Mount Vernon cruises in opener; Hayfield and West Potomac also victorious

Jordyn Reid (21) and the Mount Vernon running game were too much for Edison on Friday at Mount Vernon.

For the past two seasons Mount Vernon’s offense often put up big numbers, primarily through the air. In the first game of 2018, the Majors showed they can still pour it on, but this time the damage was done mostly on the ground.

Behind junior quarterback Fonnae Webb’s three touchdown runs, Mount Vernon rolled over Edison 56-7 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.

The game was essentially over after the first quarter, which saw the Majors shoot out to a 35-0 lead. Junior running back Jordyn Reid got things going on the game’s first play, sprinting over right tackle 69 yards for a score. After Mount Vernon’s defense forced a punt, Webb ran it in from 29 yards out on the Majors’ second possession and the rout was on.

Webb, who moved to the area in May after attending McKinley Tech in Washington D.C. last year, credited his teammates for giving him the opporutnity to bust loose against Edison.

“Everybody did their job, so it kind of made it easy for me to do what I had to do,” said Webb, who finished with 110 yards rushing on 11 carries. He also threw for another touchdown. 

Reid led the Majors in rushing, finishing with 140 yards on 10 carries. In the second quarter he caught a screen pass in the backfield, changed directions and ran past a host of Edison defenders for a 66-yard touchdown.

Junior running back Daniel Danso also got in on the scoring action, bowling over a tackler near the goal line on a 10-yard touchdown run.

Mount Vernon’s young defense completely stifled Edison throughout the first half, forcing multiple three and outs and giving the Majors’ offense a field position advantage. Senior cornerback Sklyer Davis had two passes defensed, while linebackers Bradley Oheneba Chei, Jaedyn Perry and Robert Overbee — all sophomores — had first half sacks.

“We do have a lot of new starters on defense,” said Mount Vernon head coach Monty Fritts. “A lot of our 10th graders are going to be really good, and they just fly to the football.”

The defense also got in on the scoring in the first quarter, when lineman Eshawn Hudson picked up a fumble and rumbled into the endzone for a touchdown.

Eshawn Hudson, right, is congratulated by Elijah Rucker after Hudson’s touchdown.

Edison began moving the ball more effectively late in the second quarter, and scored their lone touchdown on a pass from quarterback Peyton Jones to Keshon Smith. The Eagles also got a solid game out of senior running back John Logan, who managed to break through the Majors defense for a few long runs.

But Mount Vernon’s victory was never in doubt after the first few minutes of the game, and Fritts said the Majors’ near-flawless first quarter performance was the result of an intense preseason that included scrimmages against top-flight opponents.

“We really prepared ourselves playing [Lake] Braddock, playing Freindship [Collegiate],” Fritts said. “This really excites me … [Edison is] a much better team than I think they looked tonight and a lot of that was us, we played really well, especially early.”

Notes: Hayfield and West Potomac each started the season 1-0 on Friday night. The Wolverines beat Briar Woods 24-14 at home, while Hayfield topped Chantilly 28-23 on the road.