NORTH MANCHESTER – Severe thunderstorms swept through the northern parts of Wabash County late Friday afternoon, putting Manchester’s football game with Wabash on hold for 40 minutes. Once the storms moved out of the area, the visiting Apaches put on a thunder and lightning show of their own. Junior running back Luke Proctor carried the ball 23 times for 204 yards and three touchdowns, as the Apaches dismantled the Manchester Squires 42-0 in the Three Rivers Conference opener for both teams. The Apaches, who have outscored their opponents this season 97-13, improved to 3-0 while the Squires still seek answers and their first win of the year. “Wabash came out with a great game plan, and they are a very talented team,” said Manchester coach Greg Miller. “They made us look awful bad.” Wabash quarterback Sammy Hipskind opened up the scoring for the Apaches with a 3-yard keeper halfway through the first quarter. Proctor then took over the show with scoring runs of 26 and 2 yards to keep the shutout going into halftime. It was not all done by ground, as Hipskind found an open receiver in Eryk Weber, who showed his speed en route to a 50-yard catch-and-score. Proctor scored one more time in the third quarter on a 30-yard run and the Apaches never looked back. Manchester's Keelan Norwood was a bright spot for the Squires, hauling in nine catches for 135 yards. Norwood also made a great read on a pass from Hipskind on what would have been an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown. A roughing the passer penalty nullified any chance of Manchester getting on the scoreboard. Penalties, turnovers and dropped passes proved to be a bad blend for the Squires. Miller hopes to get his players to regroup and refocus for their future games. “That all comes back to hurt ... and it turned out to be pretty ugly for us tonight,” said Miller. Miller and his players continue their quest for their first win next Friday when the Squires visit TRC newcomer Peru for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Peru edged the Rochester Zebras 34-33 Friday night.
