MOUNT VERNON — Welcome to Knox Pages’ 2026 high school football preview. Over the coming days, we’ll preview all the schools across the county. Each preview features this season’s schedule, last season’s performance, statistics, a player to watch and what fans can expect under the Friday night lights.
You can find all of our high school football previews here.
Buffalo Wild Wings and Pizza Cottage are proud to back our area’s local athletes and help Knox Pages provide fans in-depth coverage of the upcoming high school football season.
Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets 2026 Preview
Division: II
Region: 7
Conference: Licking County League, Buckeye Division
Coach: Mark Weber
Last year: 6-5
Playoff Appearances: 3 (2025, 2020, 1993)
Playoff Record: 1-3
PLAYER TO WATCH 👀
Landon Dawson: A highly-regarded tight end prospect, Dawson caught 16 passes for 306 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 264 yards and three TDs on 44 carries last fall. Defensively, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior made 50 tackles and registered a team-best six sacks among his team-high 11 tackles for loss. Dawson picked up an offer from Ohio State in mid-June.
BY THE NUMBERS 📊
3
All-Ohioans lost to graduation. Nolan White was a first-team pick on the offensive line, while Luke Mullins was a third-team linebacker and Mason Richards was an honorable-mention pick at quarterback.
6
Wins last fall, the most in a season since 2019. Mount Vernon hasn’t won seven games in a season since 2003.
5
Straight wins last season in Weeks 4-8, the longest winning streak since 2014.
57
Tackles during his freshman season for sophomore linebacker William Richards. He is Mount Vernon’s top returning tackler.
2025 RESULTS
Marion Harding 21, Mount Vernon 14
Mount Vernon 24, Newark 7
Delaware Hayes 41, Mount Vernon 34
Mount Vernon 35, Johnstown 34 (OT)
Mount Vernon 38, Heath 22
Mount Vernon 42, Zanesville 0
Mount Vernon 28, Watkins Memorial 27
Mount Vernon 42, Licking Heights 13
Licking Valley 58, Mount Vernon 13
Granville 35, Mount Vernon 13
Playoffs
Ashland 56, Mount Vernon 21
2026 SCHEDULE 📅
Aug. 21 — at Marion Harding
Aug. 28 — NEWARK
Sept. 4 — HIGHLAND
Sept. 11 — at Johnstown
Sept. 18 — NEWARK CATHOLIC
Sept. 25 — at Granville
Oct. 2 — LICKING VALLEY
Oct. 9 — at Zanesville
Oct. 16 — at Licking Heights
Oct. 23 — WATKINS MEMORIAL
TWO MINUTE DRILL ⏱️
Mark Weber was selected Ohio’s Division II Coach of the Year last year and with good reason. The Yellow Jackets qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1993 (Mount Vernon also competed in the playoffs in 2020, when all teams were eligible). Knox County coaching icon Ed Honabarger joined Weber’s staff after stepping down as the head coach at Loudonville. Honabarger built Danville into a small-school powerhouse during two stints as the Blue Devils’ head coach. Senior receiver and defensive back Bryce Hollenback has offers from several Division III programs. Freshman receiver and defensive back Emanuel Woods has an offer from Syracuse. The first order of business is replacing graduated quarterback Mason Richards, who rushed for 1,508 yards and 22 TDs and threw for 805 yards and 12 TDs.
Love high football? So do we! 🏈
Stay ahead of the game with exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes coverage, and expert analysis from veteran sports reporter Curt Conrad.
