On Friday I made the almost three hour drive to Delta High School in Muncie Indiana.
I arrived early and was able to meet a guy, who has worked the grill for twenty five years to feed anyone, who wants to eat at the pregame and post game tailgate party. I was introduced to the athletic director and want to give major props to them, for their hospitality.
They not only feed everyone at the game’s, and ask for donations, which most people seem to be good with,they provide free rosters to all fans with both teams on it. Ohio could take a lesson.

Mason Hunt#52 had six big plays, including a pick six

The matchup was between Mt. Vernon and the home team the Delta Eagles.
Both teams are members oh the Hoosier Heritage Conference. a conference made up of eight teams.
In the match up last season Mt. Vernon posted a 31-26 win, so the Eagles were looking for a little payback.Just twenty nine seconds into the game the Marauders got a big play from their 5-9 167 pound linebacker Jack Robinson,who stuffed the Delta quarterback Brady Hunt for a short loss, after a he mishandled the snap from center. Hunt, who is a Sophomore that stands 6-5 would get quick redemption, when he lofted a beautiful pass downfield to a wide opened Cameron Levers, with the end result being a 47 yard gain. The drive fizzled out three plays later, with the ball being punted away.The Eagles defense would make quick work of the Mt. Vernon offense as they gave up only eight yards.
Te Eagles offense would need 6 plays to go 55 yards for the games first score. The scoring play was a 36 yard pass from Hunt to a wide opened Wesley Stitt, after Zac Stanley made the point after kick, we had a 7-0 game, with 5:47 left in the opening quarter.

The cheerleaders all were very athletic

Mt Vernon would get a catch from their big 6-5 tight end, at the 4:52 mark of the quarter, but he put the ball on the ground and coming up with it for the Eagles was, Levers. Levers was putting his stamp on this game early, as this was his second big play on the night.
The Eagles would manage a 30 yard field goal from Stanley, who only got the kick off after Matthew Schwer was able to get the bad snap down. The score was now 10-0, Delta with 3:16 showing on the first quarter clock.The quarter would end with Max Burhenn stopping the Eagles Zach Garner for a 5 yard loss.
The Marauders really needed a big play, after falling behind by 10 points.The 2nd quarter seem to fly by with bot teams showing little on offense, thanks to both defenses flexing their muscles.
The quarter had 5:51 left, when Hunt connected with Dalin Case for a gain of 15 yards.Then a hard run by Wesley Woodin, who broke a tackle form Burhenn, on his way to a 9 yard gain. Case would make a diving catch at the 4:16 mark to set up a fourth and three, with 4:16 left. The Eagles opted to go for it on fourth and three, but the Marauders were ready as they stopped Cody Howard short of the first down marker, with 3:32 left.

Shaun Shipley throwing out of his own endzone

The Marauders would avoid disaster when Keagen LaBelle put the ball on the turf, at the 3:16 mark but his teammate Cole Guy pounced on it, like a fat man pouncing on a burger. Shaun Shipley would find Burhenn for a 15 yard gain, with 1:43 left in the half. Then at the 1:07 mark the Marauders got on the scoreboard, when Shipley found PJ Sterrett for a 28 yard score. The pass was thrown as well as a Dwayne Haskins pass, made better by the fact Sterrett was double covered. The two point conversion pass failed, leaving this a 10-6 game. The drive went for 51 yards and took 10 plays.

With a little under a minute later the Marauders Ryan Cole picked off a Hunt pass, giving the ball back to his offense, who was fired up after their last drive and of course by the outstanding defensive play. The Eagles Zach Garner dropped a pick six with :51 seconds remaining in the half. The Eagles defense got the last big play of the half, with a sack on Shipley.

The Marauders would go on a 14 play drive, all runs that totaled 58 yards, but failed to score, when a 27 yard field goal was missed. Delta had a good showing on this defensive stand by Mason Hunt, who was all over the place, making things very hard for the Marauders during the drive.

Mt Vernon would decide to go for it on a 4th and three, at the 5:14 mark of the third, but the Eagles defense was up to the task and stopped Shipley short of the first down marker.

Then eleven seconds later Hunt found a wide opened Cameron Levers for a 68 yard touchdown. The pass hit the receiver in stride, making the score even easier. The big Sophomore quarterback sure throws a nice long ball. The point after kick by the super strong footed Stanley made this a 17-6 game.

Things got even worse for Mt Vernon when, Mason Hunt made his sixth big play of the game. This one was a pick six, at the 3:32 mark. The point after made this a 24-6 game. What was a close hard hitting game, was becoming very one-sided and doing so rather quickly.

Shipley would find Braxton Trittipo for 14 yards and a big first down, with 2:27 left.
Hunt stopped Dylan Cole for no gain on a screen pass, but a face mask call was called on the Eagles a first down. They had gone for it on 4th and twelve. Trittipo caught another pass, at the 1:06 mark and took it to the Eagle one yard line. From there Shipley scored on a keeper and then a two point conversion run from Ashden Gentry, this was a 24-14 game. The drive took 10 plays and went for 71 yards.

The hit of the game came from Matt Foor when he got in the Eagles backfield and clobbered Connor Bidwell , with a hit as hard as any the great Randy White made in his long football career. Delta would shake off that monstrous hit and get a 14-yard run from Wesley Wooden, who broke another tackle on his way to the gain. Then it would be a 12 yard gut run by Zach Garner, Those two plays set up a 28 yard touchdown pass to Levers on another sweet looking pass by Hunt.Another bad snap was set down by Matthew Schwer to allow the point after kick to be good and make this a 31-14 game, with 8:17 remaining.

The next 4:55 of the game belong to the Eagles.
Wesley Wooden would take off on a 26 yard gain to set up a 31 yard touchdown run from JaVaughn Whitfield. The point after made this a 38-14 game. The Eagles defense would cap off the night with a pick six by Tyler Gilland. The final points was the point after kick by Stanley, making the final score 45-14. I think the junior kicker from Delta will be playing in college on Saturday’s, if he wants to, The kid has a big time leg on him.

The crowd. a very good sized one was loud all game and stayed to the end, which to me something good to see.
Good luck to both of these teams as they go through a tough Hoosier Heritage conference schedule.

VERY UNOFFICIAL STATS
MT. Vernon
87 Plays
323 Yards
Passing
15-33 2 INT 1 TD

Delta
60 Plays
426 Yards
Passing
14-24 3 TD’S 1 INT

Hand shake after a hard hitting game