Mt. Vernon butchers Bison, 62-7, to open district play

The Mt. Vernon Mt’neers handily defeated the Buffalo Bison in the district quarterfinals game at Mt’neer Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1. The Mt’neers dominated the game throughout its entirety, scoring nine touchdowns before the Bison even got on the board.
The Mt’neers drew first blood in the first seconds of the game, with Braden Dodson making a 26-yard touchdown run into the end zone. Hunter Dawson followed up with a successful PAT to make the initial score 7-0. The Mt’neers scored again when Dodson made an eight-yard touchdown run about midway through the first quarter. However, an attempt at a PAT was unsuccessful, making the score 13-0.
Mt. Vernon quarterback Gavin Johnston—adding to his school career touchdown record— completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Zerby. Johnston then completed a pass to Coy Felton for a two-point conversion to make a score of 21-0.
Mt. Vernon scored one more time in the first quarter when Johnston completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Felton in the final seconds in the first quarter. Dawson once again made a successful PAT to make the score 28-0 at the end of the quarter.
In the second, Johnston capped off a drive with a quarterback keeper, making a 36-yard touchdown run into the end zone. Dawson then made another successful PAT to make the score 35-0.
On the Mt’neers next offensive drive, Dodson gave the Mt’neers their sixth touchdown of the evening when he ran the ball 31 yards into the end zone. An attempt at a PAT was unsuccessful, however, making the score 41-0.
The Mt’neers made one more touchdown before the end of the half when Preston Hardyman made a 40-yard touchdown run. Dawson again notched a successful PAT to make the score 48-0 at the end of the half.
The Mt’neers continued to roll as Jacob Erpelding made a touchdown about midway through the third quarter, followed by a PAT, courtesy of Dawson, to bring the score to 55-0. Their final touchdown came near the end of the quarter when Griffin Cordray made a 35-yard run into the end zone. Dawson again made a PAT to make the score 62-0 at the end of the quarter. The game eventually ended with a Mt’neer victory, 62-7.
Mt. Vernon head coach Tom Cox said his team played very well but also noted that the Bison had some of their players out due to injuries.
“Buffalo has a good football team, but they have had a lot of injuries that have really affected what they can and cannot do, particularly on offense. Their starting quarterback had broken his arm, and the second one, I think, had been injured as well. So, they were down to their third quarterback, so it made it tough for them to really move the ball and get any kind of consistency.”
Cox also praised the Mt’neers performance, noting they had worked very hard on their game.
“Our guys played well against (the Bison),” he said, “and we took care of the ball tonight. We didn’t turn it over. That’s been one of the problems that we’ve had in the last two weeks, turnovers. And especially at crucial times, but no turnovers tonight. So, super proud of the guys for that.”
The Mt’neers return to Mt’neer Stadium on Friday, where they will play the Mountain Grove Panthers in the district semifinals.