For the Daily Reporter
CONNERSVILLE — The Mt. Vernon Marauders avoided the dreaded “trap game” on Friday night, defeating the winless Connersville Spartans 64-0 to advance in Sectional 21.
“We were worried about the mental game tonight,” Mt. Vernon coach Mike Kirschner said afterwards. “With us being on fall break and not knowing what kind of atmosphere it would be here tonight, it was nice to see us come out strong and take control.”
On the Marauders first drive, sophomore quarterback Gehrig Slunaker found Dawan Langston for a 65-yard touchdown pass on a 3rd and 19 to open the scoring. On their second possession, Rylan Cole took the handoff around the end for a 61-yard touchdown of his own. On both touchdowns, Mt. Vernon executed a swinging gate two-point conversion to open up a 16-0 lead and never look back.
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Slunaker would finish with 167 yards and two touchdown passes in one half of play. Sophomore receiver Ashden Gentry would score a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown on the night.
The only hiccup came in the second quarter with the Marauders leading 36-0. Deep in Connersville territory, Mt. Vernon fumbled the ball to the Spartans. Then, after forcing a 3-and-out, the Marauders muffed the punt, giving the Spartans hope to score. Luckily for Mt. Vernon, Connersville fumbled at the 4-yard line, ensuring a running clock for the second half.
“We lost focus a bit there in the second quarter,” Kirschner said. “That’s unacceptable any time of year, but even moreso now.”
The Marauder defense was excellent the whole night, and in the third quarter, Wyatt Devine recovered a fumble for a touchdown and Peyton Ellingwood returned an interception for a touchdown to provide the final scores of the night. Connersville did not cross the 50-yard line aside from the first drive of the night and a drive that started in Mt. Vernon territory following the fumbled punt.
Mt. Vernon will travel to New Castle for the Sectional 21 semifinal next Friday night for a 7 p.m. rematch of a game the Marauders won in the regular season, 61-20.
“They know us, and we know them,” Kirschner said. “Records don’t matter. Whether someone is 9-0 or 0-9 they are going to come out and hit you.”
