Squires Lose Opener To Indians
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Mark Adkins-
Mississinewa Indians coach Curt Funk saw his team take advantage of the big play en route to a 20-8 win at Manchester’s Squire Field.
“I was glad to see our kids step up when we needed plays made,” Funk said. “We still had some mishaps on special teams and substitutions, but overall, it was good to come away with a win. (Manchester) battled us all night.”
On the other sideline, Manchester coach Brandon Baker was left wondering what may have been.
“I told the guys afterward that we were all proud of them,” Baker said. “We played hard all four quarters. Our mistakes just hurt us in the end. We had some turnovers and stalled drives. We were able to move the ball between the 20s but we need to finish drives.”
The visiting Indians didn’t waste much time taking advantage of their big play opportunities.
After Manchester’s defense stopped the opposition on three plays, the Squire offense had their first chance on the field.
However, the first snap saw a missed exchange in the backfield with senior Nick Eck picking up the loose ball and rushing 42 yards for a score.
The Squires tried to give their home crowd something to cheer about on the ensuing drive.
Manchester used its trademark rushing attack and moved to Mississinewa’s 33-yard line before a fourth-down quarterback keeper was stopped short.
Enter sophomore running back Blake Dailey for the Indians.
On Mississinewa’s first snap after the defensive stand, Bailey found a hole and rambled 67 yards for a touchdown.
Manchester closed the opening half with more offensive tough luck.
A drive stalled at Mississinewa’s 15-yard line and another that crossed inside the 10-yard line ended on a fumble.
The visitors cashed in on the first opportunity with a long 82-yard scoring drive, with much of it coming off the strong right arm of junior quarterback Hontz McCarty.
McCarty closed the deal with a nifty six-yard scoring toss to senior wide receiver Chris Osborne on a fourth-down conversion for six points.
Despite trailing 20-0 at halftime, the host Squires came out firing on all cylinders in the second half.
Behind the running of sophomore running back Jacob Casper, Manchester marched 64 yards on its first drive with senior quarterback Jim Sainsbury diving in from two yards out. Sainsbury added the two-point play to make it 20-8.
Baker’s crew nearly trimmed the deficit down even more, driving inside the 35-yard line twice before the Indians’ defense stopped them on both occasions.
The two rushing attacks produced the big numbers statistically.
Manchester piled up 235 yards on thew ground, with Casper accounting for 109 on 13 carries. Mississinewa ended with 169, with Dailey carrying for 144 on 17 attempts.
The Squires return to the gridiron Friday when they host Bluffton.[[In-content Ad]]
Mississinewa Indians coach Curt Funk saw his team take advantage of the big play en route to a 20-8 win at Manchester’s Squire Field.
“I was glad to see our kids step up when we needed plays made,” Funk said. “We still had some mishaps on special teams and substitutions, but overall, it was good to come away with a win. (Manchester) battled us all night.”
On the other sideline, Manchester coach Brandon Baker was left wondering what may have been.
“I told the guys afterward that we were all proud of them,” Baker said. “We played hard all four quarters. Our mistakes just hurt us in the end. We had some turnovers and stalled drives. We were able to move the ball between the 20s but we need to finish drives.”
The visiting Indians didn’t waste much time taking advantage of their big play opportunities.
After Manchester’s defense stopped the opposition on three plays, the Squire offense had their first chance on the field.
However, the first snap saw a missed exchange in the backfield with senior Nick Eck picking up the loose ball and rushing 42 yards for a score.
The Squires tried to give their home crowd something to cheer about on the ensuing drive.
Manchester used its trademark rushing attack and moved to Mississinewa’s 33-yard line before a fourth-down quarterback keeper was stopped short.
Enter sophomore running back Blake Dailey for the Indians.
On Mississinewa’s first snap after the defensive stand, Bailey found a hole and rambled 67 yards for a touchdown.
Manchester closed the opening half with more offensive tough luck.
A drive stalled at Mississinewa’s 15-yard line and another that crossed inside the 10-yard line ended on a fumble.
The visitors cashed in on the first opportunity with a long 82-yard scoring drive, with much of it coming off the strong right arm of junior quarterback Hontz McCarty.
McCarty closed the deal with a nifty six-yard scoring toss to senior wide receiver Chris Osborne on a fourth-down conversion for six points.
Despite trailing 20-0 at halftime, the host Squires came out firing on all cylinders in the second half.
Behind the running of sophomore running back Jacob Casper, Manchester marched 64 yards on its first drive with senior quarterback Jim Sainsbury diving in from two yards out. Sainsbury added the two-point play to make it 20-8.
Baker’s crew nearly trimmed the deficit down even more, driving inside the 35-yard line twice before the Indians’ defense stopped them on both occasions.
The two rushing attacks produced the big numbers statistically.
Manchester piled up 235 yards on thew ground, with Casper accounting for 109 on 13 carries. Mississinewa ended with 169, with Dailey carrying for 144 on 17 attempts.
The Squires return to the gridiron Friday when they host Bluffton.[[In-content Ad]]
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