MOUNT VERNON — With another win under their belt, the Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets have been walking around with a spring in their step. Mount Vernon knocked off Hilliard Bradley, 29-7, on Friday night and that is a good thing for a squad trying to build on positive momentum.

“I don’t think we played our best game of the year,” said coach Gary Keller. “I do think, however, that we did what we needed to do to win the game. It is nice when you don’t play your best and still win, and I think that’s what we did last week. That shows me we are improving as a football team and making steps in the right direction.

“I think the big thing there was we went into halftime tied at 7. Then we came out and the turning point was the third quarter. We were able to block a punt and get the momentum. That’s the point where we blew the game open.”

The blocked punt led to another Mount Vernon touchdown, and is another sign that things are getting better. The Jacket defense is playing at a higher level as are the special teams.

“Our special teams are stepping up,” Keller said. “There are a number of ways to change momentum in a game, and I think we’ve seen our special teams emerge as a force. I look at what we have done, and am amazed. We are blocking a punt a week almost. When you block a punt, you have an 80 percent chance of taking it in for a score. I’ve noticed a difference on our kickoff returns, too. Teams have stopped kicking the ball down to us and are squibbing the ball. I think that shows our kids have done a good job of improving in those areas.

“I think that (the opposition) are seeing some things on film that they don’t want to try to do. Because of that, we are seeing some different things.”

Keller expects his team to keep things going against Watkins Memorial, which the Jackets play Friday night. The Warriors, much like the Jackets, have struggled to notch wins. Their only win came of Arva Medway of Ontario, Canada, in Week 3. Since then, the Warriors have scored just 17 points while allowing 102.

“This is going to be a tough game because I believe both teams think they can win the game,” Keller said. “We are starting to develop a sense of confidence and thinking, ‘Hey, we can win this game.’ I know they are probably saying the same kind of thing. In those types of situations, it is going to be a real battle. I think the team that executes the best and plays the hardest will win. We have been putting a lot of time in practice in hopes that we can make a difference.

“I look at them and I think they are a lot like us in a lot of ways,” added Keller. “They look like they are a solid team, but they’ve been playing pretty good people. They have had some injuries; I don’t know what specific injuries they were, but those, coupled with the tough schedule week in and week out, make it a difficult situation. I think they have the capability of winning. I don’t look at them in the same regard as I do some of these teams, but I think they are pretty good. Their record doesn’t indicate how good they are at this point and time.”

The Warriors are coming off a 17-0 setback to Olentangy Orange. They were also shutout by Delaware, 17-0, the week before. Despite the losses, Keller has been preaching to his team not to overlook Watkins Memorial.

“We are not at a point where we can look by anybody at this point,” Keller said. “I say that in all seriousness. We’ve got to take one game at a time. I hope that our kids start realizing we can win games at Mount Vernon. We can compete no matter who we are playing. We can take that next step.

“There is no question a win this week would be huge. That would be two in a row for us, and to be honest, that’s what I want to see happen. I can’t remember the last time that happened here. It has been a while. It would be a good thing for our program.

“Last week, our football program — junior high, junior varsity and varsity — all won. That’s the first time I can remember that happening since I’ve been here.”

A Week 8 win would give Mount Vernon its first back-to-back wins in over five years. It won’t come easy, however. The Yellow Jackets will have to fight for it.

“Our kids have to learn how to win because teams are not going to lay down and not perform,” said Keller. “We have to beat people. Our kids understand that. We’ve got to go in and knock them down because they are going to knock us down. In the final analysis, it is going to matter who does it the most times. We’ve got to be consistent and stay after them until the final whistle is blown. We’ve got to take the game from them.”