Arlington passing game prevails vs. Mount Vernon

By Morris Malakoff

Herald Writer

ARLINGTON – On a night when dependence on a successful passing game might have been ill advised, Arlington’s Kevin McCormack and Mount Vernon’s Kyle Kendrick went to the air often. But it was McCormack who made the most of his passes as the Eagles defeated Mount Vernon 17-7 Friday in a key Western Conference North Division game.

McCormack was 13-for-21 for 166 yards and two touchdowns as well as three interceptions as part of Arlington’s 216 yards of total offense. Kendrick was 13-for-25 for 40 yards and one interception. Mount Vernon had 180 yards of total offense.

“I wasn’t expecting to throw so many passes in the rain and mud,” said McCormack. “But we practiced passing all week and I was confident in my game.”

That confidence and practice paid off less than two minutes into the second quarter. Arlington had a third-and-13 on its own 44-yard line after picking up penalties on three successive downs. McCormack dropped back and found Tyler Burt near the right sideline. Burt broke through the Bulldog defense and scooted into the end zone to put Eagles up 6-0.

Three minutes later, Arlington’s James Harrod recovered a Bulldog fumble at the Mount Vernon 29-yard line, one of two recoveries by the junior tackle. Two plays later, McCormack took to the air again, hooking up with a wide-open Jeremy Newell for a 30-yard touchdown, McCormack’s 12th touchdown pass of the season. Burt successfully carried the ball on the conversion to give the Eagles a convincing 14-0 lead.

The highlight of Mount Vernon’s game came with just under three minutes remaining in the half when the ball squirted loose from the Bulldogs on their own 29-yard line. As 21 players scrambled about looking for the ball, an alert Stanley Johnson scooped up the ball and romped unmolested 71-yards to cut the Arlington lead to 14-7 at the half.

In the third quarter, Arlington extended its lead to the final 17-7 score on a 29-yard Ryan Nielsen field goal.