Chris Hugo
Section618.com
KANKAKEE — The Mt. Vernon Rams remarkable renaissance in Dan Mings’ return ended Saturday in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs at Kankakee, falling to the previously AP #1-ranked Kays, 16-14.
You would’ve thought the visiting Rams were the state ranked outfit after taking the opening drive 85-yards. The drive began with a Payton McMillen pass to Dazhion Baker for 18-yards before Fischer Davis had a 55-yard run and was capped off by a 1-yard TD run from McMillen.
The Kays put together a successful drive of their own marching all the way down to the Mt. Vernon 3-yard line. The Rams defense stood strong and forced a turnover on downs.
On a second down play from just outside the goal line, the Rams’ couldn’t escape the endzone, and the Kays got on the board with the safety.
It remained 7-2 until late in the second quarter when the Kays’ Jyaire Hill ran into the endzone from the two. Kankakee took a 9-7 lead into halftime.
The defenses traded blows in a scoreless third quarter until Hill picked off a McMillen pass and ran in a pick 6 early in the 4th to extend the Kays’ lead to 16-7.
The Rams converted a turnover into a score to get back in it. Kankakee was marching down field until a high snap got away from Larenz Walters, and Aiden Weems recovered the loose football for Mt. Vernon. That set up McMillen for another 1-yard TD run to pull the Rams within 16-14.
Mt. Vernon tried to pin Kankakee back on the following kickoff, but the Kays were able to move the football enough to run out the rest of the clock.
Mt. Vernon’s defense forced four different turnovers on downs and only allowed seven points in the loss. Offensively, Davis led the way with 63 rushing yards while Ethan Rivera had 54. McMillen completed 3 passes for 21 yards to go along with his two rushing TDs.
Walters had 86 passing yards for Kankakee while Tony Phillips had 42 rushing yards.
The Kays improved to 8-2 and will now play Peoria in the second round. The Rams’ season ends at 5-5 along with a South Seven Championship.
Coach Mings visited with Chris Hugo and Jake Linder to talk about the season. You can hear that interview here.