By Catherine Yeoman

The football careers of 15 seniors came to a sad end Nov. 3 in the Class 2A state quarterfinal game against Williamsburg, but their hard work and dedication for the Mount Vernon football program brought them success during their careers. The 15 were part of the teams that achieved state runner-up 2015, state semi-finalist 2016, and district champs 2016 and 2017. Below are some highlights from six senior football players.

Jayden Weber (#85): Weber started playing   football during seventh grade and continued with it through eighth grade. He decided to rejoin his junior and senior year after being convinced by coach Matt Haddy that he would be a valuable player to the team. His favorite thing about football isn’t the sport itself, but the teammates he was able to play with and the memories they made. Weber’s favorite memory was before kickoff during games, “In our huddles before kickoff, Ryan Clark was usually humming some song from choir.” Weber continued to improve his skills on Sunday nights playing seven on seven games. Weber is undecided on where he would like to continue his education but would like to compete in track at the next level. The football team called Weber the heart and soul of the kickoff team and he frequently penetrated the backfield on punts.

Drew Adams (#9): Adams grew up enjoying watching football games on the weekends with his dad. That enjoyment transferred onto the elementary school playground during recess when he would play football with some of his classmates. He was also part of a flag football team. Adams really enjoyed the team aspect of the game and the relationships he gained, “I always just loved the sport and getting to run around outside during the fall.” His favorite memory of the season was beating Williamsburg and earning the district championship title for the second year. For Adams, football helped him find his future. He plans on going on to play football in college but is undecided on where. Adams finished the season by breaking the state touchdown passing record and had a completion passing rate of over 50 percent.

Coy Martin (#22): Martin started his football career in second grade playing flag football. As a young kid, he looked forward to putting on his pads to tackle other kids. As he got older, he continued to play football and improve his skills. Martin enjoyed his four years being part of this program, “It really wasn’t just a football team, it was more of a family and i’d consider all of my teammates brothers and part of my family.” He plans on continuing his education career by going to a college but has no set plans of continuing to play football. Martin had fun with his teammates but when it came time to get focused, they would. Martin completed the season with 46 total tackles including 13 solo tackles for a loss of yards by the opposing team.

Cale Snedden (#7): Snedden’s enjoyment for football started when he joined a flag football team with some of his friends at the age of seven. Football was always something that he looked forward to whether it was making plays or being able to compete with his friends. Snedden improved his skills by playing seven on seven and going to camps in the surrounding states. Snedden’s favorite part of being part of the football team was spending time with his teammates, “I’ve come to love the guys through the highs and the lows of the past four years and we pushed each other to our limits and helped each other in every way,” he said. The most memorable moment to Snedden was playing leapfrog during pregame stretching lines. After high school, Snedden plans to continue his football career at a four-year college. He finished the season with over 500 yards receiving and broke a Mount Vernon school record with seven interceptions.

Preston Shultz (#76): Shultz’s football career started on the Elementary playground playing with his friends. As he continued playing football, he became closer to his teammates. “Because of Mount Vernon football, I have created friends that I will have for the rest of my life. I would not be the person I am today without being part of this program.” Shultz most memorable moment was not during games or practices, but during the lineman dinners where they spend hours laughing and having fun together. He plans on continuing his education at a university or college and will always look back on his moments during his high school football career. Shultz was a key part of the line for creating holes for the running backs and protecting the quarterback.

Tyson Dew (#88): Dew began playing football as soon as he could. He would practice in his backyard or during recess at school. The family atmosphere and his love of the game kept Dew playing over the years, “It helped build me into the person I am now and really changed my life for the better.” His favorite memory is during a drill when one of his teammates flip tackled one of his other teammates in the air. Dew ended the season with 39 tackles and played an important role on the defensive line. Dew is still deciding on what college or university he is going to attend and is leaving the option open to play football as well.