Explosive Mount Vernon captures 2A District 5 crown

WILLIAMSBURG - The only team that could slow the Mount Vernon Mustangs on this night was themselves.

Third-ranked Mount Vernon racked up an unofficial (and astronomical) tally of 720 yards of total offense, a figure that ranks No. 4 all-time in Iowa 11-player high-school football, and blasted No. 9 Williamsburg, 56-21, to capture the Class 2A District 5 championship Friday night at D.F. Miller Field.

'As the season goes on, our team gets better,” quarterback Drew Adams said. 'Our line is blocking. Our backs are running hard. Our receivers are catching balls. It was a total team effort.”

Adams passed for 445 yards, completing 19 of 29 passes, including eight throws to Cale Snedden for 289 yards. Snedden's yardage total ranks 12th all-time in state single-game history.

Not bad for a guy who suffered a concussion two weeks ago and missed last week's game.

'I felt I could outrun their defensive backs,” Snedden said. 'I thought I could get a quick step on them. I really felt that I had to step up tonight; it was a district-title game.

'And Drew can put the ball in tight windows.”

Just imagine what the Mustangs (7-2 overall, 7-0 district) would have done had they not turned the ball over three times.

Mount Vernon will host a first-round playoff game next Friday. Williamsburg (7-2, 6-1) is the district runner-up and likely will hit the road for Round 1.

The playoff pairings will be revealed on a webcast at 10 a.m. Saturday on the Iowa High School Sports Network website.

Mount Vernon was off and running (and passing, too) immediately. The Mustangs had 290 yards in the first quarter and 490 by halftime.

Adams had 352 passing yards at intermission, connecting with Snedden for three long touchdowns.

The aerial show began with Adams hooking up with a wide-open Snedden deep in the middle of the field for a 37-yard score.

Williamsburg answered immediately, Gage Hazen-Fabor returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a score that knotted it at 7-7.

Mount Vernon scored the next 28 points.

Adams and Snedden connected again for a 40-yard TD, then Sam Moore scored on runs of 15 and 19 yards. Snedden's third TD, a 53-yard reception made it 35-7 with 8:42 left in the half.

But Gage Blythe passed for a pair of TDs (46 yards to Graeson Trevino, then 32 to Justin Donohoe) to cut the margin to 35-21 at intermission.

Jack Cochrane scored a pair of second-half touchdowns, then Moore added his third on a 14-yard run.

Moore rushed 22 times for 163 yards.

According to the IHSAA record book, Mount Vernon was the fourth team in state history to surpass 700 yards of total offense. Sioux City North is the all-time leader with 798 against Fort Dodge in 2013.

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