Box Score
The College of Mount St. Joseph held a 14-9 lead at the half today, and had a 24-9 advantage with 5:55 left in the third quarter, only to surrender three unanswered second half TDs falling at Hanover College, 28-24. The Lions, 1-1 overall, 0-1 in the HCAC, will be back in action on Sept. 22 when they travel to Bluffton University for an HCAC contest. Hanover improves to 1-2 on the season, 1-0 in the conference, with the win.
The Panthers tallied the game's first points, when they scored on their first possession of the game. They missed the PAT kick and that was the only points either team would score in the first quarter as the Mount had three possessions in the opening quarter. The Lions' defense turned things around early in the second quarter, however, as Tyler Elrod (Harrison, OH/Harrison) intercepted a Hanover pass at the Mount 39-yard-line, and the Lions scored two plays later when James Clay (Louisville, LY/duPont Manual) raced 61 yards for a touchdown. Dan Dripps (Wapakoneta, OH/Wapakoneta) added the PAT kick giving the Mount a 7-6 advantage. Hanover would convert a 20-yard field goal on the following possession to grab a 9-7 lead. Two possessions later, the Lions would go 70 yards in 10 plays, and over six minutes, with Clay finishing the drive on a three-yard TD run - and Dripps converted the PAT kick - to give the Mount a 14-9 lead with 2:14 left in the half. The Mount defense then came up big again, halting a Panthers' drive at the Lions' 34-yard line when Raphael Allen (Trotwood, OH/Trotwood-Madison) intercepted a pass.
The Lions received the ball first in the second half, and scored on their opening possession, as Clay capped a nine-play, 60-yard drive with a one-yard TD run. Dripps' PAT made the score 21-9 and the Lions appeared to be in control of the game. The Mount then stopped a short Hanover drive, and took over possession of the ball at the Hanover 21-yard line, following a 64-yard punt return by Clay. The Lions got the ball down to the Hanover one-yard line but were stopped on fourth and goal from the 10, and settled for Dripps' 27-yard field goal, putting them up 24-9. That would be all the scoring the Lions would do in the game, as Hanover stopped the Mount on the Lions' next three possessions and in turn scored TDs with 1:58 left in the third quarter, 11:58 in the fourth quarter, and the go-ahead score with 8:33 left in the game. On the Mount's final possession of the game, they moved the ball down to the Hanover 23-yard line, but were stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-three play.
Clay finished with 40 carries for 218 yards, and three TDs, as the Lions rushed for 245 yards as a team. Jason Stinebaugh (Springboro, OH/Springboro) came off the bench for the Mount and completed eight-of-16 passes for 100 yards while Tyler Feine (Cincinnati, OH/Amelia) had three receptions for 44 yards. Hanover rushed 26 times for 108 yards as a team while passing for 399 yards, completing 33-of-48 attempts for three TDs and two interceptions.
Cam Dierig (Ft,. Thomas, KY/Highlands) led the Lions' defense with eight tackles and a sack.
