Chris Hugo
Section618.com
MT. VERNON — The Mt. Vernon Rams hoped the place where they’ve experienced their most success, the gridiron, would provide respite from the off-the-field distractions that made headlines earlier in the week.
Ken Hunt Stadium played host to the Rams and the Cahokia Comanches for Mt. Vernon’s Homecoming, but it was anything but home sweet home after the Comanches left with a 32-26 overtime victory.
Earlier in the week, Mt. Vernon self-reported an ineligible player to the IHSA and was forced to forfeit the two games in which the player participated. The Rams went from 5-1, 3-0 to 3-3, 2-1 with the decision.
The Rams didn’t appear to be too bothered by the news and got off to a hot start scoring on their first drive when Payton McMillen found Anthony Lash for a 32-yard TD catch at the 8:15 mark of the first. Mt. Vernon quickly recovered a pooch kick but the offense stalled and turned it over on downs giving the Comanches their first offensive series nearly 9 minutes into the game.
A quick 3-and-out by Cahokia gave the Rams the ball right back, and they would run another 7 minutes off of the clock by the time Ethan Rivera ran in a 3-yard TD with 6:48 left in the half to extend the lead to 12-0.
The Comanches would finally get on the board with 4:38 remaining in the half when quarterback Omarion Gooden scored on a 1-yard keeper to cut the deficit to 12-6.
Cahokia then kicked off and after a pair of Rams struggled to field the kick, Mylan Nettles stepped back to the seven yard line to pick up the football and then proceeded to take it to the house, 93 yards for a touchdown. Rivera would cap off the conversion to stretch the Mt. Vernon lead to 20-6.
It wouldn’t take the Comanches long to strike back once Correyonte Midgett found himself in the endzone from 4 yards out to get Cahokia within 20-12 at the half.
The Comanches started the second half with the ball and used another quick drive for another Gooden QB keeper from the two. With a 20-18 disadvantage the Comanches tried an onside kick that the Rams recovered.
The Rams drive abruptly ended when they fumbled on the 12-yard line giving up the ball with 4:49 left in the 3rd. Cahokia got the ball into Mt. Vernon territory but on a 4th down heave from Gooden, Marlin Price grabbed an interception at the Mt. Vernon 6-yard line with 1:53 left in the 4th.
That’s where Mt. Vernon would again control the time of possession, eating the better part of 9 minutes off of the clock. h Ethan Rivera found the end zone from 13-yards out to finish the drive and stretch the Rams’ lead to 26-18 with 4:13 to go.
Cahokia would have prime field position on the following kickoff when it landed out of bounds, and the Comanches started at the 42. It didn’t take long for the Comanches to turn it over on downs with 2:40 to go. The Rams couldn’t keep the drive going when they came up short on a 4th and 1 with 48.2 seconds left after Rivera was tackled inches short of the line to gain.
That was plenty of time for the Comanches’ Gooden to hook up with Keshawn Lyons, who caught a tipped pass and took it 70-yards for the score. The Comanches converted the 2-point conversion, tying the game at 26 and forcing overtime.
In OT, the Rams couldn’t convert on their drive. Cahokia had 4th and goal from the 5 and ran a play action with Gooden rolling right toward the far corner of the endzone. Gooden lost the ball near the goal line but it was ruled a touchdown and the Comanches left Mt. Vernon with a 32-26 conference win.
Gooden was 2-8 for 116 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception, while running for 2 TDs. Midgett carried 19 times for 169 yards and a TD. For the Rams, Rivera had 33 carries for 178 yards and 2 TDs. McMillen was 6-11 passing for 77 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Mt. Vernon (3-4, 2-2) hosts Centralia (5-2, 3-1) next Friday with conference championship implications. A Mt. Vernon win would guarantee at least a three-way tie for the South Seven Championship. A Centralia win means they win the title outright. You can listen to that game on each of the WMIX-AM and X95 feeds as well as watch live on the Section618.com App.