Mt’neers fall to Seneca in district championship, 25-21

The Mt. Vernon Mt’neers were defeated by the Seneca Indians at Tom Hodge Field in Seneca on Friday, Nov. 11. The loss brought an end to the team’s 2022 season, in which they were the runners up in the district championship.
The Mt’neers made a strong initial showing in the game. Though they made the opening kickoff to Seneca, Jake Leeper recovered a fumble to put the team on offense at the 41-yard line. Two plays later, Gavin Johnston made a 37-yard touchdown run to the Mt’neers on the board. Malachi Hennum made a successful PAT to put the score at 7-0.
The Mt’neers scored again about midway through the quarter with an offensive drive which Braden Dodson capped off with a one-yard touchdown plunge. Hennum followed up with another successful PAT to increase the team’s lead, 14-0.
Seneca then got onto the board with their own touchdown and PAT to make the score 14-7. However, near the end of the quarter, Johnston completed a 43-yard pass to Layton Pendleton, putting the team on the Indian’s two-yard line. From there, Dodson made another plunge into the end zone, followed up with a successful PAT by Hennum, to make the score 21-7 at the end of the quarter.
As the game progressed, however, the Indians slowly chipped away the Mt’neers' lead. They made a touchdown in the last five minutes of the first half, as well as another touchdown in the third quarter and a final touchdown in the fourth, for the win, and a final score of 25-21.
Tom Cox, the Mt’neers head coach, said he was disappointed with how the game ended for the team, especially with all the effort this year’s players had put into the game.
“You're never ready for the season to end, but this one hits harder than most,” he said. “Our players have worked so hard and come so far from a year ago, I especially hate it for them. This senior class has done an outstanding job of leading our team on the field and off. As senior offensive and defensive lineman Payton West said to me one day at practice, ‘This team has good chemistry; really good chemistry.’ This year's seniors include Aiden Morton, Earl Trimble, Alan Jimenez, Wyatte Fowler, Ashton Cottrell, Malachi Hennum, Caleb Rinker, Alex Watts, Clayton Turner, Payton West and Ny Wells. They will be hard to replace.  Fortunately, we have a group of underclassmen that love to play the game and are pretty good at it.”
Cox said that while the team started strong in the first half, Seneca finished strong.
“In the second half, Seneca did a good job of taking away some things we had been successful at in the first half and Braden (Dodson) also dinged his shoulder. He finished the night with 65 yards on 14 carries. Cody Downing had a good night running the ball. He carried five times for 48 yards. (But) we weren't as successful throwing the ball as we have been, completing just five of 17 passes for 79 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Seneca ran 80 plays compared to our 48.”
Overall, Cox said, this season was one that the Mt’neers could be proud of.
“We finished the season 8-4,” he said, “played for a conference and district championship and just fell short in both of those games. Our coaching staff could not be prouder of these young men. I hope they will look back on this season with a smile and realize what a great year it was. Our thanks go out to everyone who supported us through thick and thin. We could not have done it without you. Thank you, Mt. Vernon; it's a great day to be a Mountaineer! Bleed Green!”