South Knox returned home for a non-conference showdown with Mt. Vernon earlier tonight, controlling possession from start to finish to come away with a 2–1 victory. Just eight minutes in, the Spartans nearly struck first when Joseph Ellerman’s long-range free kick cannoned off the crossbar. in the 15th minute, they were rewarded for their pressure after a quick throw-in from Jakob Graman found Kaiden Grumieaux in space, and he rifled a shot from outside the box past the helpless Wildcat keeper to open the scoring. South Knox continued to carve out chances. Midway through the half, Levi Loudermilk teed up Ross Holscher, only for his effort to whistle just over the bar. With time ticking down, Owen Keyes sent in a quick corner that found Tucker Mahan in a crowded box. Mahan managed to squeeze the ball through traffic and into the net with just five seconds left in the half, sending the Spartans into the break up 2–0. The second half followed a familiar script - the home side dictating play but failing to add insurance. Their best look came with 12 minutes to play when Keyes chipped the keeper, only to see him recover and somehow snag the ball right on the goal line. Against the run of play, Mt. Vernon finally created their first true chance with 2:30 remaining, lobbing a shot over the Spartans’ keeper to cut the deficit in half. But South Knox persevered, improving to 1-2-2 on the season. Goalkeeper Blake Sutton was largely untroubled, finishing with two saves. In the JV half that followed, the Spartans left no doubt, rolling to a 3–0 win. Chris Duke opened the scoring with a strike from distance, before providing the assist on a free kick that Collin Ellerman headed home for the second. The final tally came from a Sutton corner, nodded in by Joseph Ellerman at the back post. Coach’s Comments: "We weren’t as sharp as we’d like to be, but we still controlled the game for long stretches and created plenty of chances. Credit to Mt. Vernon for making it interesting late, but our boys showed composure to see the game out. It’s another step in the right direction, but we know we’ll need to be more clinical moving forward. Our JV also played a great half and gave us a good look at some other players we'd like to get into the Varsity mix." Next up: South Knox returns to conference play at home this Saturday, September 6, against Washington Catholic. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.