Chris Hugo
Section618.com
MT. VERNON — Mt. Vernon’s quest for the first 2-0 football start since 2006 simply ran out of time on Friday night, as Mascoutah held off the Rams 43-36 at Ken Hunt Stadium.
Indians’ quarterback Zane Timon scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard keeper with 19.9 seconds to play, capping a wild fourth quarter.
Trying for a miracle finish, the Rams thought they might be the benefactor of a pass interference call at midfield on a pass intended for Fischer Davis, but the flag was waved off, and Mascoutah would preserve the hard-fought win.
The Indians built a 35-22 lead early in the opening minute of the fourth on Timon’s 7-yard touchdown run and subsequent 2-point conversion, but the Rams would rally.
Peyton McMillen created some offense off play action, hooking up with a diving Ethan Rivera from 12 yards out for a touchdown. Davis booted the extra point to bring the Rams back within 35-29 with 6:29 to play.
Mt. Vernon then recovered an onside kick and immediately turned it into another score. Anthony Lash, Jr. turned on the jets from 43 yards out, and Davis converted another PAT to put the Rams up 36-35 with 5:11 left.
With plenty of time on the clock, the Indians started on their own 34-yard line and immediately ripped a 22-yard run for a first down. The Rams’ defense stiffened and was one play away from getting off the field, but a pass interference penalty on 4th and long kept Mascoutah’s drive alive.
A fresh set of downs allowed the Indians to burn more clock and eventually set up a first-and-goal from the 1. The Rams’ goal line defense withstood Mascoutah runs on first and second downs, before Timon punched home what turned out to be the game-winning score.
The Rams opened up the scoring first late in the first quarter as Navontae Nesbit sped 38 yards into the endzone to put the Rams up with 40.6 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
It didn’t take long for Timon to get the passing game going after he found JT Curry for a 36-yard score. Mt. Vernon jumped offside on the point after attempt, allowing the Indians a chance to successfully go for two and claim an 8-7 lead just a minute into the second quarter.
That remained the score as the teams traded drives until Nesbit scored his second touchdown of the night, this one from six yards out with 3:20 left in the half. Lash, Jr. added the 2-point conversion to give the Rams a 15-8 lead.
Allen Middleton corralled the ensuing kickoff at the 10-yard line and ran it back 90-yards for the score. Braden Christian split the uprights on the PAT, and the Indians forged a 15-15 tie.
Another special teams mishap haunted the Rams one second later, when Mascoutah recovered a pooch kick at the Mt. Vernon 25-yard line at the 2:58 mark.
It took just 72 seconds for the Indians to execute a 25-yard drive capped off by a Timon 5-yard keeper–giving Mascoutah a 21-15 lead. The Indians got the ball back one more time and threatened to add to their lead before half, but the Rams’ Mylan Nettles came up with an interception, keeping the halftime score 21-15.
Middleton would strike again in the third quarter when he hauled in a 36-yard Timon pass to give the Indians a 27-15 lead. Mt. Vernon answered as Rivera broke free for an 87-yard TD run with 3:52 remaining, cutting the Rams’ deficit to 27-22, and setting up the wild fourth quarter.
Mt. Vernon (1-1) will travel to Troy to take on Triad (1-1) Friday night. Mascoutah (2-0) will host another 2-0 squad next week, the Centralia Orphans. Both games can be heard on the Section618.com App.