The boys are back

MT. PLEASANT - It was a rough week for the Mt. Pleasant football team after a blowout loss at Fort Madison in Week 6, but the Panthers were healthier and happier seven days later, and they proved that with a dominating win. The Panthers partied like it was 1957, the last recorded time the two teams met, by beating the Grayhounds 42-16.

Mt. Pleasant used the ground game early and often. The Panthers scored the opening touchdown on a 22-yard touchdown run by Klayton Kleinkopf midway through the first quarter. After a Grayhound field goal, the Panthers marched down and scored on a five-yard run by Avery Scandridge to lead 14-3 after one quarter.

Burlington tried to cut the Mt. Pleasant lead back to one possession with a long field goal attempt in the second quarter, but the kick came up woefully short and turned into a huge play for Jack Johnson. Johnson caught the short kick at the Mt. Pleasant 10-yard line and evaded defenders for 80 yards to bring the ball all the way to the Grayhound 10. The Panthers capitalized, scoring on a 10-yard touchdown run by Grifen Molle, and it was 21-3.

The Panthers looked to be in full control just a couple minutes later when Molle fell on a Burlington fumble and Mt. Pleasant took the ball back into the red zone, but bad snap gave the ball back to the Grayhounds and Burlington scored on a 54-yard touchdown pass one play later to tighten it up at 21-10.

Mt. Pleasant busted it back open just before halftime. Johnson scrambled for a 65-yard touchdown run with 2:51 remaining in the half, and it was 28-10 at the break.

The Panthers dominated the second half, led by a defensive effort that scored twice off Burlington turnovers. Chase Williamson made the biggest defensive play of the game to step in front of a pass for a 50-yard pick-six. Then, on the next Burlington possession, Jaxon Glaha intercepted a pass, a 30-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Williamson, his second touchdown of the night, and the entire 2020 season.

'I've been telling Jack all week, ‘I need to get in the end zone soon,'” said Williamson. 'I had been going seven weeks without one and it was starting to bother me. He said, ‘I'll get you one.'”

Williamson's back-to-back scores put the Panthers up 42-10 after three periods. Burlington scored once in the fourth quarter, but the point after attempt was blocked by Carter Amos.

It was the first game back for many Panthers after a handful of players were quarantined due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Included in that group was star quarterback Johnson and a chunk of the offensive line, including Nebraska commit Henry Lutovsky, who was more than ready to be back after watching the Fort Madison game from home.

'I put the livestream up on a big TV, and I had to turn it off,” said Lutovsky. 'I kept beating myself up about it, but at that point, there was nothing I could do.”

Johnson went 4-for-8 throwing the ball for 85 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 110 yards and a touchdown. Kleinkopf had 41 yards rushing, and Isaiah Albirght ran for 30.

Williamson ended the night with 73 yards and one touchdown. Brady Hall caught one pass and also went 6-for-6 on extra points.

Molle had seven tackles to lead Mt. Pleasant's defense. The Panthers had three take-aways, the two picks by Williamson and Glaha and a fumble recovery by Molle.

'I'm just happy that everyone was able to contribute,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Shawn Striegel. 'We were able to come into this mostly healthy, and just happy to see these kids perform at the level they are capable of.”

Mt. Pleasant ended the season 3-3. They'll host a first-round playoff game against Benton Community this Friday.