Slunaker looks to lead Mt. Vernon to a title

For Gehrig Slunaker, football truly has been a part of his life and family for as long as he can remember. His grandfather was a coach at Greenfield-Central, and both he and Slunaker’s father refereed high school football games together. “So I have been around the game from when I was little,” said Slunaker, who is a rising junior at Mt. Vernon (Fortville). He tells Sideline Prep Sports Report that the quarterback position has been one he has wanted to play for as long as he can remember and that there is a lot of “hard work” that goes into it. “There is a lot of hard work in being a quarterback, mentally and physically, but it is my teammates that help me become the player I am. I enjoy leading the team and being someone the team can count on. I love being able to see the whole field and watch everything develop,” Slunaker said. As a freshman, Slunaker started at Greenfield-Central, and while wins were hard to come by, the quarterback quickly showed his potential, throwing for 1,289 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last season, was one for the record books for Slunaker and his Mt. Vernon teammates. Slunaker completed 53 percent of his passes for 2,080 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also added 188 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Along the way, Mt. Vernon captured a sectional and regional championship before falling to Evansville Memorial 28-3 in the semi-state game to finish 11-3. “We work hard everyday. We weren’t sure how far that would take us, and now that we have been there, we know how much harder we have to work this year. I believe we had this success because I had trust in my team. I knew my coaches would put us in the right position to win. I knew my line would give me time, and I knew my skill guys would be in the right place. I trusted my defense to always give us a chance to win. I love my team and we all had each other’s backs on and off the field,” Slunaker said. A After getting so close a season ago, Slunaker and the Marauders have one simple goal in 2020 – win a state championship. And for the quarterback, he has his own goals, as well. “I want to get my completion percentage up and continue to become a better leader,” he said.