Marauders drop opener at home

FORTVILLE — The boys of fall suited up and took the field for the first time in 2012 as the Mt. Vernon Marauders fell to the Kokomo Wildkats in overtime 28-21.

It was a battle of similar styles of run-heavy offenses. The teams combined for 432 yards on the ground (MV-179, Kokomo-253) and 35 yards in the air.

“No,” MV head coach Doug Armstrong said when asked if he was happy with his rushing attack. “Our ground game has got to be twice as good as that.”

Starting MV running back Tyler Dicks said his team needed to do a better job finding the holes in the line to run through. He added that despite a good performance from the offense there is always room to improve.

After four quarters of play the teams were knotted up at 21. In high school, each team gets a possession with the ball at the opponent’s 10-yard line. MV won the overtime coin toss and elected to defend play defense first.

As expected Kokomo came out running. They ran four plays, all running, ending with a Taylor Persons 1-yard touchdown run to give the Wildkats a 28-21 after a successful extra point kick.

The Marauders had their chance next. A false start penalty on the first play drove MV back to the 15-yard line. Kokomo stopped Tyler Dicks’ rushing attempt to set up a second-down play. MV quarterback Jordan Miller fumbled the ball at the 20-yard line, recovered by MV. On back-to-back plays Miller tossed incomplete passes, ending the game.

“Against Kokomo, you can’t give touchdowns to them,” Armstrong said.

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