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Wildcat football answers the bell, earns play-off victory
By Dennis Marshall
Mount Vernon’s first playoff win since 2015 came decisively at Corydon Central on Friday, Oct. 23.
Eastin Hall and Saint Henderson combined for five rushing touchdowns and 240 yards on 17 carries, running with the pad level and finish that let them break first contact and reach the second level in a 49-6 Class 3A Sectional win.
“Our kids were just locked in and executed at a high level,” coach Brad Higginson said. “We finally got in a position where we didn’t have to play from behind and that allowed us to get after them.”
The separation started with defense and special teams. Corydon Central lost four yards on its opening possession. Joseph Lamprich got to the quarterback on third down after coverage took away the quick throw, and Was Biggerstaff came free off the edge on fourth down to force a seven-yard punt.
“We had an unblocked player get there that made the ball kind of go sideways,” Higginson said. “I don’t think he actually touched it. But Was Biggerstaff did a really good job of just applying pressure and making the punter feel uncomfortable.”
Mount Vernon motioned Johnathon Crowe out of the backfield and gave Hall a direct snap. Ryan Lilleston sealed his man inside, and Hall scored from 20 yards with 7:54 left in the first quarter. The Panthers (2-8, 1-6 Mid-Southern) mishandled the snap on their next offensive play, and Levi Jones shed his block to recover the fumble. Hall scored again just 45 seconds after his first touchdown, breaking through several tackle attempts on a 19-yard run that extended the lead to 14-0.
“You try to arm tackle that kid, he’s gonna break it,” Higginson said. “I mean, I think he made six guys miss on the third touchdown there.”
Henderson scored from 40 yards up the middle with 3:48 remaining to make it 21-0. The hole got him past the defensive front, and his acceleration let him split converging defenders who had the angle but never got into position to make the play.
Hall added a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, completing his three-score performance, before Crowe connected with Lilleston on a 34-yard touchdown pass to send Mount Vernon into halftime leading 35-0.
Injuries forced Mount Vernon to change offensive-line combinations nearly every week through the first six games. Higginson said the same five players have now worked together for three or four consecutive weeks, and the broader starting lineup has settled as well.
“The starting 11 at Forest Park is not even close to the starting 11 right now on either side of the ball,” he said.
Under offensive line coach Brandon Merrick, the group has improved its communication and physical play at the point of attack. Against Corydon Central, the linemen established the line of scrimmage and continued working downfield, allowing the backs to reach the second level before significant contact.
Hall finished with 126 yards on 11 carries and went over 1,000 for the season.
“I don’t even know if Eastin knows that yet,” he said. “We haven’t really discussed much about that. It’s just one week at a time.”
Henderson added 114 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. Crowe completed 10 of 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Lilleston caught five for 85 yards, including the 34-yard score.
Jordan Greathouse intercepted a pass on third-and-nine late in the fourth quarter, setting up Paxton Boyd’s 1-yard score with one minute remaining. Wade York converted all seven extra points, and the Wildcats did not turn the ball over.
Altogether, the Wildcats gained 377 yards on just 38 offensive plays, averaging nearly 10 yards per snap.
The victory sends Mount Vernon (3-7, 2-4 PAC) to a sectional semifinal against Evansville Mater Dei (8-2, 6-2 SIAC) on Friday, Oct. 30, at Memorial Field. Mater Dei advanced with a 63-6 victory over Princeton (1-9, 0-6 PAC).
“Don’t let our record fool you,” Higginson said. “We’re a lot better football team, and when we execute well, we can play really good football. We just have to have that confidence going into the game that we can play with anybody.”
