The Nevada Tigers parlayed a powerful rushing attack and timely defensive takeaways into a 55-34 defeat of the visiting Mount Vernon Mountaineers to remain undefeated.
“This was a hard-fought victory,” said Nevada head coach Wes Beachler. “The final score is not indicative of what took place. I thought it was just a really good game that matched two good teams.”
Nevada (5-0) entered Friday night’s matchup as the No. 7 ranked team in Class 4, while the Mountaineers (4-1) rolled into town as the No. 7 ranked team in Class 3.
Boasting a defense that had yielded just 34 points through four games, the Mountaineers were unable to contain Jack Cheaney, as the junior tailback racked up more than 300 yards of combined offense. Cheaney’s monster performance was accentuated by a 72-yard touchdown romp down the left sideline, staking the Tigers to a 28-14 lead late in the first half.
The Mountaineers answered with a quick-strike drive that covered 60 yards in just 20 seconds, capped off by Calvin Dawson’s 25-yard touchdown reception to trim the deficit to 28-21 at the half.
The Tigers opened the second half with a methodical scoring drive that chewed up nearly six minutes of clock, with Cheaney finding paydirt on a 6-yard rushing score. An off-target extra point left the Tigers with a 34-21 advantage.
The Mountaineers moved quickly downfield, and on fourth down from midfield, quarterback Gavin Johnston linked up with Ryder Dampf for a 50-yard touchdown strike. After a missed extra point, the Mountaineers trailed 34-27 late in the third.
Facing a fourth-and-goal, Nevada sophomore signal-caller Kellen Braden eluded several Mountaineer defenders as he rolled to his left and scored on the five-yard run. The Tigers led 40-27 after a failed 2-point play.
The double-digit lead was short-lived, as Juliun Hernandez hauled in a 12-yard touchdown reception with 10:25 remaining in regulation.
Trailing 40-34 and back in possession, an ill-advised pass by Johnston as he was being pulled to the ground, resulted in an interception returned for a 20-yard touchdown by lineman Bryan Mendez.
“We got some big stops when we needed to,” Beachler said. “There was some adversity and challenges tonight.”
Leading 48-34 late in the fourth, Cheaney put the cherry on top with a 43-yard scamper to the end zone.
“Jack is a phenomenal running back with great vision,” Beachler said. “He sees the field well and knows when to cut back and change direction. Players like Jack can turn not-so-great calls into pretty good calls.”
While Nevada’s secondary grappled with busted coverage throughout the contest, Beachler credited Mount Vernon for its strong passing attack.
“Their receivers were hitting spots well and (Johnston) was throwing in rhythm, so they were tough to stop,” he said. “Conversely, we were running the ball really well most of the night.”
The Mountaineers also faced early adversity, losing All-State running back Braden Dodson to injury. Dodson, who entered the contest averaging 8 yards per carry, returned in the second half —but only on the defensive side of the ball.
After losing 19 of 20 games between the 2018 and ‘19 seasons, Beachler has orchestrated an impressive turnaround.
“I’m just happy for the players in the program,” he said. “It’s been a total buy-in, and I’m just proud of the way they play the game, and practice and prepare.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Tigers hit the road next Friday for a matchup with Big 8 East foe Cassville (3-2). Mount Vernon, meanwhile, hosts Springfield Catholic (0-5).
