MOUNT VERNON — Nick Hart made the declaration before his team played a competitive snap.
Based on who returned and what this unit had accomplished in the past, the Gibson Southern coach believed his defense was capable of “special things.” But through two weeks, the evidence to back up such sentiment was lacking. Part of it being the quality of the opposition. The other issue residing squarely on the Titans.
What went down in Posey County though is a giant reminder he may be correct.
Gibson Southern delivered a statement with a 42-0 victory over Mount Vernon in Week 3. What was potentially a competitive matchup – both were ranked in the top 15 of the latest USA Today Network Indiana poll – quickly devolved into a maroon and gold showcase. The Titans scored four touchdowns in the first nine minutes, including a pair of interceptions taken to the house.
“We haven’t shown it until tonight,” Hart said of the defensive potential. “I think our defense has a chance to be really special. Our guys did a great job of keeping everything in front of them and being disciplined on the back end.”
Those first two weeks, mind you, still qualified as positive. No. 4 Gibson Southern (2-1) earned a last-minute win against Danville in Week 1 before a competitive loss at Rochester (Ill.). But they exposed a potential weakness: too many big plays. In the trip to Illinois, Gibson Southern trailed by one score to open the fourth quarter before relenting a 72-yard touchdown.
The response required a return to the details in practice. The timing of such a lesson was needed too with No. 14 Mount Vernon averaged 43 points behind an experienced senior class. Any potential doubts were quickly erased in the first quarter on back-to-back pick sixes from Jake Mazzier and Lloyd Sellers.
The Titans unofficially limited the Wildcats to only 153 offensive yards.
“We’re confident enough that no team can drive on us,” senior linebacker Gunner Alexander said. “We just have to eliminate the big plays. Making sure we stay on our keys and just compete. Know that we can’t control the uncontrollables and just do us.”
The highlights were of course those takeaways. What stood out about them wasn’t an athletic play by either defensive back. Mazzier and Sellers were just in the right spot to capaitalize on an errant throw. It was the same execution throughout the entire defense in this victory.
Mount Vernon (2-1) only had five first downs in nine possessions. Nash Hostetter, a dynamic wide receiver Hart labeled “as good as it gets around here”, only corralled 2 catches for 4 yards. The Wildcats’ longest offensive play was only 12 yards if you subtract a 52-yard run against the reserves in the fourth quarter. It is Gibson Southern’s first shutout since 2022.
“We were doing some little things incorrectly,” Hart said. “When you play good teams, they expose those things. We’ve been bit by the big play. Other than a couple of short fields off turnovers, nobody has scored unless they had a 30-plus yard play. We did a much better job of being where we needed to be tonight.”
It was more than enough help for the offense. The Titans opened the game with back-to-back dominant drives sandwiched around a fourth-down stop. Zach Foster had 181 total yards and continued a successful connection with wide receiver Noah Kuester. Most of the damage came on the ground with Eli Foster collecting 112 yards on 11 carries.
Hart would prefer the unit to be sharper throughout the game – it sat for a long period because of the interceptions and struggled in the second quarter. Gibson Southern still triggered a running clock by halftime with a late scoring drive. Foster also found Kuester, who returned to football after sitting out last year, for three touchdowns through the air.
“We’ve always had a tight connection,” Foster said. “The way (Kuester) runs his routes, his hands and abillity to use his body to go get balls makes him a really great target. Our connection has grown over the last three games, and it’s only just going to get better. We have to fix a lot of things on both sides of the ball. But to be 2-1 against solid opponents, I think we’re in a good spot right now.”
Gibson Southern appears to be on the cusp of another potentially great season. Those big moments have been sprinkled throughout the first month, moreso in this dominant victory over Mount Vernon. But the Titans believe they haven’t sniffed their ceiling yet. Take away a few chunk plays against Rochester, and we might be discussing an undefeated start.
The road doesn’t become easier. Gibson Southern welcomes Henderson County (Ky.) (1-1) to Jack Jewell Memorial Field in Week 4 before a trip to Southridge. Then everyone’s circled game finally arrives against defending state champion Heritage Hills. That’s still light years away in Hart’s mind. He’s seeking daily and weekly improvement in order for the Titans to reach their goals.
This was a step in that direction.
“We are in a good spot,” Hart said. “We went back to details this week and everybody doing their job. Those little things can really hurt. We did a much better job of that tonight.”
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Gibson Southern football delivered its most complete effort yet in shutout victory
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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