MOUNT VERNON – Cade Stover’s journey to Lexington history is complete.

As is typical for the senior, he couldn’t care less.

“That’s not what’s important,” he said after the game. “We have to find a way to win.”

Stover scored 17 points Friday to give him the all-time Minuteman scoring record. However, it wasn’t enough as Lexington fell to Ohio Cardinal Conference rival Mount Vernon, 55-48, on the road.

Stover, the soft-spoken scoring star of a Lexington team that reached the Division II Final Four last season, needed 11 points to break the record. He reached the milestone late in the third period on a putback, breaking the mark held by Dale Ford. To outside observers, it was nothing more than another basket.

For Stover, it was a culmination of a high school pursuit years in the making.

As a freshman, he averaged more than 13 points per game in leading the ranked Minutemen throughout the season. That number has grown every year; as a junior, he averaged 18 points per game, including a 17-point effort in his team’s state semifinal loss to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s. In this season’s first three games, Stover has 21 points per game.

He currently sits at 1,361 for his career and, barring injury, has at least 20 more games to add to it.

Stover earned the coveted Mr. Football award earlier this year. He was also recently named Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year.

None of that concerns Stover, who is much more interested in getting his 1-2 basketball team’s fortunes turned around.

“I really didn’t think about it. I don’t keep track of it,” Stover said. “We’re too good to be losing games like this.”

Stover scored the first points of Friday’s game on a bucket just 30 seconds in. He was held to just one free throw for the rest of the quarter, as Mount Vernon’s defense shut him and the rest of the Minutemen down.

Stover took just two shots in the second quarter, connecting on both. His second basket was part of an 11-4 run sparked by a 3-pointer by Ben Vore. The two teams were knotted at 20 by halftime.

Mount Vernon slowly pulled away in the second half. Three-pointers by Jontey Greene and Connor Fisher gave the Yellow Jackets a six-point lead, and the defense did the rest.

“He (Stover) is going to get his points. He’s an amazing player,” Mount Vernon coach Nick Coon said.

“He’s hurt us enough in the past. We’ll take what we can get.”

Stover finished the night 6-of-14 from the field and led both teams in scoring. He also led Lexington in rebounds with eight. Teammate Josh Aiello scored 11 points and had a team-high four assists. Jacob Depperschmidt added eight points.

Mount Vernon was led by Noah Gleason, the team’s lone returning letterwinner, with 13 points. Greene had nine points and nine boards.

Lexington is nursing a two-game losing streak after defeating Clear Fork in its opener. The team hosts Sandusky next Saturday at home.

Mount Vernon travels to Marysville for a nonconference game today.

Stover committed to Ohio State’s football program a few months ago. He told the Richland Source he does not plan to sign during the next early signing period. But, he reiterated that his commitment to the Buckeyes remains, despite the announcement that head coach Urban Meyer is stepping down.