It took a flawless defense and the duo of Joe Caudill and Markale Martin for Lexington to pull off an improbable win over Mount Vernon, 31-17 in a Sept. 8 game.
It was a tale of two halves as an early surge by the Yellowjackets saw them close the 1st quarter with a lead.
Early in the game, Caudill's pass was intercepted by the Jacket's Hunter Looney, resulting in a 12-yard return to the MV 36-yard line. Gabe Montoya successfully converted a 35-yard field goal attempt, giving Mount Vernon a 3-0 lead with less than 6 minutes left in the first quarter. The momentum continued for their team as Johnny Askew broke free for a 42-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a successful extra point, extending their lead to a 10-0 at the 10:05 mark in the second quarter.
The Minutemen fought back with Caudill executing a 1-yard quarterback sneak, and a good extra point, bringing the score to 10-7 in favor of the Yellowjackets with 7 minutes left in the second quarter. MV's Mason Richards orchestrated a 2-yard quarterback-keeper touchdown and a successful extra point, making it 17-7 in favor of Mount Vernon with 2 minutes and 48 seconds left in the second quarter.
Seven Allen electrified the crowd with an incredible 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and the extra point was successfully converted, bringing Lexington within striking distance at 14-17 against Mount Vernon with just 2:31 left in the second quarter. As the halftime whistle blew, the score stood at 14-17 in favor of Mount Vernon. The third quarter came to a close with Lexington trailing Mount Vernon 14-17, setting the stage for an exciting second half.
Martin scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown and secured the extra point to extend Minutemen's lead to 21-17 over the Jackets, leaving 10:53 on the clock. He wasn't done there, as just a few minutes later, Martin found the end zone once again with a 6-yard rushing touchdown, and the extra point was good, making it 28-17 in favor of Lex with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Lexington defense also played a crucial role in sealing the victory when Brayden Fogle delivered a critical sack on the MV quarterback, resulting in a 13-yard loss and a turnover on downs, giving Lexington possession of the ball at the MV 31-yard line with 5:48 left in the game.
"It took a second [for our line] to get up to speed, but we're getting there and our holes are opening up,” Martin told Mount Vernon News. “We have seniors (Aedan) Nicol and (Matt) Sheets up there leading and they’re getting our young guys in great spots and the holes are opening up.”
In a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter, Brayden Fogle delivered a crucial sack on the Jackets' quarterback, resulting in a significant 13-yard loss and a turnover on downs, giving Minutemen possession of the ball at the MV 31-yard line with just 5:48 left on the clock. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Will Perkins successfully converted a 29-yard field goal, extending Lexington's lead to 31-17 over Mount Vernon with 4:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Lexington defense remained relentless, with Keagan West intercepting Mount Vernon #4 Jake Taylor in the Lexington end zone for a touchback, effectively sealing the victory with a score of Lexington 31, Mount Vernon 17, and just 2:00 left in the game. As the final whistle blew, the scoreboard confirmed Lexington as the victors with a final score of 31-17 over Mount Vernon.
Martin and Caudill’s performance proved them worthy of the trust given by Lexington coach Andrew Saris.
“At one point [in the game] I stopped Joe (Caudill) and said we're going to ride you to the end,” Saris told Mount Vernon News. “[Plus] a couple of times where I saw Markale Martin just giving everything he had.”
He knew they had a slow start but eventually believed that "the ball has to get shared" and expressed how proud he is of the team.
"I thought Markale really, really shined tonight. Joe really shined tonight," Saris added. "Thought Seven's kick return was huge tonight, but last week, I thought we had Seven and Brayden and they just got to learn to play off of each other. And ultimately, I think what they're trying to find out is the best feeling because when you just win it and so, you know, whatever you got to do that moment, just do your job, that play."
