MOUNT VERNON — Woonsocket/Wessington Springs scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to take a 18-14 victory over Mount Vernon to open the high school football season.

The defenses controlled the contest in the first half.

The first period saw both teams unable to move the ball and an exchange of punts ensued.

The Mustangs looked to score first to open the second quarter on a screen pass that Miles Moody caught from Tim Deinert and ran to the Blackhawks’ 25-yard line only to fumble the ball and W/WS recovered.

Later in the period, it was the Blackhawks who hit pay dirt first.

W/WS forced a Mustang punt which was returned by Trevor Kenobbie to the Mount Vernon 28-yard line.

From there, the Blackhawks needed nine plays to traverse the 28 yards and jumped to the 6-0 lead on a 1-yard scoring run from quarterback Eric Warkenthien with just over 4 minutes until intermission.

The Mustangs tried to answer with a score of their own to close out the half, going on a 10-play drive down to the W/WS 13 yard line.

But the Blackhawk defense stiffened and forced the Mustangs to turn the ball over on downs with 1 minute, 10 seconds to halftime.

After an uneventful third quarter and part of the fourth, the action heated up.

Mount Vernon forced a W/WS punt, and the Mustangs started a drive from their own 34.

Cody Pohlen rumbled 19 yards on a double reverse to move the ball to the W/WS 40-yard line.

Two plays layer, Deinert connected with a wide open Jon Nebelsick on a 40-yard pass and after the 2-point conversion, the Mustangs held an 8-6 lead.

The lead was short-lived.

One play into the W/WS next drive, Kenobbie raced 73 yards for a touchdown and W/WS grabbed the lead back at 12-8.

The Blackhawks forced a Mustang punt and five plays later, Dylan Ochsner raced nine yards to increase the W/WS lead to 18-8.

Mount Vernon scored with time running out on a 31-yard pass from Deinert to Jacob Sonne.

With a size advantage over Mount Vernon, Blackhawks coach Jason Kolousek said that part of the plan was to hopefully wear the Mustangs out.

“We’re a little bigger than they are and that was part of the plan coming in,” said Kolousek. ”We’re not going to have a lot of big plays from the beginning to end but just keep doing what we were doing and kind of wear them down and break a couple of runs and that’s what we did.”

W/WS finished with 248 rushing yards and 16 passing yards.

Kenobbie led the Blackhawks with 134 yards with Kole Kophmann rushing for 84 yards.

Kophmann led the W/WS defense with 15 tackles and an interception.

“We know that going into most of our games that we’re going to be outsized,” said Mount Vernon coach Ryan Kristensen of possibly wearing down. “I thought we had grabbed the momentum when we went ahead and then they bust one open on us. We just didn’t do the little things to come out on top.”

The Mustangs rushed 28 times for 99 yards and Deinert had 22 pass attempts for 180 yards.

The Mount Vernon ground attack was led by Kyle Gerlach with eight rushes for 55 yards. Gerlach also led the defense with 22 tackles while Willie Hinker followed with 16 tackles.

Mount Vernon takes on Chester Area and W/WS will play White Lake/Plankinton Friday.