VEEDERSBURG — If you were wondering if Southmont’s football team had anything left in its tank after its semi-state run from last year the answer is a convincing YES!
The Mounties opened the 2024 season with an offensive explosion Friday scoring on its first six possessions in the first half on its way to a 42-14 win over Fountain Central.
The game started off with a break for the Mounties as the Mustangs fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff. Southmont recovered on the Fountain Central 28. Three plays later the Mounties were in the endzone, and the point explosion had started.
After losing the bulk of its offense to graduation the Mounties unleashed its new version with a vengeance on the young Mustang squad. Southmont piled up 314 yard in offense (on just 17 plays) in the first half and had three one-play scoring drives and had three scoring plays which covered 50 or more yards.
“We had a plan and we felt comfortable with it,” veteran Southmont Coach Desson Hannum said. “We knew what they were trying to do, and we were able to work our game plan and execute it pretty well and then our guys’ athleticism took over.”
Leading the way was junior running back Avery Stadler. Two of the first three times he touched the ball he raced into the end zone. The first one was on a 21-yard run up the middle, the next time it was a 58-yard scamper around the end. Stadler added another score in the second quarter for his third score of the game. He had 122 yards on just nine carries before taking a spot on the sidelines for the entire second half, as did all the Mountie starters.
Junior quarterback Heath Tolliver enjoyed a great game in his first varsity start as well as he completed two of three passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. He threw scoring strikes to Aaron McMasters (19 yards) and Cale Chadd (53 yards). He also added a 57-yard touchdown run of his own. He helped to lead the Mountie offense to 309 yards on the ground and 72 more through the air.
For the Mustangs all was not lost. The Mustangs put up 264 yards in offense, led by sophomore quarterback Eli Foxworthy. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 91 yards and rushed a team-high 15 times for 115 yards.
“We just had way too many breakdowns,” Fountain Central coach Herb King, who was gunning for his 200th career win, said. “If we do what we were supposed to do we would have been OK. It starts up front, we have to block a little better. We are very young and will improve, but that doesn’t take the sting out of this right now.”
Southmont will entertain North Putnam and Fountain Central travels to Crawfordsville next week.
