PATASKALA — Quarterback Mason Richards rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown and threw for another score as Mount Vernon held on for a 28-27 win at Watkins Memorial on Friday.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 5-2 overall and are tied atop the Licking County League Buckeye Division standings with Licking Valley at 2-0. The unbeaten Panthers blanked Zanesville 44-0.
Watkins (2-5, 1-1) led 21-7 late in the second quarter before the Yellow Jackets staged their comeback. Richards sparked the rally when he scored on a 7-yard run with less than a minute to play in the opening half to make it 21-14 at the break.
Mount Vernon tied it midway through the third when Richards hooked up with Landon Dawson on a 16-yard scoring strike. Dawson scored Mount Vernon’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run.
The Yellow Jackets took the lead when Nolan White scooped up a fumble and went 11 yards for the score with 4:57 remaining in the third.
Watkins scored with 1:16 remaining in the fourth to make it 28-27 but the two-point conversion attempt was no good.
Richards went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season in the win. He now has 1,081 yards on 131 carries.
Luke Mullins led the defense with 13 tackles. Cash Ewers recorded a pair of sacks.