Squires Run To First TRC Win
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH MANCHESTER - If one thing was certain in Friday's Manchester/Whitko football game, it was that one of these teams would pick up its first Three Rivers Conference win of the year.
The only question was who would get the job done and how.
And the answer was Manchester, 27-0 via a powerful, smash-mouth running game and two key plays on special teams.
The homecoming win improves Manchester's overall season record to 2-2 and 1-1 in TRC play. Whitko falls to 0-4 and 0-2.
Manchester kicked off to the Wildcats to start the game, but a fumble on the return by sophomore Alan Robbins gave the Squires the ball on their 45. Ten plays later - all rushes by seniors Josh Peden and Jon Gratz - and Manchester led 6-0. Manchester's extra-point attempt was wide right.
Junior defensive back Aaron Cassel scored again for Manchester's special teams when he blocked a punt at the 10:17 mark of the second quarter and ran it in. Peden ran in the two-point conversion and the Squires led 14-0.
"We gave them two touchdowns," said Whitko coach Bryan Sprunger. "You can't make mistakes like we did."
For the game, Peden tallied 83 yards - one more than the entire Whitko offense - and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Gratz pounded out 36 yards on seven carries, while Anthony Sorg rushed the ball nine times for 28 yards.
In total offense, the Squires outgained Whitko 244-122.
"Josh Peden ran better tonight, he's coming around," Squire coach Al Bailey said. "He ran a tough, hard-nosed game."
Peden rushed for 1,442 yards in 7-1/2 games a year ago.
The Squires kept the ball on the ground most of the game, rushing the ball 48 times while junior triggerman Michael Sorg attempted but five passes, completing three of them for 88 yards.
Senior Klint Rupley caught two of those passes for a total of 79 yards, one of them being a 57 yard scoring strike with 26 ticks left on the third-quarter clock that put Manchester up 27-0.
A 22-yard reception by Rupley in the second quarter set up a 1-yard plunge by Peden with 24 seconds left in the first half that put Manchester up 21-0.
"I thought Rupley played a whale of a game," Bailey said.
The Wildcats began moving the ball in the second half, but sacks by the stingy Squire defense and penalties on Whitko's offense stopped any sort of homecoming-spoiling comeback.
Sprunger called his team's mistakes mental.
"In the second half we played hard," Sprunger said. "How can you come to Manchester and not be ready to play? The biggest disappointment is that the kids just weren't ready to play."
Both teams were whistled for five infractions on the night, with Whitko being penalized 40 yards and the Squires being pushed back 45 yards.
Junior Burl Haywood led the Wildcat rushing attack with 50 yards on nine carries. Senior Brent Goble addded 22 on four carries, while Robbins scampered 21 yards on half a dozen attempts.
Whitko's rushing total was brought down thanks to sacks by Manchester's defense that left Whitko senior quarterback Adam Wendel with negative 17 yards on seven carries and backup signal caller Brad Walpole with minus 14 yards on two attempts.
"The defense played really good, and intense," Bailey said. "Tonight we got some breaks to go our way."
Manchester will travel to TRC rival North Miami Friday, while the Wildcats host conference foe Oak Hill.
MANCHESTER 27, WHITKO 0
Whitko (0-4) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Manchester (2-2) 6 15 6 0 -Ê27
W M
First Downs 7 10
Rushes-yards 31-71 48-156
Yards Passing 51 88
Comp.-Att.-Int. 4-11-0 3-5-0
Total offense 122 244
Fumbles-lost 2-2 0-0
Punts-Ave. 1-37 2-33.5
Pentalties-yards 5-40 5-45
First Quarter
M - Josh Peden 2 run (kick failed) 6-0, 7:50
Second Quarter
M - Aaron Cassel punt block return (Peden run) 14-0, 10:17
M - Peden 1 run (Jarred Kopkey kick) 21-0, :24
Third Quarter
M - Klint Rupley 57 catch (kick failed) 27-0, :26
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing (att.-yards) - Whitko: Burl Haywood 9-50, Brent Goble 4-22, Alan Robbins 6-21. Manchester: Josh Peden 26-83, Jon Gratz 7-36, Anthony Sorg 9-28.
Receiving (catches-yards) - Whitko: Goble 2-28, Alex Frantz 2-23. Manchester: Rupley 2-79, Dustin Westafer 1-14.
Passing (att.-comp.-yards-int.) - Whitko: Adam Wendel 3-9-40-0. Manchester: M. Sorg 3-5-88. [[In-content Ad]]
NORTH MANCHESTER - If one thing was certain in Friday's Manchester/Whitko football game, it was that one of these teams would pick up its first Three Rivers Conference win of the year.
The only question was who would get the job done and how.
And the answer was Manchester, 27-0 via a powerful, smash-mouth running game and two key plays on special teams.
The homecoming win improves Manchester's overall season record to 2-2 and 1-1 in TRC play. Whitko falls to 0-4 and 0-2.
Manchester kicked off to the Wildcats to start the game, but a fumble on the return by sophomore Alan Robbins gave the Squires the ball on their 45. Ten plays later - all rushes by seniors Josh Peden and Jon Gratz - and Manchester led 6-0. Manchester's extra-point attempt was wide right.
Junior defensive back Aaron Cassel scored again for Manchester's special teams when he blocked a punt at the 10:17 mark of the second quarter and ran it in. Peden ran in the two-point conversion and the Squires led 14-0.
"We gave them two touchdowns," said Whitko coach Bryan Sprunger. "You can't make mistakes like we did."
For the game, Peden tallied 83 yards - one more than the entire Whitko offense - and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Gratz pounded out 36 yards on seven carries, while Anthony Sorg rushed the ball nine times for 28 yards.
In total offense, the Squires outgained Whitko 244-122.
"Josh Peden ran better tonight, he's coming around," Squire coach Al Bailey said. "He ran a tough, hard-nosed game."
Peden rushed for 1,442 yards in 7-1/2 games a year ago.
The Squires kept the ball on the ground most of the game, rushing the ball 48 times while junior triggerman Michael Sorg attempted but five passes, completing three of them for 88 yards.
Senior Klint Rupley caught two of those passes for a total of 79 yards, one of them being a 57 yard scoring strike with 26 ticks left on the third-quarter clock that put Manchester up 27-0.
A 22-yard reception by Rupley in the second quarter set up a 1-yard plunge by Peden with 24 seconds left in the first half that put Manchester up 21-0.
"I thought Rupley played a whale of a game," Bailey said.
The Wildcats began moving the ball in the second half, but sacks by the stingy Squire defense and penalties on Whitko's offense stopped any sort of homecoming-spoiling comeback.
Sprunger called his team's mistakes mental.
"In the second half we played hard," Sprunger said. "How can you come to Manchester and not be ready to play? The biggest disappointment is that the kids just weren't ready to play."
Both teams were whistled for five infractions on the night, with Whitko being penalized 40 yards and the Squires being pushed back 45 yards.
Junior Burl Haywood led the Wildcat rushing attack with 50 yards on nine carries. Senior Brent Goble addded 22 on four carries, while Robbins scampered 21 yards on half a dozen attempts.
Whitko's rushing total was brought down thanks to sacks by Manchester's defense that left Whitko senior quarterback Adam Wendel with negative 17 yards on seven carries and backup signal caller Brad Walpole with minus 14 yards on two attempts.
"The defense played really good, and intense," Bailey said. "Tonight we got some breaks to go our way."
Manchester will travel to TRC rival North Miami Friday, while the Wildcats host conference foe Oak Hill.
MANCHESTER 27, WHITKO 0
Whitko (0-4) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Manchester (2-2) 6 15 6 0 -Ê27
W M
First Downs 7 10
Rushes-yards 31-71 48-156
Yards Passing 51 88
Comp.-Att.-Int. 4-11-0 3-5-0
Total offense 122 244
Fumbles-lost 2-2 0-0
Punts-Ave. 1-37 2-33.5
Pentalties-yards 5-40 5-45
First Quarter
M - Josh Peden 2 run (kick failed) 6-0, 7:50
Second Quarter
M - Aaron Cassel punt block return (Peden run) 14-0, 10:17
M - Peden 1 run (Jarred Kopkey kick) 21-0, :24
Third Quarter
M - Klint Rupley 57 catch (kick failed) 27-0, :26
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing (att.-yards) - Whitko: Burl Haywood 9-50, Brent Goble 4-22, Alan Robbins 6-21. Manchester: Josh Peden 26-83, Jon Gratz 7-36, Anthony Sorg 9-28.
Receiving (catches-yards) - Whitko: Goble 2-28, Alex Frantz 2-23. Manchester: Rupley 2-79, Dustin Westafer 1-14.
Passing (att.-comp.-yards-int.) - Whitko: Adam Wendel 3-9-40-0. Manchester: M. Sorg 3-5-88. [[In-content Ad]]