Road To History: Mount Vernon Marauders

For the Mount Vernon Marauders, the 2021 season ended in a fitting way. Their 45-14 state title victory over Northridge was indicative of how consistent and comprehensive they were throughout the season. After a loss to Noblesville to start the season, the Marauders would run the table and ultimately lift the trophy. They were led by a high-powered offense that fell short of scoring 40 points in a game on only two occasions this season. But they were a complete team who showed their championship ability and determination throughout the year. Offense Leading the way for the Marauders was their outstanding quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="98096" first="Gehrig" last="Slunaker"]. The senior completed 147 of his 214 pass attempts accumulating 3,028 yards in the process. If his ability to move the ball is not impressive enough, the way that he protects the football while putting it in the end zone is astounding. He threw for 34 touchdowns and only five interceptions. For context, Slunaker had five rushing touchdowns for the season. When your quarterback has as many rushing touchdowns as interceptions, there is plenty to be excited about. Slunaker has a great arm, and he can make all the throws necessary to be successful. Slunaker is calm in the pocket, and he makes good reads and smart decisions with the football. Taking a lot of pressure off Slunaker was the fact that Mount Vernon possessed one of the best 1-2 punches in the backfield. Senior Keagan LaBelle totted the ball 154 times for just under 1,600 yards. He averaged a little over 10 yards per carry and over 106 rushing yards per game. LaBelle surpassed 100 rushing yards seven different times this year. He also amassed close to 200 receiving yards this year. LaBelle managed 26 touchdowns on the ground and three through the air. Complimenting him was fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id="98107" first="Travon" last="Hegler"]. Hegler received 88 carries and he picked up over 800 rushing yards. Like LaBelle, Hegler had an elite yards per carry average. With just over nine per carry, Hegler was able to wear-down opposing defenses. Hegler ran for 13 touchdowns, and he had 135 receiving yards and one touchdown catch. The running backs were certainly receiving threats for the Mount Vernon offense, but their top receiver was Ashden Gentry. Another member of the unbelievable senior class that led Mount Vernon this year, He had 55 receptions for 1,271 yards. Gentry was a consistent performer all year long. He averaged 84.7 receiving yards per contest. He caught 13 touchdowns this year. Gentry stepped up when his team needed him in the championship game. He racked up 130 yards and a pair of touchdown grabs in route to capturing the Class 4A State Championship. Gentry was also a major contributor on special teams and defense where he was all over the field as a defensive back. Defense Like Gentry, Keagan LaBelle was impactful on defense for the Marauders. LaBelle led the team in tackles with 107 total tackles, 71 of which were solo stops. LaBelle did well applying penetration as well. LaBelle posted 11 tackles-for-loss to go along with four sacks. Keagan LaBelle is somebody who can find a variety of ways to help the team. LaBelle was also terrific in setting the offense up in great field position. He led the team with 272 kickoff return yards. While Labelle was very effective at creating pressure, Owen Johnson led the way in sacks with 9.5. The senior came up with two huge sacks in the title game. Johnson is very fast, and he does an excellent job of turning the corner quickly around the tackle. Johnson can provide great versatility. He can do well as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt or as a stand-up outside linebacker. Johnson brings relentless pursuit, and he does not give up on the play. Further adding to the value that Owen Johnson brings to a team, is the fact that he can cover kickoffs effectively. On the back end, Senior Avery Williams anchored the defense. Williams had 29 solo tackles and 36 total tackles. He registered six passes defensed. Williams showed that he has the ability to make momentum-changing plays. He picked off two passes and returned those interceptions for a total of 109 yards. Avery Williams found ways to make throwing the ball a difficult task for the opposing offense.