Below is the season's eighth Mustang Fan Guide that includes game notes and other information about the upcoming contest.
QUICK FACTS:
MOUNT VERNON (2018): 5-2 (3-1 Reg. 5-A)
Home: 2-0; Away 3-2, Neutral: 0-0
City: Sandy Springs, Ga.
Colors: Navy and Silver
Mascot: Mustangs
Stadium/Field: Glenn Campus Football Field
Head Coach: Wayne Dabbs (4th year at Mount Vernon; 11th year overall)
Career Record: 45-25
Record at Mount Vernon: 22-18
Region Championships: None
State Championships: None
Overall Home Record (GHSA): 13-19
Overall Away Record (GHSA): 13-25
Overall Record (GHSA): 26-45
Overall Program Record: 45-89-0
2018 Wins: W 41-21 vs. Mt. Pisgah (August 24), W 41-17 at First Presbyterian Day (August 31), W 13-12 at Trinity Christian (Sept. 14), W 55-0 at Landmark (Sept. 21), W 32-29 vs. Holy Innocents (Sept. 28).
2018 Loses: L 55-27 at Prince Avenue (August 17), L 24-19 at Wesleyan (Oct. 5)
2017 Wins: W 28-0 vs. Whitefield Academy (August 25), W 24-13 at Walker (Sept. 1), W 34-16 at North Cobb Christian (Sept. 8), W 41-36 at Temple (Sept. 15), W 42-14 vs. Landmark (Sept. 22), W 35-31 vs. Holy Innocents (Sept. 29), W 21-14 vs. Our Lady of Mercy (Nov. 10).
2017 Losses: L 34-14 vs. Wesleyan (Oct. 6), L 35-31 at Our Lady of Mercy (Oct. 13), L 70-0 vs. ELCA (Oct. 27), L 22-15 at Strong Rock (Nov. 3), L 53-12 at Mt. Paran (Nov. 17).
2017 GHSA Playoffs: W Rd. 1 vs. Our Lady of Mercy 21-14 (Nov. 10), L Rd. 2 at Mt. Paran 53-12 (Nov. 17).
OUR LADY of MERCY (2018): 0-7 (0-4 Reg. 5-A)
Home: 0-3; Away: 0-4; Neutral: 0-0
City: Fairburn, Ga.
Colors: Scarlet and Gray
Mascot: Bobcats
Stadium/Field: Bobcat Stadium
Head Coach: Mark Miller (10th year overall; 1st year at OLM)
Career Record: 50-53
Record at OLM: 0-7
Region Championships: none
State Championships: none
Overall Home Record (since 2006): 23-37
Overall Road Record (since 2006): 23-41
Overall Program Record: 59-116
2018 Wins: none
2018 Losses: L 59-17 vs. Tattnall Square (August 17), L 55-7 at Mount Paran (August 24), L 41-0 at Manchester (August 31), L 48-0 vs. Wesleyan (Sept. 14), L 49-12 at Strong Rock (Sept. 21), L 19-7 vs. Landmark (Sept. 28), L 77-3 at ELCA (Oct. 5)
2017 Wins: W 32-20 vs. Bulloch (August 25), W 21-16 vs. Strong Rock (Sept. 22), W 46-13 at Landmark (Sept. 29), W 35-31 vs. Mount Vernon (Oct. 13), W 32-0 at Greenville (Oct. 20), W 42-28 at Holy Innocents (Nov. 3)
2017 Losses: L 35-19 at Mount Paran (August 18), L 24-6 vs. Fellowship (Sept. 8), L 42-7 at Wesleyan (Sept. 15), L 76-6 at ELCA (Oct. 6), L 21-14 at Mount Vernon (Nov. 10)
2017 GHSA Playoffs: L Rd. 1 at Mount Vernon 21-14 (Nov. 10)
(1) THE GAME: The Mount Vernon varsity football team returns to the gridiron on Friday, Oct. 19, hosting the Our Lady of Mercy (OLM) Bobcats in a Region 5-1A contest.
Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. at the Glenn Campus Football Field.
(2) LAST TIME OUT for OLM: The Bobcats were victims of a 77-3 loss at ELCA on Friday, Oct. 5, before entering into a bye week.
The Chargers posted 35 points in the first quarter and added 28 more in the second period to take a 63-0 lead into halftime.
ELCA outscored OLM 14-3 in the second half to take the win.
(3) LAST TIME OUT for MOUNT VERNON: The Mustangs saw their five game winning streak snapped on Friday, Oct. 5, dropping a Region 5-1A game on the road to the Wesleyan Wolves 34-19 at Henderson Stadium in Norcross, Ga.
Wesleyan led 13-7 at halftime and ended the game on a 21-12 run to earn the victory.
Austin Douglas led the Mustangs in rushing with 177 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.
Andrew Douglas paced Mount Vernon in receiving with four receptions, 92 yards and one touchdown.
Mount Vernon struggled with possessions in the second half and ended up with five turnovers in the contest.
(4) SERIES HISTORY: Friday’s contest against OLM will mark the eighth time the Mustangs will meet the Bobcats in program history.
OLM holds a 5-2 series lead, most recently splitting two games against Mount Vernon in 2017.
The Bobcats took the regular season meeting last season 35-31 on Oct. 13 but the Mustangs rallied to take down the Bobcats 21-14 in the first round of the Class-A Private State Playoffs on Nov. 10.
The series dates back to 2012, with OLM winning the first four meetings.
Since 2016, Mount Vernon is 2-1 against OLM.
(5) 15th EDITION: The 2018 season marks the 15th year of Mustang football.
The program began in 1984 with one game according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.
The Mustangs played in the GISA from 2006-2011 before joining the GHSA in 2012.
Over than span, the Mustangs have had four coaches lead the squad: Wayne Dabbs (2015-present), Ryan Zimmerman (2013-14), Reggie Burnette (2008-12), and Stan Whitlock (2006-07).
(6) REGION RECORDS 2017: Mount Vernon finished the 2017 season with a 2-4 record in Region 5-A play.
OLM took third place in Region 5-1A in 2017 with a 4-2 mark.
Entering play on Friday night, the Mustangs are 3-1 in region play while OLM sits at 0-4.
(7) RIGHT MAN, RIGHT PLACE: Head Coach Wayne Dabbs is entering his third season at the helm for the Mustangs and it's safe to say, the Mustang football squad has turned in the right direction. Since his hire three years ago, the Mustangs have gone 21-17, including the program's first GHSA State Playoff berth in 2016 and the first GHSA State Playoff home game in 2017.
Dabbs graduated from Tabernacle Christian School in Gardendale, AL in 2003 where he played football, basketball and baseball.
In football, Dabbs was named the North Jefferson News Offensive Player of the Year in all classifications in 2002 and 2003.
Dabbs took his talents to University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY where he was the leading receiver his senior season.
After graduating from UC in 2007, he spent one season as the running back coach at the University of West Georgia, one year as quarterback coach at Cumberland (2008) and one year as running back coach at Murray State (2009).
Dabbs returned to his high school alma mater from 2010-2012, winning back-to-back State Championships in 2011 and 2012 that included a 17 game winning streak.
He also spent two seasons (2013 and 2014) as the offensive line coach at The Westminster School in Atlanta.
(8) A CLOSER LOOK AT HEAD COACH MARK MILLER: The Bobcats are led by Mark Miller, currently in his first season with the Bobcats.
Miller previously served as the head coach at Strong Rock from 2011-13, compiling 9-21 record with the Patriots.
Prior to Strong Rock, Miller led a successful Woodward Academy program from 2005-10 where his War Eagles went a combined 41-25.
In his final three seasons with Woodward, Miller steered the team to state playoff appearances, falling in the second round each year.
(9) GHSA CLASS-A PRIVATE POWER RATINGS: The fifth edition of the GHSA Class-A Private Power Ratings were released on Monday, Oct. 15.
The ratings are used to determine seeding for the GHSA Class-A Public and Private State Playoffs at the end of the season, with the Top-24 teams making the postseason.
Mount Vernon ranked at no. 16 while OLM is next to last at 36.
For a full list of the GHSA Class-A Private and Public Power Ratings, visit
Click Here
(10) REMINISCING: Mount Vernon fans will forever remember last year’s playoff run.
The Mustangs hosted their first GHSA Class-A Private State Playoff game against the team they will oppose on Friday afternoon in the OLM Bobcats.
OLM took the regular season meeting, but the Mustangs made program history with a 21-14 victory on Nov. 10 to earn the teams’ first state playoff victory.
(11) HOME OPENERS FOR MOUNT VERNON (GHSA): The Mustangs have faired well in home openers since joining the GHSA in 2012.
Mount Vernon is 5-2 and currently owns a three-game winning streak in home openers at the Glenn Campus Football Field.
The Mustangs knocked off the Mt. Pisgah Patriots 41-21on August 24.
In 2016, Mount Vernon bested Walker 23-16 on Sept. 2.
Last season, the Mustangs shutout Whitefield 28-0 at home on August 25.
(12) HOMECOMINGS for MOUNT VERNON SINCE 2014: The Mustangs are 3-2 in Homecoming games dating back to the 2014 campaign.
Mount Vernon most recently knocked off rival Holy Innocents 32-29 on Friday, Sept. 28.
Mount Vernon defeated Cross Keys 21-7 in 2014 before falling to Wheeler County (2015) 28-14 and to Holy Innocents (2016) 23-13.
The Mustangs got back in the win column on Homecoming 2017 with a 42-14 win vs. Landmark Christian.
The Mustangs are averaging 23 points per game in Homecoming contests since 2014.
(13) PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR MOUNT VERNON:
- Sr. RB/WR Austin Douglas: Finished with 189 yards of offense, including 177 yards rushing and two touchdowns in Mount Vernon’s 34-19 loss at Wesleyan on Oct. 5.
- Soph. QB Blake Kytle: Totaled 222 yards on 18-of-33 passing in Mount Vernon’s 34-19 loss at Wesleyan on Oct. 5. Kytle will look to rebound after a tough game that saw him throw five interceptions.
- Soph. WR Andrew Douglas: Finished with 92 yards on four receptions with one touchdown in Mount Vernon’s 34-19 loss at Wesleyan on Oct. 5.
(14) TIME TO ATTACK: The Bobcats are having a down year with a record of 0-7 going into Friday’s game against Mount Vernon.
The Bobcats have allowed 348 points for an average of 49.7 points per game allowed while scoring just 44 points for an average of 6.2.
Mount Vernon, looking to get back in the win column, is averaging nearly 33 points per game on offense.
(15) COMMITTED: Senior brothers Austin Douglas and Justin Douglas have made their commitments to playing at the next level, announced earlier this week.
Austin Douglas has officially committed to James Madison University while his twin brother will take his talents to Southeastern Louisiana next fall.
Both players will be recognized at an official signing day in December.
(16) ON DECK: The Mustangs are back in action next Friday, Oct. 26, traveling to no. 1 Eagles Landing Christian Academy to take on the Chargers.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Commitment Field
(17) MUSTANGS ON YOUTUBE: For all the latest videos with coaches and players, subscribe to “MV Athletics” on YouTube.
(18) SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow @MV_Athletics on Twitter on Friday afternoon for in-game updates as the Mustangs take on the Bobcats. The game can also be followed by using the hashtags #MVfootball, #MVolm18, and #BeatOLM
(19) ATHLETIC WEBSITE: For all the latest scores, schedules, rosters, news releases and other athletic information, visit www.mountvernonathletics.com.
(20) LINKS: Copy and past the following links for helpful information on Friday's contest.
- OLM Schedule (MaxPreps):
Click Here
- OLM Roster (MaxPreps):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Roster (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Schedule (MaxPreps):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Stats (MaxPreps):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 1 Recap at Prince Avenue (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 2 Recap vs. Mt. Pisgah (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 3 Recap at FPD (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 4 Recap at Trinity Christian (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 5 Recap at Landmark Christian (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 6 Recap vs. Holy Innocents (MV Athletics):
Click Here
- Mount Vernon Game 7 Recap at Wesleyan (MV Athletics):
Click Here
*Sources: The Georgia High School Football Historians Association, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Georgia High School Football Daily, Recruit GA and MaxPreps aided in this report. For more information, contact Mount Vernon Asst. AD Chandler Lee at clee@mountvernonschool.org.
