By Andy States
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
His team may have squandered an early lead and watched as T.C. Williams came roaring back to force overtime, but Mount Vernon senior Kyle Ricks just knew the Majors were going to come out on top — especially after holding the Titans to a field goal on the first overtime possession.
“We had to get it done,” he said. “At first we were tired, but we had to work through it. When we stopped them and they got the three points we knew we could score.”
And score the Majors did, as senior quarterback Brian Green rushed into the end zone from 10 yards out on Mount Vernon’s first overtiime play to lift the visitors to a 23-20 win in the season-opener for both team on Friday night. Green and Ricks combined to grind out close to 170 yards and three touchdowns to spoil the opening of T.C. Williams’ new stadium.
“We told the offensive line, ‘If you give us a push we’re going to score,’ ” said Ricks, who rushed for 94 yards and a score. “They got us a push.”
Mount Vernon (1-0) led 10-0 at the half, but also fumbled away a couple of golden scoring opportunities in the red zone. The first fumble ended an 18-play, 71-yard drive to open the game. The Majors gave the ball up again on their next drive after driving to the Titans’ 10-yard line.
“That was real frustrating,” said Green, who made up for the turnovers with a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner. “We actually had a miscommunication on the first fumble. Everybody was funning one play and I was running another. It as actually my fault. I wanted to make it up to the team.”
After hanging close in the first half, T.C. Williams took advantage of some prime field position midway through the third quarter to punch it in on Abu Karmara’s eight-yard touchdown run. Early in the fourth Karmara again found the end zone on a nine-yard scamper to cap a 54-yard drive and give the Titans their first lead, 14-10.
Mount Vernon quickly answered with a 71-yard drive capped by Green’s seven-yard touchdown run to surge back in front 17-14. But a 27-yard Bryan Franks field goal knotted the score and ensured that T.C. Williams, which itself lost a couple of potential second-half touchdowns on dropped passes, would play on into overtime. But after the Titans were held to a field goal in the extra session, Green’s touchdown cemented a Majors’ win before darkness set over the field.
“[T.C. Williams] played a great game,” Mount Vernon Coach Tom Glynn said. “They hung in there. I thought we had them stopped and beaten and they hung in there and kept playing. Give them a lot of credit, to fight back and tie it up and force overtime. They did an outstanding job.”
Friday’s game marked the first time most of the Titans had ever played a home game as the team had not played at home in four years, according to Coach Dennis Randolph, who stated that three members of the team did actually play at the school on the freshman team as eighth graders.
“It would have been better if we would have started next week after the kids got here. Attendance was OK,” said Randolph, who is in his second year coaching the team. “We have to win to get people excited, but it’s great playing here. I don’t really know this as much as the kids that have been here because they’ve never played a game on a field at T.C. Williams.
“It’s huge to be home. We just have to get used to it.”
The Titans will get that opportunity next Saturday afternoon, when they play host to Centreville.
While playing at home was a new thing for T.C. Williams, opening with a win was a new thing for the Majors, who play at West Potomac next Friday night.
“That was key,” Glynn said. “We kept talking about it. We have to get going right away. We can’t wait until the fourth week of the season, the fifth week of the season to get going.”
“This is a good start for us,” Ricks said. “We always start off 0-1 or 0-2. Now we’re starting 1-0, so it’s a good start for us.”
Email: astates@digitalsports.com
Mount Vernon 0 10 0 7 6 — 23
T.C. Williams 0 0 7 10 3 — 20
Second quarter
MV – Ricks 3 run (Amereau kick), 9:24
MV – FG Amereau 23, 5:02
Third quarter
TC – Karmara 8 run (Franks kick), 6:01
Fourth quarter
TC – Karmara 9 run (Franks kick), 10:17
MV – Green 7 run (Amereau kick), 6:03
TC – FG Franks 27, 3:27
Overtime
TC – FG Franks 19
MV – Green 10 run
Top Individual Performers
Rushing — MV: Ricks 19 carries, 94 yards; Green 19 carries, 74 yards; TC: Karmara 13 carries, 57 yards.
Passing — MV: Green 2-of-7 passing, 39 yards; TC: Goehler 10-of-21 passing, 100 yards.
Receiving — MV: O’Clisham 2 receptions, 39 yards; TC: Via 3 receptions, 45 yards;, Taylor 3 receptions, 17 yards; Grosser 1 reception, 26 yards.
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