Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — Week 1 was anything but perfect for the Mount Vernon High School football team. On paper, the 49-7 setback at Lexington makes it look like little has changed. For anyone who witnessed the game in person, it was easy to see this wasn’t the same Yellow Jacket squad that took the field a year ago.

That is very evident in two statistical categories: Rushing yards and penalties. Mount Vernon had over 100 yards on the ground, a positive sign that things are moving in the right direction. It also had no penalties, another encouraging sign.

“Sometimes to the spectator, you look at it and see we got beat by an ‘X’ amount of points, but as a coach, we saw a lot of good things we can build on,” said Mount Vernon coach Gary Keller. “The way you win football games is through ball control. You have to be able to control the football. We did a good job of that against Lexington. ... Defensively, we left some big passes go that if we had stopped, the game would have been a lot tighter. ... We’ve got to try to develop our kids a little more, and I think that will come as we play more games.

“The most important thing was our control. One thing that we also stress is ‘Be in control of your emotions. Try not to get caught up in the tempo of the game, and just be in charge.’ I think our kids did a good job of that.”

Playing a championship-caliber team like Lexington taught the Jackets a thing or two beyond the X’s and O’s, and that was what Keller was counting on.

“I think it was a good example of what we need to do to raise our game up,” said Keller. “A lot of it is the physical end of it; that is the most important aspect of the game, I think. We came away with an understanding that the game is played at a different level and we haven’t experienced that level. Now we have to move our game up to that level. I compared it when I was at Ashland (University) and we played Youngstown State. We lost, but in the loss, it set us up better because we then knew how to raise our game. We played at a higher level after that. I think it helped our kids to see what the game is played like at a championship level. (Lexington) really played hard, and they were an intense football team. They are going to win a lot of games. How can we get to that level? We have to take a good look at ourselves and see in what aspect we need to raise our game up.”

Getting the first game under their belts was important for the Jackets. Some things can only be decided after being tried in a game situation. Keller and his coaching staff have been evaluating their personnel and how they are being utilized.

One setback came this week after sophomore Jordon Montgomery injured his ankle during practice. Montgomery stepped in a hole and suffered a broken ankle, ending his season.

“We are looking at several different players at different positions,” Keller said. “We are trying to strengthen our team from a depth standpoint. We are thin; there is no question about that. We have to try and broaden our depth.

“It is unfortunate we lost (Montgomery). He was entering into a lot of things we were doing. He was just running sprints when he stepped in a hole.”

Wooster comes to town in Week 2 for the Jackets’ home opener. It also kicks off a string of three straight games at home. The Generals lost at Wadsworth in Week 1, 35-19. Shawn Riley led Wooster with 98 yards rushing on 20 carries. Quarterback Nick Allen went 10-for-26 for 125 yards, and wideout D’Metre House had three catches for 51 yards.

Clearly, Wooster’s offense isn’t as prolific as Lexington’s was, but Keller isn’t discounting the Generals either.

“It is always going to be a challenge because teams always have their best skill at the skill positions — wide receiver, offensive backs and quarterback. We are going to see a good offensive back in (Wooster’s) tailback,” said Keller. “He ran the ball hard last week. Their quarterback is a younger guy, but they have some good wide receivers. We’ll see a good offense, but not as skilled as what we saw last week.”

For Mount Vernon, which fell at Wooster, 19-13, last season, this game could be a milestone. Keller knows his squad was so close in that contest, and it must take advantage of what it is given.

“This game is huge,” Keller said. “This is a huge test for us. It is so big — and I don’t want to overemphasize it — but it is important. We would like to get a win this week. We’ve got to get a win this week and get some wind in our sails so we can move forward. It is important because it is our first home contest, and we want to defend our home turf. We have to play at a much higher level in what we are doing this week. ... This game would be a big win for us. It will be an important indicator of where we are at. We want to get a win and we need to get a win. This is a good week for us.

“We have some bright spots, but we have to tie everything together. If we can put out offense in a good position and use ball control to score, if we can get our defense out on the field and keep (the opposition) out of the end zone, and if our special teams continue to play solid, I think we will have an opportunity to win.”

Kickoff for Friday’s game is set for 7:30 p.m.