Hunter Atkinson picks up the fumble in Mt.Vernon’s season opener at Noblesville.
Stacy Muffler | For The Daily Reporter
NOBLESVILLE — Mt. Vernon’s path to a 4A state championship repeat started just about the same as it did one year ago, losing by a final score of 43-35 to Noblesville, Friday.
Just like last season, Mt. Vernon head coach Vince Lidy doesn’t think this one game determines how the rest of the season unfolds.
“We came here to win. We sold out to win. We did everything we could to win,” Lidy said. “Monday we’ll just turn the page and move on.”
The high-powered offenses of both the Marauders and Millers had no issue breaking in the newly built Beaver Stadium at Noblesville high school on Friday night, combining for 78 total points.
The majority of those points came in the first quarter, where the teams totaled 35 points.
Mt. Vernon got the scoring started early when Eli Bridenthal broke off a 68-yard touchdown run on just the second play of the game. That was just the beginning of Bridenthal’s big night in which he totaled five touchdowns — four rushing and one passing.
Bridenthal was implemented all throughout the offense, in whatever area Lidy needed him, whether at quarterback, running back or wide receiver.
“We will always find ways to get our best players the ball,” Lidy said. “But only in spots that we think they can be successful.”
For every Mt. Vernon touchdown, Noblesville had an answer of their own, eventually taking a 29-27 lead into half on the shoulders of their run game. Logan Shoffner added two touchdown runs, while Gage Gulley and Blake Widget each added one.
The Marauders struggled stopping the run all night. Following halftime, Lidy made adjustments, as did Noblesville.
In the second half the Millers seemed to change their gameplan and tried to control the clock. They opened the half with an eight-minute long touchdown drive, capped off by another Widget rushing touchdown to increase the lead to 35-27.
Mt. Vernon responded quickly with Bridenthal rushing for his fourth touchdown of the night, and running in the conversion to tie the game at 35 with a quarter to go.
Noblesville took the opening drive of the closing quarter all the way to the end zone in what ended up being the deciding score.
After a Noblesville fumble in the red zone with three minutes remaining, Mt. Vernon did have a chance to tie the game.
Following an arm injury to Bridenthal, Lidy gave the reigns to freshman Luke Ertel on the closing drive. After a costly intentional grounding penalty forced a fourth-and-long, the Marauders last hope was to throw up a deep pass that fell just incomplete.
“We’re going to ride with both of those guys all year,” Lidy said “We’ve got to help Luke develop each week.”
According to Lidy, penalties and mistakes killed Mt. Vernon all night.
“The better disciplined team won,” Lidy said. “We made self-inflicted mistakes that impact us in a bad way.”
In Lidy’s mind Mt. Vernon left everything on the field, and now it’s just all about preparing for the next week.
“The program that tried to win the game tonight came up short on the scoreboard,” Lidy said. “Our program will do more than any team to prepare to win from here on out.”
