The Mount Vernon Mustangs won in a landslide in last Friday’s homecoming game with an outstanding score of 41-7 against the Maquoketa Cardinals. It was a night to remember for all of the Mustang fans and a Mount Vernon football player who scored three touchdowns in the first half of the game. 

Owen Brase, senior, scored three touchdowns one after another during the first half of the game. “ We use a lot of different formations and motions to mix things up for other teams defensively,” Brase said of the win. “Every game is important but it’s nice to win on homecoming,” he said. It was an experience that nobody could forget. The night was perfect, the temperature wasn’t too cold, the sky was clear as a bell, and the atmosphere in the stands was what football stadiums were made for. 

During the first quarter, the Mustangs started off the game by scoring a touchdown on the fourth play. Henry Ryan scored our first touchdown of the night by receiving a hand-off and running 3 yards. Then the extra point was good by #14, Ben Crock. 10:56 on the clock, the score was 7 – 0 with Mount Vernon in the lead.

Mount Vernon’s second touchdown of the night was scored by Brase when the ball was handed off to him and he ran 3 yards. Then the extra point was good by Crock. 6:07 on the clock, the score 14 – 0 with Mount Vernon in the lead. After that, a Maquoketa player threw the ball where Ryan was able to steal the ball and give us the chance to score. 

Brase was able to score our third touchdown from a handoff where he ran 1 yard and stepped into the end zone. The extra point was good after the kick by Crock. 4:30 on the clock, the score was 21 – 0 with Mount Vernon in the lead.

The crowd was going wild at this point; the student section chanted our cheer song loud and proud and stomped their feet, making the bleachers vibrate at the First Street field. 

The Maquoketa team scored their first touchdown when Isaac Koppang received a handoff and ran 6 yards into the end zone. The point after the kick was good by Sean Swanson. 00:47 on the clock, the score was 21 – 7 with Mount Vernon in the lead.

The second quarter started with Quarterback Joseph Rhomberg passing the ball to Owen Brase who made an exciting 27-yard long run to the end zone and scored a touchdown. Ben Crock scored an extra point once again. 

“We do a lot of motions before the snap and have a good passing game offense,” said Ryan Naeve. “We like to play fast and want everyone to the ball on defense. We have to win our last few games to have a chance at playoffs so every game means a lot to us.” 

With 9:10 on the clock, the score was 28 – 7 with Mount Vernon in the lead. Brase yet again was able to carry an amazing play by making a long dash to the 36-yard line where Ryan was able to score another touchdown by receiving the ball from a hand-off and running 4 yards to the end zone. The extra point was good from Ben Crock. 1:56 on the clock the score was 35 – 7.

The crowd eruptede once the buzzer sounded, the Mustangs in a substantial lead and it was only the first half of the game. 

During the third quarter, it was a mad fight between the teams to get the ball to one of the end zones. Back and forth the football players tried to score a touchdown, but all that happened was Mount Vernon received a 10-yard penalty. The score remained 35 – 7.

The fourth quarter started and about halfway through it Jackson Rhomberg made an exciting 60-yard touchdown. The extra point was not good, so we received 6 points for that touchdown. 7:08 on the clock the score was 41 – 7 and it stayed that score until the end where the Mustangs claimed victory.

In the end, all of the football players high-fived each other and the Maquoketa team congratulated the Mount Vernon team. The crowd cheered as confetti shot into the air, it was a sight to see or in some cases be in when a horde of people ran onto the field.