Mount Vernon’s long skid to Marion over

MARION - Forget ancient history. Mount Vernon was just looking to atone for last year's season opening loss when it played Marion's football team Saturday night at Thomas Park.

Memory erased.

Senior Mickey Hines ran for 109 yards and a touchdown, and junior Jack Cochrane 103 and a score to lead the Mustangs past Marion, 37-14, in a non-district game.

The game was delayed from Friday night because of lightning.

Mount Vernon (1-0) ground out 285 yards of rushing offense. Sophomore quarterback Drew Adams passed for 82 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 68 yards and another TD.

Mount Vernon snapped a seven-game losing streak to Marion that dated back to the 2005 season. The Indians beat Mount Vernon, 28-6, last season.

'We were more focused on last year, when they really got us and kind of hit us in the heart pretty good,” said Hines, who opened the scoring with a 9-yard scamper in the first quarter. 'We came out this year with awesome energy. All together and we knew we had to be all together to do it.”

Mount Vernon scored twice in the final 44 seconds of the first half to take a 21-0 lead at halftime.

Cochrane had a 6-yard scoring run midway through the second quarter. He took a lateral from Tommy Hook 47 yards on a hook-and-ladder play to set up a 3-yard TD pass from Adams to Hook with 4 seconds left in the first half.

'We have so many weapons. Our running game is awesome and we're going to keep shoving it down people's throats,” Hines said.

Senior Connor Herrmann caught a 6-yard TD pass from Adams in the third quarter. Adams raced 22 yards for a TD in the fourth.

Marion (0-1) suffered its ninth straight loss since last season's opening win over Mount Vernon.

The Indians rushed for 179 yards, but were throttled by four turnovers.

Kory Walsh lad all rushers with 145 yards and a touchdown for Marion. Owen Carstensen added 72 yards and a TD.

Marion plays at Washington (Iowa) Friday night. Mount Vernon is at Solon.