How Mount Vernon took a big step toward return to being among area's best

In recent years, Mount Vernon had a difficult time finishing games.

One of the most respected programs in southwest Missouri, under head coach Tom Cox, had a bit of a rough patch from 2020 into 2021. Injuries hampered the hopes of making it back into the state championship as the Mountaineers did in 2017 along with a district title in 2018.

Young teams led the way for Mount Vernon amid what appeared to be a rebuild. A freshman quarterback started a postseason game during a 1-10 season before more youth paved the way in a bounceback 8-4 finish a year ago. The Mountaineers had a chance to win a district championship game over Cassville but couldn't finish the job.

So when Mount Vernon found itself tied at 14 and with the ball with less than two minutes left on Friday night at Logan-Rogersville, the Mountaineers had a chance to get over the hump.

"We've got a chip on our shoulder on wanting to finish the game," junior quarterback Gavin Johnston said. "We need to keep going to where we are able to bring each other up and to not argue or spread negativity."

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On 4th and 9 from Rogersville's 26, Cox kept his offense on the field. Even after Johnston threw a few interceptions throughout the night, Cox trusted his quarterback would make a play.

Johnston stepped back and looked deep down the middle of the field. He unloaded a fastball to Ryder Dampf who held on to the ball through a big hit to come away with what was ultimately the game-winning touchdown in a 21-14 victory.

"Coach Cox had a good play call and I just had to put all the other things aside," Johnston said. "I just had to trust Ryder and that he was going to be there and make a great catch and he did."

The win was Mount Vernon's first over Logan-Rogersville since 2019. The Mountaineers are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2020 before it went on to lose all but one of the remainder of its games. It appears very unlikely that will happen with this Mountaineers team as it looks like one that can challenge Reeds Spring in the Big 8 East.

Mount Vernon earned its way back into the conversation as one of the best teams in the Ozarks thanks in large part to its defense which is giving up 8.5 points per game. The Mountaineers were assignment-sound against the Wildcats and only allowed one big play that turned into a score.

Outside of the one 75-yard touchdown run, the Mountaineers allowed 102 yards the entire night. Logan-Rogersville's offense was limited as starting quarterback Thessen Prenger was sidelined forcing Logan-Rogersville into a wildcat (no pun intended) offense for the entire night.

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Two-way star Braden Dodson was all over the field defensively and he turned in most of the work for Mount Vernon offensively. The 1,200-yard rusher from a year ago went for 129 yards and a touchdown.

"He just gets pounded so much that we have to get him out of there sometimes," Cox said, although it never seemed like Dodson came off the field. "He does a great job. Our guys have a lot of trust in him."

Mount Vernon also has belief in its quarterback who typically looks like one of the better gun-slingers in the area. Perhaps some of those struggles came from the fact that the Mountaineers lost two of their top wide receivers in the week leading up to the game and were already without another one.

"We just have confidence in those guys," Cox said. "They've all worked on the same stuff. They can play both sides and we're going to get the most of that."

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Over the last few years, when the Mountaineers had a quarterback toss four picks, they might have lied down. But not anymore. Even after what Cox considered "not a very good week of practice," the Mountaineers turned it on when it mattered the most.

The win marked a sign of growth for a Mountaineers football program that appears to be on its way back to being one of the area's best.

"We finished the game," Johnston said. "That's the first thing Coach Cox said to us when we got in the postgame huddle. We finished the game."

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mount Vernon tops Logan-Rogersville in late thriller