Manchester Academy avoided the dreaded emotional trap game on Friday night after their monumental victory over Tri-County Academy by defeating Clinton Christian Academy 43-0.
The victory pushed the Mavericks’ record to 4-1 on the year.
Manchester head football coach Bryan Dendy has been stressing to his team all year not to overlook anyone, and his teachings paid off in a big way.
“We had an emotional game last week against Tri-County Academy,” Dendy said. “We need to come out and play to our potential each week. I’ve told our kids that they have to respect each and every opponent we play. You can’t take a week off and expect to be successful. I’m proud of our guys for coming out and playing hard.”
After a slow offensive start, Manchester finally broke the 0-0 deadlock with a Blayke Dendy touchdown run to give them a 7-0 lead.
The Mavericks’ defense fed on the offense’s success on the ensuing drive by forcing a fumble and recovering it, giving them a new drive at the opposing 45.
Manchester capitalized on the turnover with a Will Fouche touchdown run, giving them a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Mavericks forced a fumble and went back to work in the second quarter, driving all the way down for a Warner Griffin touchdown run and 2-point conversion, pushing their lead to 21-0.
Manchester added the final touches on the first half with a Reid Bane 25-yard field goal to make it a 24-0 game.
Bryan Dendy’s squad came out firing in the third quarter with a pair of rushing scores to extend their lead to 37-0 with a quarter left to play.
In the fourth quarter, Manchester scored one final touchdown to put an exclamation point on the 43-0 victory.
Blayke Dendy led the Mavericks on offense, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. He also racked up five total tackles.
Will Fouche took his 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Warner Griffin only rushed seven times for the Mavericks, but he made the best out of them by going for 34 yards and three touchdowns. Griffin also recorded five total tackles and picked off a pass.
Taylor Porter led a strong defensive effort with a team-high eight total tackles, one of which was for a loss, and a sack.
Tyler Reynolds was also a force on the defensive line for the Mavs, recording two sacks.
Manchester will attempt to keep their momentum going on Friday night when they host Carroll Academy.
Carroll is 3-2 on the season after falling 17-14 to Oak Hill Academy.
Dendy believes the upcoming contest will be a lot like looking into a mirror for his squad.
“They’re just a well-coached football team,” Dendy said. “They’re a lot like us. They like to line up and run the football, and they’re big up front. It should be a difficult ball game, and we’ll have to come out ready to play.”
Kickoff at Manchester is set for 7 p.m.
