Season ends: Mt’neers fall to Indians in districts

Despite perfect regular season, Mt’neers stumble in playoffs
The Mt. Vernon Mt’neers 2019 football season ended sooner than they and their fans would have liked when they suffered their first and only defeat of the season at the hands of the Seneca Indians during the district semifinal game at Mt’neer Stadium on Friday, Nov. 8.
Both teams were scoreless during first quarter, as neither team could get past the other’s defense.
The Indians managed to score their first touchdown, followed up by a PAT, during second quarter. Despite a quarterback sack near the Seneca end zone that almost netted them a safety, the Mt’neers remained scoreless during second quarter, and the half ended with the Indians in the lead, 7-0.
The Indians scored their second touchdown midway through the third quarter, followed by a PAT.
The Mt’neers got on the board not long after when quarterback Zach Jones used a series of quarterback keepers to run the ball into the end zone. An attempt at a two-point conversion was unsuccessful, making the score 14-6 at the end of third.
Near the end of fourth quarter, the Mt’neers scored their second touchdown of the evening when Jones carried the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line, but the team’s attempt at a two-point conversion was blocked, making the score 14-12. In the last minute of the game, the Mt’neers forced a turnover on downs, raising hopes they could score one more time. Those hopes were dashed, however, when Seneca intercepted the ball.
Mt. Vernon head coach Tom Cox voiced the sentiment of many when he expressed the season had ended too soon for the Mt’neers.
“It’s just heartbreaking for our seniors,” he said. “The guys just worked super-hard and got super-close, and a great, great season. I just hate for it to end like this. We didn’t play very well in the first half, and I was just super-proud that they came back and battled like they did.”
Mt’neer Rafe Darter expressed pride in the team he’d played football with for the past four years.
“We had a great group,” he said. “I wouldn’t rather play with anybody else than these guys. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Jones echoed a similar feeling, describing the team as a family that took care of one another.
“Coach and the team, we all had each other’s back for the whole year,” he said. “It didn’t matter what was going on or what event, we all had each other.”