Tigers lose 59-23 against Winnsboro

See more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GbutkMCQi/

The Mount Vernon Tigers fell to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in district play, losing 59-23 to the Winnsboro Red Raiders on Friday in Winnsboro.
The Red Raiders got on the scoreboard first with a touchdown, but the Tigers’ junior Jackson Grey connected with senior Brayden Baker for a 21-yard touchdown. Grey rushed in the two-point conversion, and the Tigers led 8-7 at the end of the first quarter.

“If we can focus on the right things, we proved that we can play with a team like Winnsboro,” said Mount Vernon head coach and athletic director Travis McClain after the game.
In the second quarter, Winnsboro showed why it's in the conversation as one of the top teams in 3A football, scoring 28 unanswered points to take a 35-8 lead. Grey found senior

Hunter Carroll for a 50-yard touchdown pass, and then Grey rushed in for another two-point try to cut the Red Raiders' lead to 35-16.

Winnsboro finished the first half with a long drive that ate up the clock and ended with another touchdown. As the teams headed to the locker room, Winnsboro led 42-16.
Mount Vernon was set to receive the kickoff to start the second half, but a Winnsboro onside kick bounced to the Red Raiders. “There are a lot of ways that that can be interpreted. I can promise you I'm not gonna take it personal,” McClain said. “From my vantage point, it did not look like that was a called kick because the tee went farther than the ball.” The possession led to a 22-yard field goal for Winnsboro, pushing their lead to 45-16.

The Red Raiders added another touchdown later in the third quarter for a 52-16 lead. Grey threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Carroll. After the extra point, Winnsboro led 52-23.
The Red Raiders added one more touchdown to close out the game.

With the loss, Mount Vernon slides down to the final playoff spot in District 7, behind Commerce, Winnsboro, and Malakoff. The Eustace Bulldogs come to Don Meredith Stadium on Friday night for the final home game of the Tigers’ season. “We've gotta get back to our winning ways because it's still a district ball game. It still has playoff implications,” McClain said. “ And we've just gotta reset, refocus, and get back to playing good football.”

Eustace is 3-5 on the season and 0-4 in district play, but Coach McClain wants to be ready for the Bulldogs' best. “They're playing hard football. They're playing physical football. And we've gotta show up prepared, or if we take them lightly, we're gonna get punched in the mouth,” he said.

The Tigers and Bulldogs will kick off at 7:30 this Friday in Mount Vernon.