HANOVER, Indiana - The Mount St. Joseph football team hit the road on Saturday, heading to Hanover, Indiana to take on the Hanover Panthers to open Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference portion of their schedule. In a matchup of the top-two teams in the HCAC's preseason poll, the action did not disappoint. The Lions were able to secure the 49-41 victory in a high-scoring offensive affair to get the early advantage in the HCAC standings this season.
The Lions offense was clicking on all cylinders from the opening kick, for the game they put up 554 total yards (431 passing and 123 rushing), and were not forced to punt until the fourth quarter.
After receiving the opening kick the Mount moved the ball but faced a fourth and five from the Hanover 29, that's when
Tyler Prather found
Eli Aston for a 29-yard touchdown pass. Hanover answered quickly with a touchdown drive of their own.
On their next drive the Lions once again went on a long drive, this touchdown drive was finished when Prather found
Michael Hunkus for the 13-yard score. Once again the Panthers had an answer tying the score at 14 early in the second quarter.
The team's exchanged scores again and were tied at 21, when the Lions committed the first mistake of the game turning the ball over to the Panthers. On their first play they took their first lead of the game, scoring on their first play after the interception, they did miss the extra point taking the 27-21 advantage. The Mount got the ball back with 2:27 to play in the first half, take the ball 93 yards in 11 plays taking the lead back with just 11 seconds to go. Prather found
Kadin Pollard, who made a nice contested catch on a fourth and goal play from the one yard line.
Hanover received the ball to open the second-half, and the Lions defense came up with a big three-and-out to get the ball back to Prather and the offense. On just the second play of the drive Prather found Aston again, who eluded tacklers on his way to a 58-yard touchdown.
The defense forced a turnover on downs at their own one-yard line, but Hanover would draw within one with a pick-six. The Mount stretched the lead back out with another long TD pass to Aston, this one from 56 yards out.
An early fourth quarter touchdown run from
Jackson Gifford from 30-yards out gave the Lions the cushion they needed to secure the eventual win.
STANDOUTS yards and 4 touchdowns
UP NEXT
The Lions will try to move to 2-0 in HCAC play on the road at Anderson next Saturday, the game will get underway at 1:30 pm.
