Chris Hugo
Section618.com
MT. VERNON — After suffering their first loss of the season last week at Cahokia, the Marion Wildcats took out their frustrations on the Mt. Vernon Rams at Ken Hunt Stadium on Friday night. The Wildcats, who fell to the Comanches 30-8 last week, scored early and often building a 37-0 lead by halftime before winning 44-7.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead when Lukas Shrum ran in a 5-yard score for a 7-0 lead. After the Rams’ first drive stalled, Marion threatened again until Mylan Nettles stepped in front of an Evan Noelle pass. Mt. Vernon was unable to capitalize, and Marion made the Rams pay.
Deavon Margrum would help lead the Wildcats down field, eventually capping off the drive with a 2-yard score for a 14-0 advantage with 1:19 left in the first.
It was more of the same in the second quarter when Noelle found Mason Gooch for an 18-yard catch in the end zone extending the Marion lead to 21-0 at the 11:21 mark of the second. Mt. Vernon followed with another drive deep in its own territory and couldn’t get anything going when Marion’s Mason Norris sacked the Rams’ Peyton McMillen for a safety making it 23-0 Marion.
It wouldn’t take the Wildcats long to drive down the field again when Cole Bundren scored from one-yard out to extend the lead to 30-0. Shrum would add a 34-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 37-0 halftime cushion.
Any hopes for a Rams comeback were dashed with Venson Newsom took the second half kickoff to the house from 77-yards out, giving the Wildcats a running clock and a 44-0 lead. The Rams were able to get on the board late thanks to a Fisher Davis 6-yard touchdown run setup by Davis finding Navontae Nesbit for a 40-yard completion.
Noelle found seven different receivers in the win, going 9-13 for 135 yards and a touchdown. Shrum, Margrum, and Bundren combined for 14 carries for 149 yards and 3 TDs for Marion. Mt. Vernon’s Davis took over at quarterback in the second half and had 3 carries for 28 yards and the Rams’ lone score.
Marion (4-1, 1-1) will host Althoff (2-3, 1-1) next week while Mt. Vernon (0-5, 0-2) welcomes conference leader Carbondale (3-2, 2-0). You can listen to Mt. Vernon/Carbondale on AM 940 & 96.5 FM or watch live on the Section618.com App.