That experienced offensive line was doing its thing, creating opportunities all day.
The running backs kept taking turns taking advantage of those opportunities.
The quarterback-turned-running-back-and-back-to-quarterback rarely missed an opportunity.
And as solid as the Mountain View offense was in its first game of the season – and it was really impressive – the Mountain View defense might have had a stronger game.
Mountain View held Ferris to 73 yards of offense.
Not for a half. For the game.
Seventy-three.
That is how Saturday’s matinee at McKenzie Stadium turned into a rout. Mountain View rushed for 363 yards and rolled to a 34-7 victory over Ferris.
Justin Lufkin-Quant was one of several Mountain View defenders who made tackles-for-loss in this one. He also had a sack.
“It’s great coming out here with all my teammates, all of us making great plays,” Lufkin-Quant said.
“It’s a great feeling knowing they didn’t get that many first downs. They didn’t get much of anything.”
No, the Saxons did not.
Ferris picked up its first first down with five minutes left in the second quarter. In all, the Saxons had seven first downs, but three came off of Mountain View penalties, including one when Ferris was punting.
Lufkin-Quant said the key to his success is his teammates. He knows he has the freedom to go after a play because if he misses, there will be a Thunder backing him up.
“It feels so great to have someone behind me I know I can count on,” he said.
The Thunder defense was so strong, it seemed inevitable that the defense would turn into offense, too.
“It was crazy. It was crazy to think I had the ball, and I was about to score … on defense,” said Michael Bolds, who returned an interception 49 yards for a Mountain View touchdown.
“The ball was just right there,” Bolds said. “I knew they were running hitches. I knew I was going to jump one and get it.”
He got it and he was gone, giving Mountain View a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter.
“It’s hard in an opener because you don’t always know what you’re going to get,” Mountain View coach Adam Mathieson said. “We’ve got a good group that’s hungry. You could tell in practice. ‘Hey, they’re ready.’ We had to hold them back in practice.”
The Thunder did not hold anything back Saturday.
The offense was clicking, too.
The Thunder went 87 yards on 12 plays on their first possession of the season. Jack Mertens scored on a 16-yard touchdown run.
A 10-play drive in the second quarter made it 14-0 when Michael Urruchua broke free on a 19-yard TD run.
Ferris would capitalize on Mountain View’s lone turnover of the game, as well as a penalty against the Thunder, to score in the closing seconds of the half.
That made the score 14-7, but the stats showed Mountain View was still in control. At half, the Thunder had 262 yards. Ferris had 55.
Sure enough, Mountain View sent a message, opening the second half with a 77-yard TD drive.
Glen Perry Jr., who grew up as a quarterback then moved to running back and is back at QB, scored on a 4-yard run. He had a 41-yard run to set up the score.
Less than a minute later, Bolds had his pick-six.
Perry went to the air to complete the scoring, finding Mitchell Delmage on a 14-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.
“It just feels great,” Perry said, almost sounding relieved. He acknowledged he was a little bit nervous heading into this one.
He did not look like it on the field. Perry led the rushing attack, gaining 126 yards on 15 carries, and he threw for 94 yards and a score.
MOUNTAIN VIEW 34, FERRIS 7
Ferris 0 7 0 0-7
MV 7 7 14 6-34
First quarter
MV – Jack Mertens 16 run (Aiden Hargrove kick)
Second quarter
MV – Michael Urruchua 19 run (Hargrove kick)
F – Brock Bozett 2 pass from Tom Kirby (kick good)
Third quarter
MV – Glen Perry Jr. 4 run (Hargrove kick)
MV – Michael Bolds 49 interception return (Hargrove kick)
Fourth quarter
MV – Mitchell Delmage 14 pass from Perry (kick failed)
RUSHING: Ferris – Eric Mast 17-8, Kirby 3-5, Tagen Cliff 2- (minus 7), Kwame Qadir 2-11. Mountain View – Perry 15-126, Nile Jones 14-87, Sean Delmage 9-40, Mertens 4-48, Urruchua 7-65, Payton Regas 2- (minus 3).
PASSING: Ferris – Kirby 14-23-1-56, Qadir 0-1-0-0. Mountain View – Perry 8-15-0-94.
RECEIVING: Ferris – Bozett 8-33, Kirby 1-4, Ben Taylor 2-20, Mast 1- (minus 7), Michor Gentemann 1-6. Mountain View – Bolds 3-18, Jones 1-3, Makai Anderson 2-48, M. Delmage 2-25.
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