Montville Football Finds Going Tough vs. Vernon

The Montville Mustangs fell to 0-2 after suffering a 17-0 defeat to Vernon High School on Friday night in Vernon. A fumble on the opening kickoff led to an early Vernon score. After that, the Montville offense had difficulty moving the ball which forced the Mustangs defense to step up. Montville halted a monstrously long third-quarter Vernon drive that ended with a field goal. Just like last week in the loss against Mountain Lakes, the Vikings sealed the win with a breakaway score in the fourth quarter.

For a photo gallery from Friday night's game, head here.

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Total

Montville (0-2)

0

0

0

0

0

Vernon (1-1)

7

0

3

7

17

IN SHORT
Vernon’s strength this season is in its line. Many of the Vikings are two and three-year starters. So trying to establish a run-based offense against Vernon was not going to be easy for the Mustangs. Montville was only credited with 56 yards of offense from scrimmage and Vernon clamped down on the Montville’s “Flexbone’’ rushers in drive after drive.

Defensively, the Mustangs showed plenty of heart and battled the Vikings all night. They gave up ground at times, but they rarely gave in. Vernon controlled most of the third quarter with a grinding nine-minute, 15-play, 73-yard drive that brought it to the one-yard line. But the Mustangs forced a bad pitch at third and goal that kept the Vikings out of the end zone. Vernon would eventually hit a 27-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game. In the fourth quarter, Vikings back Tom Higginson broke off a 48-yard run with 11 minutes left in the game to make it a 17-0 contest.

MUSTANG OF THE GAME
David Liebowitz, Lineman—Anyone who was out on the defensive side most of the game earned the admiration of the Montville fans. Despite giving up 234 yards of total offense, the Mustangs defense gave a little but for the most part it held its own against a ground-and-pound team like Vernon. However, the defense will have to do a better job of making plays and forcing turnovers. Liebowitz is capable of making plays. He recovered a fourth-quarter Vernon fumble. It was too little, too late, but considering the Mustangs defenders were dog tired by then it was a start.

OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES
Montville accounted for only 56 yards of total offense and three first downs.

TOUGH OPPONENT
Vernon has plenty of candidates. The pick is Chris Gonzalez. The Vikings senior fullback isn’t big (5-9, 165) but he hits the line like a sledgehammer and relentlessly pounds away at his opponents. He had Vernon’s opening touchdown on a 5-yard run. Defensively, Ayre Stoner finished the game with three sacks and was one of many that wreaked havoc on Montville’s offense.

THEY SAID IT
"I think we have it in us to be great. I really do. We just have to fix a few mistakes. It doesn’t take one person saying that he believes in himself, it takes all 11 guys saying that they believe in themselves. The goal-line stand showed our team’s character and our team’s heart. There are still eight games to go and everybody is in high spirits. We can forget about this and go out next week and give it our all."–Montville lineman David Liebowitz

Up Next—Morris Hills next Saturday at Morris Hills, 1 p.m.