Panthers pound Hounds

FT. MADISON — It didn’t take a game-winning field goal to decide things this time when the Mt. Pleasant football team traveled to Ft. Madison for Bloodhound Homecoming.

The red-hot Panthers got even more so with a dominant win over their Southeast Conference and Class 3A District 4 foe, blowing the Bloodhounds out 61-0 to spoil Ft. Madison’t Homecoming game for the second-straight year.

After grinding out a 16-14 win on the very same field less than one year earlier, Mt. Pleasant scored 23 points in the first quarter and 21 in the second to make it a short night for everybody in attendance, as the entire second half was played under the running clock.

Mt. Pleasant spread the ball out at will as seven different Panthers scored touchdowns in the victory.

Grayson Walker had an efficient day throwing the ball, going 9-for-11 for 102 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow junior Charlie Syfert got in on the action as well, throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Brody Clark’s four catches for 46 yards and a touchdown led the Panther receiving game. Kaden Schadt had three catches for 33 yards and a score. Carter Gehling caught Syfert’s 27-yard strike, and Merrick Lamm found the end zone on a six-yard reception.

The Panthers scored four times on the ground. Ramzy Davis ran for 114 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Helling went for 107 yards and a touchdown, and Griffen Jones rumbled for 65 yards and two scores.

Max Sloat led the Panther defense with five tackles. Jack Newman and Clark each had 4.5 tackles. The Panthers didn’t get any takeaways, but did block a punt early in the contest.

It was the most points the Mt. Pleasant football team has scored in a game since a 64-61 loss in Washington in 2019.

Mt. Pleasant is now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in district play with three games to go. The Panthers play at Keokuk (3-3, 1-1) this Friday night. That game is Keokuk’s Homecoming game as well.