Firmstone leads Mt. Pleasant to mercy-rule victory over Yough

By: Paul S. Brittain
Friday, September 26, 2025 | 9:48 PM

Mt. Pleasant football fans might start calling quarterback Dane Firmstone “Great Dane” after Friday’s game against Yough.

Firmstone was involved in three first-half touchdowns as the Vikings opened Interstate Conference play with a dominant 41-7 victory.

All but two minutes of the first half were played in Yough territory, with the hosts taking a 27-0 lead.

Mt. Pleasant (1-0, 4-2) stopped Yough on the game’s first possession when Gage Vallone intercepted Cougars quarterback Aiden Shaffer.

The Vikings drove 45 yards in seven plays with Steve Predajna going the final 30 yards down the left sideline to score. The conversion kick was missed, leaving the Vikings on top 6-0.

Mt. Pleasant held Yough on downs at the Cougar 40 and began another drive that carried over into the second quarter.

Richard Shawley’s 17-yard run was a big play in the drive. But Yough held on downs inside the 5-yard line.

The Vikings, likewise, held Yough and blocked Ryan Sarver’s punt from the end zone, with Firmstone picking the ball out of the air inside the 5 and easily scoring with 9:37 left in the half.

Tyke Snyder’s conversion kick made it 13-0, and when the hosts stopped Yough on the next series, they began their third scoring drive of the half at the Yough 33.

Firmstone again capped the drive on a keeper from the Cougar 4-yard line, and Snyder’s conversion kick made it 20-0.

The Vikings held Yough for the fourth time in Cougar territory on the next possession.

Firmstone’s 14-yard pass to Shawley made it 27-0 with Snyder’s kick.

Yough finally drove into Mt. Pleasant territory late in the half, but the Vikings held on downs at the 35-yard line.

The Vikings showed they could go long distance as well as they took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in only six plays. Predajna carried for 44 yards, and Shawley gained 23 yards to set up Rage Suchar’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Firmstone passed to Suchar for the 2-point conversion and set the mercy rule in motion with a 35-0 lead.

Kaden Hudec’s 25-yard scoring run late in the third quarter made it 41-0, as the extra point attempt was blocked.

Yough avoided the shutout thanks to a 30-yard drive. Shaffer’s 7-yard pass to Sarver made it 41-7 with Aiden McDonough’s conversion kick.

When asked about his big game, Firmstone said, “I’m just so blessed to be with such a close team. We’re like a brotherhood, and it feels awesome.

“We expected to be one of the dominant teams in the conference. It will be exciting to see what the rest of the conference brings.”

Added Mt. Pleasant coach Jason Fazekas: “We’re getting close to (fully) healthy. We still saw some rust early on. But we’re getting there.”

He said some of the rust came from inactivity for players who have been healing.

“We’re getting there, and we’ll get ready for Greensburg Salem, starting tomorrow,” Fazekas said.

Tags: Mt. Pleasant, Yough