Mount Vernon Runs Over Stuart 35-21

Heading into Thursday game against Stuart, Mount Vernon head coach Barry Wells knew this week would be a bit different from others. Fairfax high school football teams played their games Thursday evening to accommodate Yom Kippur, which begins Friday at sunset.

“It’s a little tough. We like to be diligent in preparation and we only really had two days of hard work because of our practice schedule. It’s a little tough to get ready,” said Wells.

“We knew that they [Stuart] would be prepared coming in.”

Mount Vernon (4-2, 3-0 National District) hosted Stuart (2-4, 0-3 National District) Thursday evening in a pivotal National District matchup. The Majors entered the contest undefeated in district play and looked to gain ground on district leader Yorktown (6-0, 4-0 National District).

Stuart suffered their second National District loss last week and desperately needed a win to stay relevant in the district hunt. Unfortunately, it was not their night. The Majors defeated Stuart 35-21 Thursday, for their third consecutive victory. It was also the teams' second win over Stuart in as many years.

, had a career night rushing. The explosive running back gashed Stuart’s defense for 138 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while adding another touchdown receiving. He also successfully kicked three extra points.  

“I felt that I did very good. I told coach that I was not going to let him down this game. I wanted to do my assignments, run hard and score touchdowns,” said Oyedele.

Injury however, put a damper on his impressive performance. The senior exited the game late in the fourth quarter after going down with an apparent lower leg injury. He was helped off the field after nearly five minutes and taken to the sideline where trainers wrapped a bag of ice around his ankle. After the game, he was able to walk around slowly without any assistance.

Before the injury, Oyedele, who also serves as the team’s place kicker, kickoff specialist, kick returner and punter, was virtually unstoppable. He scored three different ways and helped ease the load off quarterback Robert DeCardi-Nelson, who finished the evening with a 51-yard touchdown scamper and 60-yard touchdown pass.

“The team depends on me a lot. When I got injured, everyone came up to me and said that I would be ok. I had the full support of everyone behind me,” Oyedele said.

Mount Vernon’s defense, which has been stifling during the team’s current three-game win streak, kept Stuart's offense at bay for most of the night, giving up three touchdowns.

After watching Stuart’s junior varsity team run a few trick plays during a game yesterday evening, Wells became a little worried and admitted half-jokingly that it even affected some of his early morning sleep.

“We saw their junior varsity game last night and knew that there would be some gadget plays … I talked to my defensive coordinator, Lloyd Jackson, about 8 o’clock this morning,” he said.

“I woke up thinking about it because I knew we were going to see it. And he came up with a fabulous scheme.”

Apart from a 42-yard touchdown pass courtesy of a gadget play, Mount Vernon’s defensive unit remained disciplined and did not allow another. They also forced three fumbles and held Stuart quarterback Jevonte Robinson to just three completions.

With another National District win in the column, the Majors have a week to prepare for their Oct. 14 game at Hayfield. Hayfield defeated Mount Vernon 14-10 on the final play of the game last year, so a win against the Hawks would be extra sweet. Oyedele hopes to be fully healed and ready to go.

“It feels bad right now. But if I ice it daily, I hope to play by the next game,” he said.

All signs point to Mount Vernon and Yorktown meeting on Oct. 28 for a chance at the National District title, but Wells remains focused on the present.

“We’re taking it one game at a time and trying to take care of business each week.”

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