Hounds mix things up in loss to No. 10 Mt. Vernon

MT. VERNON – And the beat goes on.
With less than two minutes left in another lopsided Friday affair for the Fort Madison Bloodhounds, pads popped as Justin Maitner and Marcus Guzman put a lick on Mustang at midfield. There was no lack of effort here tonight.
The Hounds fell 56-7 to Class 3A No. 10 Mt. Vernon at the brand new Martha Parson’s Athletic Complex in District 4 action. It was the fourth time this year Fort Madison has been held to just one score and the fourth time they’ve been beaten by more than 25 points.
The Hounds were without Tateum Schelich who fractured his shin last week and then lost his replacement freshman Brody Ulik who had to be carted off the field for x-rays after hurting his leg on a kick return.
Head Coach Derek Doherty said he asks the Hounds for toughness, effort and attitude each week, and none of the 33 people who made the trip from Fort Madison to watch the game would say they saw anything less.
The highlight of the night came on a 95-yard touchdown strike with less than a minute to go in the third quarter. Guzman had just been sacked for a 10-yard loss and was staring at 3rd and 20 from the Fort Madison 5. He took a snap and tried to hit senior Brody Cashman on a quick slot route that had been missing all night. The ball went off of Cashman’s hands and popped out to Tristan Marshall who was behind a pulled-up Mustang secondary. Marshall secured the ball, turned, and raced about 75 yards to the endzone for Fort Madison’s only score.
They trailed 42-0 at the time and the game was moving quickly with the running clock. But it seemed like the Hound sideline let out a collective exhale. No effort lost here.
A subdued Doherty said after the game it was nice to catch a break.
“It’s good to know that every now and then, in the middle of all this, the ball can bounce our way every once in a while,” he said.
Offensive coordinator Dylan Musselman, who moved here this year from Alabama, said tongue-in-cheek, it happened just the way they drew it up.
“Yeah we had been drilling that one and figured it was time to pull it out of the bag,” he said.
The loss moves Fort Madison to 0-7 on the year with two more games at home starting with Mt. Pleasant next weekend for Homecoming and then Washington at home to wrap up the year on Oct. 25. Both games have 7:30 p.m. start times.

Fort Madison rolled out with freshman Stefan Berlett taking snaps and Guzman moving around the offense as a running back and receiver with Fort Madison trying to get him in some open space. Guzman and Berlett would platoon at quarterback throughout the night. Guzman would finish 4-15 for 119 yards, a score and two picks. Berlett went 3 of 7 for 19 yards. Marshall had three receptions on seven targets for 111 yards and the lone touchdown. Cashman had three catches for 23 yards, but was targeted 10 times.
Guzman and Cashman each had five tackles to lead the defense.
Things started rough on offense when Guzman coughed up the ball on the Hounds second play of the night. Mt. Vernon would recover at the Fort Madison 26 and go in five plays later when Cooper Hird slipped in from the 7 for an 8-0 lead with the 2-point conversion.
On the next Hound possession, after three quick plays, the Mustangs went after the punt deep in Fort Madison territory and got a hand on Henry Graham’s kick. The ball got free but went straight up and landed at the Hounds 22 and Mt. Vernon would punch it in two plays later when Jase Jaspers hauled in back-to-back passes the second for a 2-yard screen into the endzone.
Guzman would then throw a pick on 2nd and 11 in the Hounds’ next series and Mt. Vernon would convert that turnover into a 22-0 lead on a 7 play, 26-yard drive.
The Mustangs would score on every possession with the exception of a punt in the fourth quarter. The running clock was activated in the second quarter and Mt. Vernon would run in their second team offense in the fourth quarter.
Doherty said the Hounds were just outmanned.
“That’s a good football team over there and good program. I was really proud of the kids effort and attitude, but we were just outmatched,” he said.
Despite the effort, toughness and attitude the Hounds carried for four quarters, Doherty said the Hounds have execution problems.
“We’re missing wide or high, or the receiver’s not getting to their spot quick enough, or are out too wide. We had opportunities in possessions, we just can’t get the execution,” he said.