ALLIANCE, Ohio – The No. 6 Mount Union football team rallied for a 21-17 win over Grove City in the Purple Raiders' home opener on Saturday.
Junior
Mikey Maloney (Concord Township, OH/Painesville Riverside) threw a 21-yard perfect pass to junior WR
Mason Ashby (North Canton, OH/North Canton Hoover) in the right front corner of the south end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 12 seconds left. It was Ashby's first career touchdown. He also led all receivers with 100 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career.
The eventual game-winning drive started on Mount Union's 30-yard line with 45 seconds on the clock. On the drive, all the yards came from Maloney's arm as he went 4-for-7 for 70 yards, including a third-down pass to sophomore
O.P. Knox (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla./North Broward Prep.) for a 32-yard gain. Two plays later, Maloney connected with Ashby for a 13-yard gain, setting up the game-winner.
On the game's opening drive, Grove City (0-2) took a 3-0 lead following a 31-yard field goal by Brady Lane and led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. Late in the second quarter, Mount Union freshman RB
Bo Bokman (Lakeville, MN/Lakeville South) scored from 10 yards out, spinning his way in the end zone, to put the Raiders up 7-3 with 1:47 on the clock. Grove City scored on its ensuing possession when John Perry caught a deflection in the end zone from 29 yards out with 23 seconds left, and the Wolverines led 10-7 at halftime.
Grove City extended its lead to 17-7 after Mike Hollomon found Seth McGroerty from three yards out. Mount Union answered when Maloney connected with junior
Kayden Minner (New Madrid, MO/New Madrid County Central) for a 17-yard touchdown, cutting Grove City's lead to 17-14.
Mount Union's defense stepped up all game, particularly in the fourth quarter, when the Raiders stopped two fourth downs, both deep in their territory (at the 10 and at the 4) and three punts. Sophomore
Gavin Ehrhardt (Avon, OH/Avon) led the defense with a game-high 11 tackles, tying a career high. Senior
Corey Gibson (Akron, OH/Barberton) had game- and career-high two sacks. Junior
Zack Liebler (Massillon, OH/Massillon) had an interception, the first of his career.
Minner finished with 140 total yards, including a game-high 98 yards on the ground.
Saturday's victory marked Mount Union's 37th straight home-season-opening win.
Mount Union (1-1) will next host Heidelberg in its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener next Saturday, September 19. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
