The stars were certainly aligned.
For a Mount Vernon team that watched the volleyball team win a state title one day earlier, and that had stopped at the Sacred Acre a few hours earlier, falling behind 22-0 in their Class 3A quarterfinal at Algona wasn’t even that big of deal.
“What I love about this group is there was no sense of panic,” Mount Vernon coach Brad Meester said. “It was not the start we wanted, but I loved how we responded.”
No. 4 Mount Vernon rallied and beat No. 6 Algona, 31-28, on Friday night.
Next up is a trip to the UNI-Dome on Saturday, Nov. 16, when Mount Vernon (10-1) faces No. 3 Humboldt (10-1) in a Class 3A semifinal game at 7 p.m. The other 3A semifinal matches up Sergeant Bluff-Luton (11-0) and Dubuque Wahlert (11-0) at 4 p.m.
“It is not easy to get there; it is hard to get to the Dome,” Meester said. “Not many teams make it. It is special to make it there. It is an exciting memory that they’ll remember forever.”
Chances are good they’ll remember their quarterfinal win as well.
Because of the three-hour-plus bus ride, the Mustangs were able to stop in Aplington-Parkersburg to do a quick run-through on the field where their head coach used to play.
Meester played for legendary Coach Ed Thomas, who was tragically shot and killed in 2009.
“I learned so many things from him,” Meester said. “I think all the life lessons he taught us. Character. Building boys that turn into men. Great husbands. I love how genuine he was.
“Even when I was playing in the NFL, when he saw me, he always asked about my family first. That meant a lot. He never jumped right into football.”
The town was also hit by an EF-5 tornado in 2008. So, while small-town football fields are special places, this one has added meaning.
“It has been almost 30 years since I stepped on that field,” Meester said. “I shared some video stuff with them.
“It was nice to stop. It was almost meant to be. We got sent to Algona so we got to stop there on the way. Play anywhere else, and unlikely we have done that.”
Algona built a 22-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
But the Mustangs were able to put together a scoring drive before halftime. Jase Jasper ran it in from 3 yards out, and a Bennett Harp extra point made it 22-7.
Then the defense came up with an interception, in the end zone, before halftime to maintain that margin.
“We were able to go into half down just two scores,” Meester said. “I told the kids we’re fine. Momentum had completely shifted our way.”
Mount Vernon scored on its first drive of the second half, a 33-yard pass from Kellen Haverback to Michael Ryan. That made it 22-14. A Harp 24-yard field goal made it 22-17.
Then the Mustangs took the lead on a 29-yard scoring pass from Haverback to Cole Thurn.
“It was a long trip up there, and we didn’t settle down right away,” Meester said. “We made adjustments, and once we settled in, and played our style, we were okay.”
Algona (9-2) wasn’t done. They got an 85-yard scoring stroke from Manske 2 to Slagle 13 to retake the lead at the end of the third quarter, 28-23.
But Mount Vernon got another scoring drive, scoring on a 7-yard pass from Haverback to Ryan. Those two connected for a 2-point conversion to make it 31-28.
Haverback finished 14-of-25 passing for 211 yards. Ryan had six catches for 114 yards. Cooper Hird ran for 110 yards on 22 carries.
Ryan also had two interceptions on defense, and Jase Jaspers had another. Jaxon Anderson had two sacks and Ethan Wood had 1.5.
“When you go down 22-0, you find out what a team is made of; it can go the wrong way real fast,” Meester said. “That did not happen. It showed the character of this team. They pulled it together.”
And now, after a visit to his school field, Meester gets a chance to coach where he played in college.
“I can’t say thank you enough to the University of Northern Iowa,” Meester said. “They were the one school that took a chance on me. It is an awesome school and an awesome place.”
The Humboldt Wildcats only loss was to Class 4A No. 1 North Polk, 26-17, back on Sept. 20. In the 3A playoffs, they’ve topped Clear Lake (13-10) and No. 9 Solon (35-3). For those trying to bury that memory, Mount Vernon’s only loss was a 7-6 setback to the Spartans on Sept. 20.
“We match up well against each other,” Meester said of Humboldt “We’ll just come out and do our stuff; play our game.”