Box Score
The Mount used a strong kick return game, and an opportunistic defense, as they posted a 35-12 win at HCAC-foe Anderson University. The Lions, 2-0 overall, 1-0 in the HCAC, will continue conference play on Sept. 24 when the take on Bluffton University in their home opener.
Jimmy Dan Conners (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded two, five-yard TD runs, with them coming in each of the game's first two quarters, and Dan Dripps (Wapakoneta, OH/Wapakoneta) converted two PAT kicks to give the Mount a 14-0 lead in the game. Brian Pitzer (South Salem, OH/McClain) and Sean Keller (Maineville, OH/Kings) hooked up on a 14-yard TD pass play with just over a minute to play - and Dripps' PAT gave the Lions a 21-0 lead heading into the locker room at the half.
James Clay (Louisville, KY/Manual Dupont) returned the opening kickoff for the Mount 91 yards for a score, and Dripps converted the kick again, to give the Lions a commanding 28-0 advantage. The kickoff return was the second-longest for a score in Mount history. A fourth quarter Anderson TD pass cut the lead to 28-6 but the Lions got another long kickoff return on the ensuing kickoff, when Joey Robertson (Middletown, OH/Bishop Fenwick) returned the ball 82 yards, down to the Anderson two-yard line. Robertson took the ball into the end zone on the game's next play. Anderson added a late TD pass for the final margin.
Four of Anderson's 14 drives in the game ended in an interception, with Konnor Blevins (Cincinnati, OH/Lakota West) recording two pickoffs. Will Palmer (Atlanta, GA/Westlake) and Cory Babbington (Lebanon, OH/Henry M. Gunn Sr.) each also had an interception. Blevins and teammate Tyler Hopperton (Walton, KY/Simon Kenton) led the team with seven tackles each while Juan Gomez (Johns Creek, GA/Chattahoochee) recovered a fumble on Anderson's last drive of the game.
The Mount rushed 50 times for 135 yards while holding the Ravens to 44 yards on 21 rushes. The Lions, which had three quarterbacks play in the game, completed 14-of-19 passes for 199 yards. Zachary Gerber (Payne, OH/Wayne Trace) had three receptions for 56 yards while four other Lions' players had two receptions each. Pitzer led the Mount with 38 yards rushing. Ten different Mount players carried the ball in the game.
