Gregory carries Jackets to 48-22 rout over Madison

MOUNT VERNON – Lucky underwear?

Mount Vernon senior Wyatt Gregory has a number of rituals he performs as he prepares for Friday nights on the gridiron. They include when to eat, what to eat, where to go and what to wear.

Yes, that includes his tighty whities.

“I put on my lucky underwear, I put on my long socks and I eat lunch, but not dinner,” Gregory said after Friday’s 48-22 victory over Madison Compehensive at home. “I’m a wrestler, so I don’t eat much.”

Gregory’s rituals paid off Friday. He finished with 197 yards and became the first Mount Vernon rusher to gain 1,500 yards in one season since J.D. Orr in 2014.

No one would fault the Yellow Jackets for expecting their game against an 0-7 opponent to be a walk in the park. However, it turned out to be anything but a simple stroll as the Rams matched them blow for blow through two periods.

Nursing a slim 21-14 halftime lead, Mount Vernon head coach Mike Kerr lit into his team in the locker room.

“Coach (Kerr) really got into them (the defense) at halftime. It was really scary,” Gregory said. “I’d never heard him yell like that.”

The Jackets responded.

First, they scored on their opening drive of the second half when Gregory took it in from 34 yards out.

Two plays later, a sack on Madison quarterback Jarrett Mandusic caused a fumble, which was recovered by Mount Vernon freshman Joel Hubbard at the 18. Gregory then carried the ball four times for 18 yards on the ensuing drive, scoring the last of his four touchdowns on the night.

Mount Vernon (5-3, 2-2 Ohio Capital Conference) wasn’t done yet.

The Jackets scored on their next two drives – both on short touchdown carries by A.J. Keen. The lead grew to an insurmountable 48-14 by the end of the third quarter.

Mount Vernon’s defense, which had allowed Rams’ star rusher Jamaal Coleman to run past them throughout the first half, stiffened in the third quarter. After allowing 115 yards at halftime, the defense held Coleman to minus-2 yards until the final play in the third.

“It all starts with our defensive line,” Kerr said. “They (Madison) controlled the line of scrimmage. In the second half, we shifted some guys around. But, it was all about attitude. Once they got that straight, they knew they would control the line of scrimmage.”

The Rams didn’t help their own cause. They were flagged for four personal foul penalties in that period, resulting in one ejection.

Madison didn’t travel to Mount Vernon just to lose. In the first half, it showed.

Trailing 7-0 after Gregory’s first touchdown run, the Rams (0-8, 0-4 OCC) evened the score on a 20-yard scamper by Jamaal Coleman. Later, they evened the score again when Mandusic completed a pass to a leaping Isaac Brooks in the endzone.

Coleman finished with 198 yards on 26 carries. Mandusic was 2 of 8 for 32 yards passing.

Mount Vernon took a 14-7 lead when quarterback Trey Davidson rolled to his right and scored from 15 yards out. Gregory’s second touchdown made it 21-14 at the half.

Davidson was 2 of 5 for 25 passing yards. He ran for 135 yards on just seven attempts. Backup quarterback Britton Long played the entire fourth quarter, completing 3 of 5 passes for 28 yards.

Keen had seven rushes for 53 yards. Braden Spearman gained 34 yards on three carries.

Madison’s 22 points was the most the team scored all year. The Rams’ previous high was 21 in their 54-21 loss to Wooster.

Mount Vernon hosts Mansfield Senior in its final home game next Friday. Madison hosts Lexington in its final home game.