MOUNT VERNON — Less than two weeks after its first win of the year, the Mount Vernon High School football team is trying to answer some questions about itself. The questions were raised after a 35-0 setback at Olentangy Orange last Friday night.
Coach Gary Keller isn’t too worried about his team’s performance, citing the Pioneers’ (4-0, 1-0 Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division) strong play as a determining factor. He did see some things his team has been working to improve, however.
“They were a stronger team maybe than what I thought they might be,” said Keller. “I think they showed us why they are undefeated to this point in the season. They executed on both sides of the football very well. ... I thought we might play a little bit better against them. I was a little disappointed from that standpoint, but I expected a good football team. I was just hoping we could play a little bit better and be a little more of a challenge to them than what we were. I really don’t feel like we played our best game, and because of that, I was disappointed.”
Perhaps the Yellow Jackets’ (1-3, 0-1 OCC Capital) biggest problem has been a lack of consistency. Injuries have decimated the team, leaving holes throughout the starting lineup. Inexperienced players have been forced to step up, and that has left the team learning on the run.
“Our players are stepping up to the challenge in front of them, but it is difficult when you lineups are changing, and that’s been a constant for us,” Keller said. “It has been difficult for our players to make the adjustments we’ve asked them to make. Our challenge is to try to be able to substitute and not have a distraction or fall off in our productivity. I don’t know if that is happening right now.
“It is our responsibility as a coaching staff to be able to adjust to and try to work through the injuries, and keep this team moving forward.”
Keller believes his team can still compete at a high level despite the setbacks. It is just a matter of time for the younger players to catch up to speed.
“A lot of times, as I say, it is not the coaching that makes the difference; it is the Jimmies and the Joes,” said Keller. “Having those players in the right places and be coached on a weekly basis is the key to success. Obviously, if you are not as good as anybody else, that is a problem, but if you have good players and you are able to coach those players, most likely the result will be success on Friday night. Coming into the season, we felt like we were going to be a pretty good football team, but it is that injury factor that you never know about. No question, injuries cause team difficulties. Team depth, a lot of times, will determine if you are the same type of team at the end of the season as you were at the beginning.”
Mount Vernon has been busy preparing for this week’s opponent, the Delaware Hayes Pacers. Delaware (2-2, 0-1 OCC Capital) is coming off back-to-back losses to Olentangy and Hilliard Davidson. Keller believes the Pacers still pose a serious threat.
“They’ve played some good people; that’s obvious,” said Keller. “Delaware is a good team that presents many challenges. They have some good people. It looks like they have good team speed on both sides of the football. ... They are more of an option team. They want to run the option and their quarterback is their main ball carrier. He is able to carry the football 30 times a game, which is very impressive. Usually when teams do they, players get injured, but he has been able to do that. They have a pretty respectable football team. We’ll have to make sure we have everything taken care of as we head into the game.”
Facing an option team won’t be a first for the Jackets, though, it will be a challenge. The defense will need to step up its play and take charge of the home field.
“Anytime we play a team like this, it is tough on the defensive side of the football,” said Keller. “It is almost next to impossible for us to simulate (the option) in practice. What we have to do is prepare the best we can to get to the football. That is where team speed comes in. We’ll need to make our adjustments accordingly.”
Keller is hoping a home game after three weeks on the road will boost his team. The Jackets have been evenly matched with every team they’ve faced. Home-field advantage could help swing the game in Mount Vernon’s favor.
“Momentum will be gained just by us coming back home,” Keller said. “Being back home is a big thing. The other thing is our players really get excited about playing Delaware Hayes. I think that is another point in our favor. Our kids know this is a team we can play with. That puts a lot of wind in our sails. Going into this game, I think having the home crowd on our side will give us a boost and help us play harder.
“I think it always come down to ball security — Can we hold onto the football? — and whether we can capitalize on field position,” added Keller. “Our special teams, no doubt about it, will play a major role in our game. Last week, our special teams did a good job against Orange. The last couple of weeks, our special teams have given us some big plays, and if we can generate some big plays this week, that could be the difference. That might give us the edge.”
