MOUNT VERNON — From the first offensive play, it was clear Mount Vernon was happy to be back home. Mustang quarterback Brian Kluth threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Weiss on the team’s first offensive play from scrimmage, setting the tone in a 50-6 rout of Tripp-Delmont/Armour Friday night.

MOUNT VERNON — From the first offensive play, it was clear Mount Vernon was happy to be back home.

Mustang quarterback Brian Kluth threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Weiss on the team’s first offensive play from scrimmage, setting the tone in a 50-6 rout of Tripp-Delmont/Armour Friday night.

To open the game, Mount Vernon — which is fielding its own team this season after many years of co-oping with Stickney — forced TDA to punt after three plays. When Kluth rolled out of the pocket and fired a high spiral to Weiss, it helped set up the Mustangs’ first win in Mount Vernon in more than two decades.

“I think we haven’t won a game here in 20-some years,” Mount Vernon coach Ryan Kristensen said. “We haven’t won as the Mustangs since 1984, so it’s been a while and we got that off our back.”

On TDA’s next possession, Mustangs’ safety Zach London intercepted a pass from TDA quarterback Tom Heisinger, but Mount Vernon was forced to punt after the Nighthawks’ defense shut down Robbie Kazi and the Mustangs’ running game.

Trying to spoil Mount Vernon’s home opener, Heisinger — who finished with 211 yards passing — threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Payer with 6:02 left in the first quarter to put the score at 8-6. The score would be TDA’s only of the game.

“They come hard,” TDA 33-year head coach Jim Holderby said of Mount Vernon’s defense. “They’ve got some people who rush hard, they’ve got some kids who do good things and they cover up. We missed a few blocks and dropped a few blocks, but that’s the way it goes.”

The Mustangs’ offense engineered an 11-play, 79-yard drive that ate more than four minutes off the clock to start the second quarter, which was capped off by a Kazi touchdown on fourth and nine.

Kluth set up a screen pass and he dumped the ball to his left where Kazi and a row of Mustang blockers cruised 18 yards into the end zone.

As TDA was driving down the field hoping to tighten the score, Kluth jumped in front of a pass from Heisinger and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown, putting Mount Vernon up 22-6.

The Mustangs’ final score of the half came when Kluth threw another touchdown to Weiss with a little over two minutes left on the clock.

Although Mount Vernon’s passing game excelled, the team’s running game struggled throughout the game.

Kazi, who had 204 yards last week and 225 yards in a season-opening win, picked up 65 of his 142 yards on one carry early in the fourth quarter. The senior running back sprinted down the right sideline and was pushed out of bounds one yard shy of the end zone. Two plays later, Kazi broke through the TDA defensive line to score his second touchdown of the game.

“We couldn’t get the run going except for that one big play,” Kristensen said. “We needed to establish it and we couldn’t, but our passing game finally showed up today.”

Defensively for Mount Vernon, Kyle Gerlach finished with 16 tackles. Weiss had three catches for 109 yards and Kluth was 11 of 27 for 131 yards.

For TDA, Josh Nichols had 17 tackles.

Mount Vernon is now 3-0 on the season and is ranked No. 2 in 9A behind Avon. The Mustangs have an open week beforetraveling to Marion to play the Cobras Sept. 25. TDA opened its season with a 38-12 win over Andes Central last week and plays Scotland Friday.

First Quarter:

M: Kyle Weiss 35 pass from Brian Kluth (Kluth run).

TDA: Tyler Payer 49 pass from Tom Heisinger (Attempt failed).

Second Quarter:

M: Robbie Kazi 18 pass from Kluth (Kluth run).

M: Kluth 60 interception return (Attempt failed).

M: Weiss 54 pass from Kluth (Kyle Gerlach run).

Fourth Quarter:

M: Kazi 1 run (Kluth run).

M: Kody Weiss 51 run (Attempt failed).

M: Miles Moody 23 run (No attempt).