MUNCIE — Whitko junior quarterback Alex Stoddard made his game at Ball State's Scheumann Stadium one to remember Saturday afternoon. Completing 12 of 14 pass attempts, Stoddard threw for 130 yards and two touchdowns in Whitko's 34-0 Three Rivers Conference win over Manchester. Of his 12 completions, seven went to senior receiver Derek Snep, who finished the game with 74 receiving yards and touchdowns of 11 and 14 yards in the first half. "They're just both good athletes," Whitko coach Wayne Swender said. "They can make some adjustments on the field. There were some times when we had a little breakdown here or there, and Alex would make things happen. Derek does a good job of adjusting to the ball and made some good catches." The Stoddard-Snep connection helped to keep Manchester winless on the season, as the Squires fell to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the TRC, while Whitko improved to 2-2 and 2-0 in the TRC. "We don't have anyone who can match up with him, and we knew that coming in," Manchester coach Brandon Baker said about defending Snep. "I felt we were in good position a few times, but he just goes up and makes a good play. What can you do?" Even if Manchester had found a way to defend Snep, its offense would have still needed to find a way to score, as it generated just 78 total yards in the loss. "Coach (Josh) Mohr, our defensive coordinator, has a great game plan, and it's just been nice to see our defense swarming to the ball," Swender said. "I just can't say enough good things about our defense. "It was a good team effort," he added. "The guys up front, on offense and defense, just controlled the line today. They need to be commended for their fine play." Manchester senior Preston Penrod entered the game with a TRC-best 459 rushing yards, but he was bottled up for 23 yards on seven carries before exiting the game early in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury. Through the air, senior quarterback Logan Brunn completed 3 of 19 attempts for 25 yards, while sophomore Cody Hann completed 1 of 2 for three yards and an interception. "It's four weeks in a row now that we haven't executed the way I know we can," Baker said. "That's what's so frustrating, because I know we're better than this. I think the guys know we're better than this, but until we get things down and do what we need to do, we're going to continue to struggle." To go with Stoddard's passing yards, the Wildcats picked up another 201 rushing yards, led by senior Chris Bumbaugh's 59, Stoddard's 56 and junior Ian Pherigo's 45 and two touchdowns. Senior Austin Mort ran the ball twice for six yards and a score. While the experience of playing at Scheumann Stadium for TRC Day at Ball State,was a good one for his guys, Baker admitted he had concerns over them being distracted by the experience while looking for win No. 1 this year. "We played a Bluffton, and that was a new turf field for them, then we had the first home game (played at Manchester High School) for us," Baker said. "So, two distractions in a row. After the game last week, we talked about how this could be a distraction, but don't let it be. I don't know if it was or it wasn't, but I know we didn't come out ready to play." It appeared Whitko wasn't overwhelmed with the experience, and was able to put a good ending to it as well. "It's a neat experience for the kids and the fans," Swender said. "It's just a special day and something they're always going to remember." On a shortened week, Whitko plays another TRC game Friday at Wabash, while Manchester hosts North Miami Friday in TRC action.
