No. 8 Mustangs escape CPU, 30-26

By Jeff Holmes

CENTER POINT — After trailing most of the night, Class 3A eighth-rated Mount Vernon managed to score a pair of late touchdowns to pull out a hard-fought 30-26 District win at Rogers Field.

The Mustangs scored on a safety less than two minutes into the game to take a 2-0 lead, and that was the surprising score at the end of the first quarter.

And then Center Point-Urbana went to work.

Stormin’ Pointer junior Swiss Army Knife AJ Ditch put on a show. Playing out of what amounted to a single-wing spinner-back position, Ditch got CPU on the board with a 36-yard scoring run. The two-point conversion failed, but CPU had a 6-2 lead with 11:11 to go in the half.

Ditch added another score to make it 12-2 but back came the Mustangs. A 51-yard run by junior running back Luke Robinson set up Robinson’s own 2-yard scoring run. Jack Carnes booted the extra-point, and the Mustangs were back to within three at 12-9.

The ensuing kickoff took place twice. The first time, offsetting penalties forced a re-kick and once again, CPU took full advantage. Stormin’ Pointer senior Karter Duffy picked up the kickoff near the far sideline at the four-yard line and proceeded to take it 96 yards up that far sideline to give CPU a stunning 18-9 lead with 6:07 left in the half, and that’s how the half ended.

Ditch scored his third TD with 6:16 to go in the third quarter then added the two-point conversion, and it was now 26-9 with 6:15 to go in the third, and you could almost smell the upset.

Almost.

Before the quarter ended, Mustang quarterback Noah Olson engineered a quicky sub-five-minute drive on a one-yard sneak. Carnes’ extra-point was good and with 1:22 (remember that time) to go in the third, Mount Vernon was within 10, 26-16.

Olson added a score with 6:23 to go and the extra-point made it 26-23. But the Stormin’ Pointers went on a near perfect drive, eating up five minutes of clock, while forcing Mount Vernon to use the last of their time-outs. But on a fourth-and-five from the Mustangs’ 42, the Pointers gave the ball back…with 1:22 to go in the game.

On the next play, Olson — who had not been able to connect to his deep game all night — hit wide receiver Maddox Curran for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Carnes’ kick made it 30-26.

The Mustangs move to 5-1 for the year, while the Stormin’ Pointers drop to 2-4.

MT. VERNON — 2 7 7 14 — 30

CP–URBANA — 6 12 8 0 — 26