Mount football squad drops to .500 in the HCAC with a 25-15 setback at Hanover College

Host Hanover College jumped out to leads of 13-0 and 19-7 and held off a late Mount comeback attempt today to defeat the Lions, 25-15. The Mount, now 5-4 overall, finishes HCAC play with a 4-4 mark and will conclude the 2010 season on Nov. 13 when they play in the Bridge Bowl game at Thomas More College.

The Panthers scored two TDs in the first quarter to jump out to a 13-0 advantage before the Lions got on the scoreboard. Chris Howland (Loveland, OH/Loveland) hooked up with Zachar Gerber (Payne, OH/Wayne Trace) on a 12-yard TD pass play. Brian Weimer (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) converted the PAT kick to cut the deficit to 13-7. Hanover would score again with about 2 1/2 minutes left before halftime, on a 10-yard run, but missed the extra point kick to forge ahead 19-7.

Neither team was able to dent the scoreboard in the third quarter. On the Lions first possession of the third quarter, they drove from their own 44-yard line to the Hanover 16 before turning the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass on fourth-and-11. The Panthers then took the ball down to the Lions' 20-yard line before Justin Berry (Cincinnati, OH/Roger Bacon) intercepted a pass.  A Howland to Ronald Regula (Miami, FL/Miami Palmetto) 37-yard connection moved the ball into Panthers' territory but the Lions came up empty when halfback Jake Davis (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) was intercepted at the Hanover five-yard line.

Hanover would go up 25-7 midway through fourth quarter but saw the Lions' answer back when Howland connected with Derick Tabar (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) - and the Mount added a two-point conversion - to make the score 25-15. The Mount's defense held strong on the next Hanover possession, stopping the Panthers in a four-and-out series but Howland was intercepted on the first play of the Lions' ensuing possession. The Lions' final drive of the game ended when they lost the ball on downs at the Hanover 35-yard line.

Howland finished 18-for-31 for 200 yards, two TDs, and two interceptions. Gerber had a team-high five receptions while James Clay (Louisville, KY/Manual Dupont) finished with 53 yards rushing on seven carries. Derek Termuhlen (Milford, OH/Milford) and Will Palmer (Atlanta, GA/Westlake) led the Mount with eight tackles each. Cory Ehrnschwender (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) added an interception.