What We Saw: Mountainview Prep 69, Atlantic Collegiate 0

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CLINTON | </strong>The multicolored smoke bombs were a little early. The banner displayed as the players entered the field wasn't quite right.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other than that, Mountainview Prep's first-ever football game couldn't have gone much better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Stars beat fellow first-year program Atlantic Collegiate Academy 69-0 on Saturday at Presbyterian College's Bailey Memorial Stadium, and just about everything that could go right, did go right for Mountainview.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first time a Mountainview player touched the ball, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253999' first='Shamon' last='Black']</strong> returned the opening kick 40 yards. On the Stars' first play from scrimmage, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth']</strong> took a reverse 60 yards for a score. Mountainview's first defensive snap was a gang-tackle for a five-yard loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They piled it on from there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I'm just so proud of them," MVP coach Grey Ramsey said. "There are so many unknowns going into a first game. We tried to be prepared for anything, because you never know. It's a first for me, too. I know the preparation was there. I know they kind of kids we have, and they've worked really, really hard to avoid some noise and focus on what's really important. We're still a long way away, and I think they've embraced the challenge. Tonight was a really good start."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Stars' offense has a ton of playmakers, and they were at their best on Friday. Hainsworth had the 60-yard TD and another 55-yard reception. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473001' first='Jaylen' last='McGill']</strong> had 44 yards and two touchdowns on his first four carries, and added an 18-yard TD reception from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349806' first='Bryson' last='Drummond']</strong>. Drummond threw for another TD on a shovel pass to <strong>Jasias Mille</strong>r.<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1254197' first='TJ' last='Gassoway']</strong> had some key carries, some crushing blocks on pass protection and when Drummond scrambled, and added a second-quarter TD.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That was about it for the offensive starters. And that was plenty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GETTING DEFENSIVE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That the MVP offense would be good was almost a given. The Stars' dominance on defense and special teams, though, was something Ramsey raved about.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"You've got to be good in all three phases of the game, and I think we were tonight," Ramsey said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were plenty of big performances to go around. <strong>Allen Edmondson</strong> blocked a punt and recovered a fumble. <strong>Guyton Henderson</strong> had a big-time strip-sack to eliminate Atlantic Collegiate's best scoring chance on the night. <strong>TJ Green</strong> had an interception return for a touchdown, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='595830' first='Quay' last='McCauley'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1263146' first='Brian' last='Veal']</strong> both had great nights rushing the passer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I'm an offensive-minded head coach, and it's been difficult for me at times to be out at practice and think that we've got to get a lot fixed, because that defense is so good," Ramsey said. "Our speed up front is really good with Allen, Quay, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='347403' first='Shannon' last='Whiteside']</strong>, and really we've got some depth. We've got six or seven guys up there we feel like we can rotate, which is very valuable in 3A football. It lets us do some different things. They played really well. Put <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253952' first='Eli' last='Smith'] </strong>and <strong>Jet Hodge</strong> back there at LB, and they're just such smart players. When you're playing in our classification and you've got two guys who can put people in the right spots, that's huge. And it helps when you've got guys you're comfortable putting on islands. We've got a couple corners we feel like we can do that with, and it allows our safeties to be really versatile."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On special teams, Black had the big early return, and <strong>AJ McCallister</strong> returned a punt 40 yards for a score in the second half. Most notably, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422557' first='Henry' last='Phillips']</strong> was a perfect 9-for-9 on extra points and knocked in a pair of field goals, and boomed all but two of his kickoffs for touchbacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I know Henry from being at Spartanburg, and to see him have a night like tonight at such a young age is great," Ramsey said. "He's one of our hardest worker. You can lose sight of that with a kicker, but he's really pushed himself."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->