game is won up front,” Meester said. “That’s the way it has always been.”
Junior QB Haverback finished with 75 yards on 10-of-20 passing with one touchdown and three interceptions.
“We had a ton of highs, and also had some low points,” Meester said. “We were able to ride those out. We found a way to do it. No matter what happens, you keep pushing forward. “There are going to be moments it doesn’t go your way. We rally around each other and keep pushing.”
And now another scary Friday night, a trip to Hwy. 1 rival and No. 1 Solon (3-0) on Sept. 20. Meester said they were treating it like any other week. But, of course, it is not like any other week.
“We all know that. It is not a secret,” Meester said. “It is a big game.” Mount Vernon broke Solon’s chokehold on the series in 2022 with a 17-14 win, ending a 19-game losing streak.
Mount Vernon won 17-0 a year later, then Solon got revenge last fall, 37-20.