Edison Trounces Mount Vernon in Homecoming Game

With a homecoming crowd and their looking on, Edison used two long touchdowns by junior running back Malcolm Sherman to down Mount Vernon 34-13 on Friday night.

While floats, body paint and band members were all part of the festive atmosphere, Malcolm Sherman turned out to be the main attraction, popping an 80-yard touchdown followed by a 64-yarder that put the Eagles ahead to stay, 27-13 late in the third quarter.

Sherman’s 80-yard blast on a sweep to the right side rescued Edison (3-5, 3-2 AAA National) from what looked like a heart-breaking defensive let-down.

After a long break at halftime for the homecoming ceremonies, Mount Vernon (4-4, 3-2 National) took a 13-10 lead on the second play of the third quarter when Dennis Mensah broke through the middle for a 51-yard score.

The ensuing kickoff went through the endzone, pinning Edison at the 20 with 10:59 to play in the quarter. Sherman, a junior who was averaging over 15 yards per carry coming into the contest, took the handoff from Chuck Clark and sprinted to his right.

Sherman said he could have overrun his blocking and probably picked up 10 yards, but instead, he waited for his teammates to engage their opponents and found room around the corner. Tyrone Mackall picked up a downfield block and walled off the sideline for Sherman, who sprinted the rest of the way to put Edison back on top, 17-13.

“We weren’t down at all,” offensive lineman Bryan Corvera said about the Majors’ quick score. “We never lost momentum or anything, we just stuck our head back in the game.”

Mount Vernon couldn’t generate anything on its next possession and lined up to punt from its own 29. But a snap over the head of the punter meant Edison took over at the 10. While the drive stalled, Drew O’Donnell nailed his second field goal to make it 20-13.

The next possession helped the Eagles put the game away.

Edison forced a Mount Vernon punt and took over on its 36 with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter. After Sherman couldn’t find any room on a handoff up the middle, Edison coach Anthony Parker called his best runner’s number again.

“It was a roll screen, and I took my time on that one as well,” Sherman said. “I have to catch the ball behind the line and follow my blockers.”

Corvera said he took out two Majors on the play.

“I block with all my heart, because all he needs is one little block or one little hole, and he’s gone,” he said.

Sherman weaved through the Mount Vernon secondary and broke free at about the 30, and from there, he cruised to the end zone.

“We felt like if we could get two scores, we could probably put it away, but we ended up getting three,” said Parker, who has been trying to get the ball into Sherman’s hands more often. “We’re going to keep giving him the ball; he’s a dynamic running back.”

The game bogged down at that point, but Edison’s defense never faltered, forcing Mount Vernon quarterback Robert DeCardi-Nelson into some third-and-longs by bottling up runners Sadiq Oyedele and Mensah. The Eagles’ final possession came with 5:45 to play and they ate up all but the last 66 seconds during an 11-play drive that began on Mount Vernon’s 41. The key play was an 18-yard run by Austin Suggs that gave Edison a first down at the one. It took Edison four plays to score, but Clark finally converted his second one-yard TD plunge of the game and put the Eagles on top 34-13.

A road game against Wakefield (1-7) comes up first, but Parker said he thinks the traditional Bird Bowl rivalry game with Hayfield on Nov. 4 will determine, for the second season in a row, if the Eagles make the Division 5 playoffs.

“We’ll need to win that and get some help,” Parker said.

Perhaps this advice from Greg Jones, a linebacker from the 1986 team that beat Warwick 7-6 will come in handy:

“They need to know it’s all in here,” said the 42-year-old Manassas resident, thumping his chest. “They can do anything they want.”