Mt’neers defeat Cassville Wildcats in homecoming nail-bite

By: 
Steve Chapman

Mt’neer Hunter Conway runs the ball down the field.

Hudson Gaddy looks on as senior Juliun Hernandez makes an amazing catch from quarterback Gavin Johnston as one of the Wildcats tries to stop him. (Photos by Steve Chapman)

The Mt. Vernon Mt’neers enjoyed an extra special homecoming as they defeated the Cassville Wildcats at Mt’neer Stadium on Friday, Oct. 4. The game was the Mt’neers fourth consecutive victory of the season, and the fifth overall.
The Wildcats took the lead early in the game when they scored a touchdown early in first quarter, followed by a successful PAT.
The Mt’neers then went on offense and managed to get the ball near the end zone, but facing a stiff Wildcat defense and on a fourth-and-six, they opted for a field goal. Landon Popa kicked the ball over the goalposts to make the score 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Cassville extended their lead when they made a touchdown and PAT early in the second quarter. However, the Mt’neers managed to narrow the gap when they went on offense. They pushed their way down the field, but they had trouble making it past the Wildcat defense and found themselves on a fourth-and-12 at the Cassville 38-yard line. Quarterback Johnston made a fourth-down play and completed an 18-yard pass to Hunter Conway to give the Mt’neers a first down. Three plays later, Braden Dodson capped off the drive with a six-yard plunge into the end zone. Popa followed up with a PAT to make the score 14-10.
The tide turned when Dodson recovered a fumble from the Wildcats to put the Mt’neers back on offense at Cassville’s 36-yard line. Two plays later, Johnston completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Coy Felton, who caught the ball in the Wildcats’ end zone. The second quarter ended with the Mt’neers in the lead, 17-14.
Near the end of third quarter, the Mt’neers again forced the Wildcats to punt on downs. However, a high snap went over their quarterback’s head and landed close to Cassville’s end zone. The quarterback then kicked the ball into the end zone, giving the Mt’neers a safety and two points, making the score 19-14.
Afterwards, the Wildcats kicked off the ball to the Mt’neers. Grayson Gann received the ball, and weaving past the Wildcats’ defense, ran the ball into the end zone, giving the Mt’neers their third touchdown of the evening. Johnston then completed a two-point conversion to Coy Felton, extending the Mt’neers lead to 27-14.

Fight to the finish
However, it was too soon to write off the Wildcats. They made a touchdown and PAT in the final seconds of third quarter. Near the start of the fourth quarter, they made another touchdown and PAT to retake the lead, 28-27.
The Mt’neers fought on, and in the last two minutes of the game, they managed to scrap their way down the field. Dodson capped off their offensive drive with a three-yard plunge into the end zone. Dodson then dove into the end zone again to give the team a two-point conversion, placing the Mt’neers back in the lead, 35-28.
The Wildcats went back on offense, but the drive was short lived. Dodson sacked their quarterback twice consecutively, and a pass on the fourth down was knocked down by Gann and Felton, creating a turnover on downs. With only seconds left on the play clock and the ball in Mt. Vernon’s hands, the game ended a victory for the Mt’neers.
Tom Cox, the Mt’neers head coach, said he was pleased with the victory but also mentioned the Mt’neers rough start.
“We had five turnovers in the game,” he said. “It’s hard to win a game when you have any turnovers, let alone five. It’s just not characteristic of us. But I thought Cassville had a lot to do with that; they played a really good game, and (there was) just a nice job of coaching on their part.”
Cox also said he was very pleased with how his team played, especially in the second half.
“If you win a game in this conference, you have made a big accomplishment,” he said. “And so, I’m just super proud of our guys for continuing to battle all the way to the final gun, and really just working together. We talked about that at halftime, just everybody doing their job and just celebrating all the mini victories: every tackle, every pass reception, every big run, every kick. All of those things make a difference.”

Next up
The Mt’neers return to Mt’neer Stadium on Friday, where they will face the Parkview Vikings. They will also be recognizing their fall sport seniors prior to kickoff.

 

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Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

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