Reporter: Chris Gambino
It was a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon at The Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, New York, where the Knights of Mount Vernon High School played their first home game, a 7-6 win against Suffern. Despite the low score, this game was packed with exciting moments, a strong running game from Mount Vernon, and most importantly, a defensive clinic, especially in the red zone.
After suffering a 31-10 loss on the road last week against Kingston, Mount Vernon sought to right the ship at home, but an early pick six forced a 6-0 deficit in the first quarter. As a preview for this upcoming season, quarterback Trystian Stewart has a good arm, making valuable connections with wide receiver Antwan Carty and, most importantly, running back Jeremiah Morgan. However, he struggled making long throws, one of them being intercepted for the pick six. The Knights’ offensive line has potential, but occasional key mistakes resulted in two sacks on the junior QB.
The running game in this one was very strong. Jeremiah Morgan, a 5’9″ junior, made three 40-plus-yard gains, one of them resulting in a third-quarter touchdown. My takeaway is that while Stewart has a good arm, and his ability to make short passes was key to the scoring of Mount Vernon’s lone touchdown, a stronger connection to his wide receiver corps is necessary, as apart from Carty it was practically nonexistent.
If Mount Vernon is going to make a name for themselves this season, it is surely going to be on defense. Specifically, cornerbacks Javon Cline and Antoine Crenshaw kept wide receivers in check, and DT Larry Davis stood out, essentially silencing Suffern’s running game. Their defense was immensely clutch, especially in the end zone, most notably at the very beginning of this one, and at the very end. Notice that Suffern’s early touchdown only resulted in six points. That’s because Mount Vernon stopped Suffern’s running back at the one-yard line during a two-point conversion attempt. At the very end of the fourth quarter, with a crowd of Mount Vernon students at the edge of their seats and Suffern threatening to score a potentially game-winning touchdown, two massive incomplete passes and an incredible stop at the five-yard line preserved a 7-6 lead for Mount Vernon as the clock ran out.
While amazing defense and timely offense won a critical game for Mount Vernon, their success this year will be tested as they take a short drive on the Hutchinson River Parkway to New Rochelle High School to take on the Huguenots on September 18th.
I like the passion that the Knights played with, and the urgency on defense that was demonstrated early in the game. Understanding Suffern’s ability to take advantage of offensive miscues and occasional fumbles, the Knights’ defense treated this one like a championship game. Offense was slow, but I expect this is not the last that running back Jeremiah Morgan will be mentioned in these articles. Regardless of how this season ends up going for the Knights, their ability to respond to a tough loss and a very early deficit is a key trait to keep in mind when analyzing the remainder of their season.
