The Concord Mountain Lion Football season is back in full swing as Concord through two games have totaled a 1-1 start.
To begin the season, Coach Dave Walker and his team traveled to Glenville to challenge the Glenville State Pioneers. In that outing, Quarterback Jack Mangel racked up an impressive 402 passing yards on 36 completions. In addition, wide receiver Jared Bowie caught 15 passes for 204 yards, along with a touchdown.
As impressive as these stats are, Concord also turned the ball over 4 times, and was heavily penalized. Concord’s offensive totaled 452 total yards to Glenville’s 337. Regardless of numbers, Glenville’s ability to halt Concords offensive drives in the redzone was the key.
Quarterback Jack Mangel stated:
“Our biggest thing is when we get into the red zone, we got to be able to punch it in and help our defense out. I felt like we outplayed them but shoot ourselves in the foot with turnovers and penalties.”
Jack Mangel
Concord would drop the game 17-10, and would move on to face West Virginia Wesleyan, the only team Concord faced in competition earlier in the spring of 2021.
Concord welcomed its fans back in dramatic fashion as the offense would play a huge role in the first half, as the defense came up with some big stops late in the game to prove enough to get the victory. Again, Quarterback Jack Mangel shined with a stunning performance, racking up 268 yards passing on 19 completions, along with four touchdowns. Going into halftime, the score was 28-12, with Concord in control of the game.
West Virginia Wesleyan did not give up, as they held concord scoreless the remainder of the game while adding 13 of their own points. Dwain Porterfield, a fifth-year senior linebacker, anchored the defense when the team needed it most, halting Wesleyan’s final possession, protecting a slim 3-point lead. Concord’s offense would convert on a crucial late 3rd down that would seal the game.
Signal Caller Jack Mangel spoke briefly about the game:
“I don’t think we could get a rhythm in the second half. Their offensive converted a lot of 3rd downs, and kept us off the field. But another thing is I am proud of our team, because when it counted the most and we needed a 3rd down conversion to win the game, we converted, and that just shows we are learning how to win together.”
Jack Mangel
Next up for the Mountain Lions is Frostburg State, who in their only meeting thus far, lost 52-14. Although their last contest took place in 2019, Concord looks to even up the series and come away with a big-time home victory. Frostburg State has an impressive 3-0 record to start the season, with close one score wins over Kentucky Wesleyan, along with Charleston (WV). The game will be September 25th, at Callaghan Stadium.
by Seth Ross