What a game!

You got to hear the words "Touchdown" a lot this afternoon from Warrior Stadium at Warren Central, as Mt. Vernon beat Marion 63-44 in a wild game that, on a normal night, might have set records. We also saw a New Palestine team get better as the game went on and put the clamps on Richmond in a 29-7 victory over the Dragons on the day's first game.

In the second game, the only one that might be comparable was the Marauders' 63-49 victory over Pendleton Heights in 2004, a game in which PH's quarterback and receiver set state records and the Marauders had 600+ yards of offense. MV has broken the 60-point mark once since -- in a 67-20 win at Connersville two years ago.

MV junior Tyler Dicks had 309 yards on 28 carries at 5 TDs -- will have to do some research on whether or not that is a school record. Corey White had 90 yards, Anthony Burnett 78. And QB Jordan Miller completed 8-of-10 passes for 135 yards, as the Marauders rolled up 623 yards of total offense. MV had 30 first downs, as MV wns and scored nine touchdowns.

It all started with the opening kickoff, as MV methodically moved 54 yards in 10 plays, using a mixture of Dicks, Burnett and White and a strong push from the offensive line that kept creating lanes for the Marauders' backs before Dicks carried in from five yards out. But Marion needed just one play to answer -- a 65-yard run that made it 7-6 after the missed two-point conversion. It kept going like that -- Corey White's 22-yard run and another 5-yarder by Dicks that was set up by a 41-yard pass to Ryan Barker made it 21-6, and Marion scored on another one-play drive, this time from 69 yards out.

That made it 21-14. That was just the first quarter. And so it went -- MV scored on nine of its 10 possessions. Marion answered with lightning-fast precision -- it was 42-28 at halftime, and Marion's drives had lasted one, one, four and two plays. MV was a bit more methodical, but practically moved the ball at will in gaining 333 yards in the first half. MV broke it open when Tyler Dicks scored from 60 yards out to make it 35-22 with 9:01 left in the quarter. The big play came in the closing seconds of the first half. MV took over at midfield with 36 ticks left, and Miller hit Burnett for a 31-yard TD with three seconds left. MV led 42-28 at that point. Even a turnover that gave Marion a TD on the first drive didn't faze the Marauders, who kept answering -- another TD by Dicks, then a 3-yard run by Burnett that capped an 84-yard drive that took 5:26 off the clock, and a 40-yard run by Dicks with a minute to go to provide the exclamation point.

In the opening game, NP's passing game was again solid, although Richmond and QB Chandler Miller was very impressive early. The Red Devils continually drove into NP territory, but a missed field goal and a couple of drives that stalled on downs inside the 40 kept it a 7-0 game. NP dodged a bullet when a halfback pass was overthrown past an open receiver in the end zone on fourth down, and the Dragons then went to work. They drove 70 yards in 59 seconds to tie the game on a 29-yard pass from Connor Simmons to Brandon Wiggins. Then, Richmond's attempts at being aggressive backfired as the Dragons held, got the ball back and used a 31-yard pass to Brandon Collins to set up Wes Fox's field goal just ahead of the gun to make it a 10-7 Dragon lead. NP went for the jugular early in the second half, with Josh Penley catching a 69-yard pass from Simmons on the Dragons' third snap of the half, and Matt Siergiej put it away with two more TDs.

Simmons was 15-of-24 for 295 yards. Collins caught six passes for 115 yards -- his second straight 100-yard game, while Penley also had 101 yards on three catches. NP had 416 total yards, using a running game that was led bi Siergiej (67 yards, 2 TDs) and Austin Monday (60 yards).

NP hosts Pendleton Heights in what will be our Game of the Week next week. Join Mike & Andrew at 7 p.m. for the pregame show and 7:30 p.m. for kickoff on www.hancockcountysports.com.

The rest of the county (and HHC) docket next week
Pendleton Heights at New Palestine, 7:30 p.m. (live broadcast: www.hancockcountysports.com)
Delta at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.
Eastern Hancock at Indian Creek, 7 p.m.
Yorktown at Mt. Vernon, 7 p.m. 
Rushville at Shelbyville, 7 p.m.

We'll have the HHC Saturday Morning QB (in the afternoon) in a bit!