The Mt. Vernon football team reacts after defeating top-ranked Roncalli in the Class 4A Regional 11 championship on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. ( Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)
FORTVILLE — First came the upset, then the celebration, followed by the waiting game.
After knocking off defending Class 4A state champion Roncalli, 27-21, Friday in the Regional 11 championship game at Hancock Health Stadium, the fourth-ranked Mt. Vernon Marauders knew the drill.
Savor the success, don’t rest on the past too long and prepare to turn the page.
“I always tell the kids. Enjoy it for 24 hours. Take it all in,” Mt. Vernon head coach Vince Lidy remarked after the host Marauders seized their second regional title in three years. “It’s awesome, and we’re looking forward to (semistate).”
Who the Marauders would face in their second semistate football appearance in school history, however, remained a mystery — for roughly 19 hours at least.
With fifth-ranked East Central and No. 8 Evansville Memorial not playing until Saturday afternoon to settle Regional 12, the Marauders eventually discovered their next assignment by nightfall, and it’s another postseason rematch.
Evansville Memorial (11-2) defeated East Central on Saturday, 17-14, to win its fourth regional title in five years and 11th since 1985.
The Evansville Memorial Tigers will host the Marauders (12-1) this Friday at 7 p.m. at Enlow Field to decide who will advance to the IHSAA 4A state championship game on Saturday, Nov. 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.
This week’s semistate game will pit two familiar foes against one another, yet again.
In 2019, the Marauders traveled to Evansville after winning their first-ever regional title over Roncalli, 25-17, before losing to the host Tigers, 28-3, at semistate.
Evansville Memorial went on to win the 4A state title that year over East Noble, 21-3, marking the program’s second state championship in three years (3A in 2017 and 4A in 2019).
There was no second consecutive semistate meeting in 2020, as Roncalli avenged their loss against Mt. Vernon at regional, 35-14, and Evansville Memorial lost in the sectional finals to Evansville Central, 24-21.
Similar to this past Friday’s regional test, the Marauders, who are riding a 12-game winning streak, will now get another chance to correct the past.
“We have the potential for two more games. We’re going to practice our tails off,” Mt. Vernon senior Keagan La Belle said. “I love this team. They all work hard. I try to push them to their limits and they push me to my limits. That’s what makes us better.”
Against the Tigers, the Marauders will need to be their best.
Evansville Memorial survived against East Central behind a pair of touchdown passes from junior quarterback Caleb Ellespersmann, who completed 19 of 32 attempts for 179 yards. Seniors Xavier Tyler and Dominic Norman both hauled in the scoring strikes, while junior Leo Collins led the receiving corp with 83 yards on six catches.
The Tigers’ running game accounted for 123 yards with senior Ray Brodie III rushing for 84 yards on 21 carries. Senior placekicker Nico Brougham converted 1 of 2 field goal attempts, and split the uprights from 30 yards, proving to be the difference against East Central.
Evansville Memorial’s defense recorded three interceptions, one sack and five tackles for a loss with four players nearly posting double digits in total tackles. Senior William Rogers paced the team’s 70-tackle performance with 10 total (seven solos). The defense recovered two fumbles and forced another.
This season, Ellspermann has passed for 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns. Brodie III has rushed for 1,243 yards and 13 touchdowns, while eight different receivers have caught one touchdown pass or more.
The Tigers’ defense is allowing 11.2 points per game with 87.0 tackles for a loss and approximately 19 sacks and 17 interceptions.
“Like I said, one more week,” Lidy said. “We’ll lock in.”
The problem the Tigers will contend with on Friday is, who should they lock in on?
Through the Marauders’ 12-game run en route to the program’s state-leading 48.92 points-per-game average and third straight sectional title (seventh all time), the offensive production has come from multiple angles.
Against top-ranked Roncalli, La Belle rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown. Junior Eli Bridenthal added 20 yards rushing and another score, while senior Travon Hegler rushed for the team’s third.
Yet, it was junior George Burhenn that made the biggest difference on the ground, finishing with 111 yards on five carries, including two massive runs measuring 21 and 72 yards.
Bridenthal recorded the team’s longest receptions at 27 and 60 yards, which hardly reflected Mt. Vernon’s statistical leader trend.
On the year, La Belle has accumulated 1,370 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. Senior Ashden Gentry has 1,027 yards on 42 receptions with 11 touchdowns. But, at this stage of the state tournament, the Marauders aren’t focused on egos.
“Me and George, we did our part, but I think our whole team showed up,” Bridenthal said after the team’s regional win. “We had great energy. We had great preparation coming in, and I think, we performed on the field. I’m just blessed to be around all these great guys. All these great athletes. It’s a great feeling. But, I can’t take any of the credit. It goes to everyone, every teammate. We played a heck of a game.”
They’ve put together an unmatched run the past three years, accounting for 35 wins in 40 games, a trio of sectional titles and two regional crowns.
The only thing left for the Marauders is a trip to state, and it’s the little details that has them on the right track.
Sophomore placekicker Ethan Yeley has been nearly flawless this season in extra-point attempts and his two field goals during the regional championship at 21 and 37 yards kept the Marauders in position to win.
The Mt. Vernon defense clamped down and limited Roncalli (12-1) to 3-for-15 on third down, which equated to two turnover on downs and six punts — a single-game, season-high for the Royals.
The Marauders built leads of 17-7 and 24-14 against Roncalli, marking the first time the Royals had trailed by double digits all season.
“Our offense ran the ball, and we hung in there. It was a slugfest until the very end,” Lidy said. “Our defense stepped up, and our offense made plays when they had to. All you have to do is score one more at this point. Survive and advance.”
The Marauders’ special teams put the offense in position to execute with three short fields, and the kicking game and defense helped them overcome three first-half turnovers.
“We exhausted everything we could think of to give us a tactical advantage, and we’ll do the same thing (at semistate),” Lidy said. “My goal this year was we had to go out there and answer the bell. We had to be physical and show up right away.”
With 10 mercy-rule, running-clock wins this season, the Marauders showed up for four quarters against Roncalli, and four more quarters could lead to a potential first-ever semistate title.
“We’ve always dreamt big and we set our goals super high, but I don’t think any of us expected us to do this,” Mt. Vernon senior linebacker Owen Johnson said. “It’s just an amazing feeling, but we’re not done.”
If You Go
What: Class 4A Semistate Championship
Where: Enlow Field (1300 Washington, Ave., Evansville, Ind., 47714)
When: 7 p.m.
Who: No. 4 Mt. Vernon (12-1) vs. No. 8 Evansville Memorial (11-2)
Tickets: Presale tickets available for $10 per person, today through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the MVHS Athletics Office (cash or check only).
