MOUNT VERNON — After allowing Lake Stevens to storm back and take the lead late in the game, Mount Vernon responded and scored the game’s final two touchdowns to win 38-27 in a Wesco 4A showdown at Bulldogs Stadium Friday night.
After building a 21-7 lead, Mount Vernon allowed the Vikings to chip away and get back into the game after halftime. Lake Stevens eventually took the lead on Austin Otis’ 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
But Mount Vernon wouldn’t be denied its first league win. Bulldogs quarterback Tristan Brock orchestrated a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took more than 7 minutes off the clock and resulted in a Brock 1-yard touchdown run that gave Mount Vernon a 31-27 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
“The kids just kept grinding and grinding,” said Mount Vernon coach Jay Silver, who highlighted two big plays on the drive — a big catch by Miles Witt and second-effort run by Brandon Hayman — on third down that kept the drive alive.
Hayman carried the ball 28 times for 185 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bulldogs. He also had a big run to get the ball down to the 1-yard line on the key fourth-quarter drive.
“He’s got a huge heart and plays with low pad level and he just finishes runs,” Silver said of Hayman. “He battles and works really hard.”
Mount Vernon quarterback Tristan Brock had a number of big plays, including a 72-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter that put Mount Vernon up 14-7. Hayman tacked on a 51-yard touchdown run on the next possession to give the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game.
Brock finished with 10-for-16 for 112 yards passing and had seven runs for 83 yards and three touchdowns. He also played an integral part of the Bulldogs’ defense, which held Vikings running back Austin Otis to just 84 yards on the ground.
At Mount Vernon H.S.
Lake Stevens 0 10 10 7 — 27
Mount Vernon 7 14 3 14 — 38
MV—Melvin Walser 30 pass from Tristan Brock (Park kick)
LS—Andrew Grimes 1 run (Ponce kick)
MV—Brock 72 run (Park kick)
MV—Brandon Hayman 51 run (Park kick)
LS—Ponce 34 FG
LS—Grimes 4 run (Ponce kick)
LS—Ponce 27 FG
MV—Park 38 FG
LS—Otis 1 run (Ponce kick)
MV—Brock 1 run (Park kick)
MV—Brock 6 run (Park kick)
Records—Lake Stevens 1-1 league, 2-3 overall. Mount Vernon 1-1, 4-1.
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