Squires Edge Whitko In OT
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Cliff Tanner-
Manchester needed overtime to nip the Wildcats 13-12.[[In-content Ad]]Manchester senior running back Kyle Henderson scored on the first play in overtime, going around the end and diving into the end zone. The extra point was good to give the Squires a 13-6 lead with Whitko yet to take its shot.
Whitko junior quarterback Gabe Starkey was thrown for a five-yard loss to start the Whitko sequence. On the next play, Starkey hit Ryan Bumbaugh for a 15-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 13-12.
Instead of kick the extra point and forcing another overtime period, Whitko coach Wayne Swender decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion, but Bumbaugh came up just short securing the Squire win.
"I took the chance," Swender said. "It was wet and rainy and I thought we had the momentum back so I went for it. I always told the guys we would go for it in that situation. I told the guys that football is a game of inches and we just came up an inch short."
The game was marred by 11 fumbles between the two teams, but Whitko was the only team to take advantage, recovering the only opposing team's fumble.
Several of the mishaps were on snapping of the football.
"It was a good win for us," Manchester coach Brandon Baker said. "I told the guys to be happy because we are. Just don't be satisfied because we have some things to improve on. We will go to work on those tomorrow."
Neither team could get anything going in the early part of the first quarter.
Cort Walter of Whitko intercepted a Dylin Kennedy pass and ran 43 yards for the touchdown, but the play was called back after a holding penalty was called on Whitko, putting the ball at the Squire 32-yard line.
Whitko drove the ball to the Squire five-yard line when Starkey had a pass intended for Cory Snep glance off his receiver's hand and get intercepted by Skyler Honeycutt in the end zone. The pick put the ball at the 20-yard line, denying a Whitko touchdown.
Whitko broke the scoring drought late in the second quarter when Adam Jarrell scored a touchdown from the two-yard line, giving Whitko the lead at 6-0 after the extra point kick was blocked.
The score was set up on the previous play when Starkey hit Snep for a 26-yard pass.
Manchester marched down the field as they got the ball back with 1:38 left in the half to the Whitko 25-yard line.
Kennedy threw a pass to Coltin Jenkins that was intercepted by Snep to end the half.
With 4:04 left in the third stanza, Kennedy threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Corey Thomas, but a blocked extra point left the score knotted at 6-6.
"You have to give Manchester credit," Swender said. "They played a physical game and they took away the momentum. That was a perfect pass.'
Baker shared Swender's assessment of the Kennedy pass to Thomas.
"Kennedy threw that pass so only our receiver could catch that ball," he said. "It was a great play."
Manchester got the ball back with 8:51 left in the game and went on a long sustained drive that ate up much of the clock. With 36 seconds left Henderson fumbled the ball on the 22-yard line and was recovered by Whitko to end the threat.
Whitko then played it conservative to send the game into overtime.
"I was proud of the guys," Baker said. "Any other team would have hung their heads after the blocked extra point. They kept their heads up kept the momentum on our side. This a good game to build on for the rest of the season."
The 1-2 (1-1 TRC) Squires are at North Miami Friday at 7 p.m., while the 2-1 Wildcats, who are 0-2 in the TRC, host Wabash Friday at 7 p.m.
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Manchester needed overtime to nip the Wildcats 13-12.[[In-content Ad]]Manchester senior running back Kyle Henderson scored on the first play in overtime, going around the end and diving into the end zone. The extra point was good to give the Squires a 13-6 lead with Whitko yet to take its shot.
Whitko junior quarterback Gabe Starkey was thrown for a five-yard loss to start the Whitko sequence. On the next play, Starkey hit Ryan Bumbaugh for a 15-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 13-12.
Instead of kick the extra point and forcing another overtime period, Whitko coach Wayne Swender decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion, but Bumbaugh came up just short securing the Squire win.
"I took the chance," Swender said. "It was wet and rainy and I thought we had the momentum back so I went for it. I always told the guys we would go for it in that situation. I told the guys that football is a game of inches and we just came up an inch short."
The game was marred by 11 fumbles between the two teams, but Whitko was the only team to take advantage, recovering the only opposing team's fumble.
Several of the mishaps were on snapping of the football.
"It was a good win for us," Manchester coach Brandon Baker said. "I told the guys to be happy because we are. Just don't be satisfied because we have some things to improve on. We will go to work on those tomorrow."
Neither team could get anything going in the early part of the first quarter.
Cort Walter of Whitko intercepted a Dylin Kennedy pass and ran 43 yards for the touchdown, but the play was called back after a holding penalty was called on Whitko, putting the ball at the Squire 32-yard line.
Whitko drove the ball to the Squire five-yard line when Starkey had a pass intended for Cory Snep glance off his receiver's hand and get intercepted by Skyler Honeycutt in the end zone. The pick put the ball at the 20-yard line, denying a Whitko touchdown.
Whitko broke the scoring drought late in the second quarter when Adam Jarrell scored a touchdown from the two-yard line, giving Whitko the lead at 6-0 after the extra point kick was blocked.
The score was set up on the previous play when Starkey hit Snep for a 26-yard pass.
Manchester marched down the field as they got the ball back with 1:38 left in the half to the Whitko 25-yard line.
Kennedy threw a pass to Coltin Jenkins that was intercepted by Snep to end the half.
With 4:04 left in the third stanza, Kennedy threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Corey Thomas, but a blocked extra point left the score knotted at 6-6.
"You have to give Manchester credit," Swender said. "They played a physical game and they took away the momentum. That was a perfect pass.'
Baker shared Swender's assessment of the Kennedy pass to Thomas.
"Kennedy threw that pass so only our receiver could catch that ball," he said. "It was a great play."
Manchester got the ball back with 8:51 left in the game and went on a long sustained drive that ate up much of the clock. With 36 seconds left Henderson fumbled the ball on the 22-yard line and was recovered by Whitko to end the threat.
Whitko then played it conservative to send the game into overtime.
"I was proud of the guys," Baker said. "Any other team would have hung their heads after the blocked extra point. They kept their heads up kept the momentum on our side. This a good game to build on for the rest of the season."
The 1-2 (1-1 TRC) Squires are at North Miami Friday at 7 p.m., while the 2-1 Wildcats, who are 0-2 in the TRC, host Wabash Friday at 7 p.m.
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