MOUNT VERNON – The Golden Eagles found themselves behind early in the second half, but rallied to pull out the 42-25 win over Mount Vernon on Friday night.
Ferndale found things working in the run game early on as senior running back Elliot Lenssen ripped off a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter which vaulted the Golden Eagles out to an early lead.
However, the Bulldogs put together a 16-play drive that bled into the second quarter, and it ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass.
Ferndale countered with another long drive, but it came to an end when Mount Vernon intercepted a pass, and returned it near midfield. Moments later, the Bulldogs connected on a 56-yard touchdown pass, and they cut the lead to 14-12.
Mount Vernon struck gold on another turnover on the next play from scrimmage by punching the ball loose, and falling on it deep in Golden Eagle territory. The Bulldogs then proceeded to take the lead with a 23-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion failed again for Mount Vernon, but it held the lead at 18-14.
Ferndale was able to grab the momentum back when senior wingback Jony Mahaffey’s long run on a double handoff flipped the field, and just before halftime the Golden Eagles were able to grab the lead back as senior Wyatt Broyles followed a pair of huge blocks by junior tight end Chance Hatchett and senior guard Braeden Hendrickson to score from a yard out.
The Bulldogs, now down 21-18, received the second half kickoff and put together another strong drive that got inside the 3-yard line. The Ferndale defense stiffened up and stuffed Mount Vernon on three straight plays, but on fourth down, the Bulldogs went to the air and scored on a 2-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead, 25-21.
From there on out, it was all Golden Eagles.
Ferndale was able to move the ball on the following possession, and on a 2nd-and-10 from the Mount Vernon 21-yard line, Lenssen took a stretch handoff to the right side, but it up field, followed junior tight end Hank Whitaker and Hatchett’s blocks, broke a tackle of his own, and then finally back flopped into the end zone to give his team the lead back.
In the fourth quarter, a 66-yard punt by senior Parker McManus put the Bulldogs back on their own 20, and when Ferndale forced a 3-and-out, Mount Vernon’s punt was caught at midfield by Lenssen who made magic once again by returning it past all the Bulldogs and into the end zone.
Lenssen then scored his fifth touchdown of the game to seal the deal on a 19-yard run, as the senior finished with 200 yards on the ground.
A late interception by Mahaffey closed the door on the game as Ferndale won its opening conference game of the season.
The Golden Eagles (4-1) will host Oak Harbor (1-4) on Friday at 7:00.
Ferndale 42 Mount Vernon 25 FER 14 7 7 14 - 42 MV 0 18 7 0 - 25 FER - Lenssen 3 run (McManus kick) FER - Lenssen 34 run (McManus kick) MV - 9 yard touchdown pass (kick blocked) MV - 56 yard touchdown pass (run failed) MV - 23 yard touchdown pass (pass failed) FER - Broyles 1 run (McManus kick) MV - 2 yard touchdown pass (kick good) FER - Lenssen 21 run (McManus kick) FER - Lenssen 50 punt return (McManus kick) FER - Lenssen 19 run (McManus kick)
FER E-W 44-348 Rush Att-Yards 28-39 3-8-1 Comp-Att-Int 19-34-1 39 Passing Yards 251 Individual Leaders RUSHING - FER: Lenssen 20-200, Broyles 10-60, Mahaffey 4-55, Saab 1-14, Kelly 3-7, Hatchett 2-6, Belyatskiy 2-3, Larson 1-3, Bailey 1-0. E-W: N/A. PASSING - FER: Saab 3-8-1-39. E-W: N/A. RECEIVING - FER: Hatchett 2-37, McManus 1-2. E-W: N/A.
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