MT. VERNON, Mo– Two years ago, Mount Vernon was 1-10. Last year, 8-4 and played in the district championship. Coming into this season, Mt. Vernon has a little unfinished business to take care of and they have their sights set on something much higher.

Mt. Vernon brings back 11 starters from last year’s team that made it to the district championship, where they unfortunately fell to Seneca. So coming into this season, the Mountaineers motto is simple.

Head Coach Tom Cox said, “We were up 21 to 7 in that game and we couldn’t finish. So I think that’s been our our big push this year is to finish what we started”.

With the wealth of talent they have coming back. The boys are definitely excited about the upcoming season.

Junior Quarterback Gavin Johnston said, “We’re really confident this year on where we’re going to end and where we just want to make it better than last year. We want to get one step further than last year”.

After averaging 32 points a year ago, this Mountaineers offense is poised for another big year.

The Mountaineers return their three leading wideouts in Layton Pendleton, Braxton Horton and Jarrett Zerby. Guys like Brody Thompson, Jake Leeper and Ryder Dampf.

On the line, Kade Sexton, Danny Fields and Bryce Rinker are expected to be the anchors up front for the Mountaineers.

Junior Running Back Braden Dodson said, “Obviously, just keep working. And Coach Cox with the play calls is just really good and I mean Gavin has an arm like crazy and just you can just throw it up and in Jarrett, Layton and Jake, all of them will just come down and catch it”.

The duo to watch will be their star studded backfield with junior quarterback Gavin Johnston and running back Braden Dodson.

Johnston said, “We’ve been quarterback and running back ever since third grade, so ever since then we just clicked and everything like that. So we’re hoping we’re going to be able to click again like last year”.

Defensively, it will be senior linebacker Cody Downing leading these guys once again. Last year, Downing racked up 90 tackles and 22 tackles for loss.

Dodson said, “Cody is just all around like made it like a great linebacker. I mean, he knows how to blitz a gap and everything and he really leads our defense really well”.

The Mountaineers believe they could be successful because off the field they’re bonding together. But once they step on the field, it’s all energy.

Johnston said, “Every day, we’re in the locker room always playing music. We’re always jumping around everything like that. And once we come out to practice, we’ll always have juice…always”.

There’s high expectations, there’s excitement. So I guess the only thing left to say is mount up Mountaineer fans, because these boys are ready to go out and have a special year this season

Mt. Vernon will open their season on August 25th when they hit the road for McDonald County.