NORTH MANCHESTER — The Manchester boys basketball team will have a chance to make some history tonight. Defeating Oak Hill 55-53 Friday night at home in the Class 2A Sectional 37 semifinal, the Manchester Squires are in the sectional title game. In the championship game, Manchester will have a chance to win its first sectional title since 1995, when Moe Smedley’s Squires went 23-0 before falling 49-47 to Plymouth in the regional. Coincidentally, if Manchester is to win its first sectional crown in 18 years, it will have to defeat Smedley’s Northfield Norsemen. Northfield is the defending sectional champion and earned it’s way into the title game by defeating Wabash 87-61 Friday night. During the regular season, Northfield (16-7) defeated Manchester (7-14) by a score of 64-52 in North Manchester. Against Oak Hill, senior Neil Underwood led the Squires with 21 points, followed by junior Clayton Petrie’s 17. Tonight’s championship game will be back at Manchester at 7:30 p.m. MANCHESTER 55, OAK HILL 53 (Sectional 37, Semifinal) M 11 16 14 14 – 55 OH 7 19 13 14 – 53 Manchester – Chase Fierstos 1 0-0 3, Claudel Dickantone 2 0-0 5, Phoenix Goad 0 0-0 0, Clayton Petrie 7 2-4 17, Neil Underwood 9 0-0 21, Braydon Sewell 0 2-2 2, Branden Scott 2 0-0 5, Lucas Schilling 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 4-6 55. OH – McDivitt 4 0-0 8, Taylor 2 0-0 4, Durkes 6 7-10 21, Martin 3 2-3 8, McKinney 1 0-0 2, Mann 1 0-1 2, Mauk 3 0-0 6, Garverick 1 0-0 2. 24 9-13 53. Three-point goals – Manchester 7 (Underwood 3, Fierstos, Dickantone, Petrie, Scott), OH 2 (Durkes 2); Team Fouls (fouled out) – Manchester 16, OH 15 Records: Manchester 7-14, OH 13-9
