For The Daily Reporter
MARION — After less than stellar execution last week against Hamilton Heights, the Mt. Vernon Marauders were determined not to have a repeat performance Friday night.
From the word go, the Marauders (1-1) turned the game into a track meet, defeating the Marion Giants 50-6.
“We have the ability to go really fast if we want to,” Mt. Vernon head coach Doug Armstrong said. “Their defensive line is really big, and we wanted to wear them out as fast as we could, so we just attacked with our fastest tempo.”
In addition to the Marauders pouring on the points, the Giants (0-2) just could not stop the potent Mt. Vernon attack. The more athletic Marauders, led by dual-threat quarterback Jimmy Campbell, scored on all six offensive possessions in the first half.
Campbell got it done with his legs for the first two scores of the game. He powered through the frail Giant defense for a 26-yard touchdown run. After a short defensive series, Campbell showed off his wheels again, racing his way to an 81-yard touchdown run.
“Jimmy looked really quick tonight,” remarked Armstrong. “He’s a definite dual-threat quarterback; he’s still learning as he goes, but he played really well and made a lot of good decisions tonight.”
Jordan House added a six yard touchdown scamper of his own to cap off the Marauders first-quarter scoring.
Campbell also got the job done in the air with two scoring throws. Just seven seconds into the second quarter, Campbell tossed an 18-yarder to Robbie Campbell to continue the scoring stampede. Robbie Campbell also got the job done on the ground with a two-yard punch in.
After several Marauders penalties, Jimmy Campbell found junior Alex Barnett for a 23-yard strike on third down. The Marauders were faced with third down just five times in the half.
With a more than comfortable lead, Mt. Vernon put in its second string to clean up and nearly came away with a shutout. Armstrong said he was little upset the team didn’t get the shutout but was more than pleased with the improvement his team made in a week’s time.
“Defense was about the same; we ran to the ball, we hit people, but we still need to get better at our ball skills,” Armstrong said. “Offensively, we looked much better because we made better decisions with the football.”
