The Skinny
The Mt. Vernon Prespyterian Mustangs have seen a steady increase in victories over Coach Wayne Dabbs tenure as head coach. Yet playing in region 5 is not for the faint of heart, as perennial powers Eagle’s Landing Christian and Wesleyan are region foes.
“We play in a very difficult region with some outstanding coaches and players, so just working hard to get our players prepared so they can play with confidence each week, “ said Dabbs.
The Mustangs return their leading rusher Austin Douglas (965 yards, 4 TDs) and their leading receiver, Justin Douglas, (876 yards, 8 TDs), but they will need to find a new starter at quarterback as Reggie Burnette was lost to graduation. Alex Holiday is a player in the mix to replace Burnette at quarterback.
There are several players poised to step up and make contributions for the Mt. Vernon, including Will Mitcham (ATH), Max Stevens (OL), Bennett Williams and (OL) Bijan Nikain (OL). John Watson, a Second Team All-Region selection at receiver could be another player poised to step up for Coach Dabbs.
The Mustang defense returns several players with experience, including a deep defensive backfield; which includes the aforementioned Austin and Justin Douglas. They will be joined in the secondary by John Watson,and Hayden Moore. Eric Harris (Second Team All-Region) and Jonathan Hammond will shore up the defensive line for the Mustangs. Linebacker Parker Corley (Second Team All-Region) will be another player to watch on this Mt. Vernon football team.
While there is not one particular game on the schedule that the Mustangs have circled, they understand that each week is important.
We asked Coach Dabbs what will make 2018 a successful season.
“Want to see our players enjoy working hard together this season. Enjoy being around each other, having a wonderful experience. Want to see our players improve on the football field but even more so in life in making good choices about life. Want to see our players be the leaders in the community,” said Dabbs.
Dabbs went on to say, “We want to see our players be better people because of being a part of our program. (We) want to see our players achieve goals that they never would have dreamed. (We) want to win some football games and each week our opponents know that they were in a war.”
He finished up by explaining, “ (We) want to see our MV Community fall in love with this team and love supporting them. (We) want to see our alumni come back and be proud to say, I am a Mustang.”
