With the weight of heavy expectations on their shoulders, the Mavericks of Manchester Academy began the season with a hard-hitting 14-7 victory over traditional power Canton Academy.
Manchester received the ball first and began to force their way down the field, picking up first down after first down by means of their power running game.
When they finally crossed midfield and got down to the 47-yard line, they finally went to the air. Rainer Roberts found Will Fouche deep, allowing them to take a 7-0 lead
Canton was unfazed by the score, and they struck back with a big play of their own, a 65-yard run around the end to tie things up at 7-7.
The scoring ceased for a time after, and it became a defensive grind until late in the second quarter, where Roberts found tight end Link Greenlee for a 17-yard touchdown strike, giving them a 14-7 lead.
Defensively, the Mavericks stepped up and shut Canton down, keeping one step ahead for the remainder of the game.
When the final whistle was blown, Manchester was victorious 14-7, giving them their first win on their march towards a state title.
Manchester Academy head coach Bryan Dendy saw exactly what he needed to see out of his team: resiliency and a will to fight.
“It was a hard fought game from both sides,” Dendy said. “We overcame a little bit of adversity. It was a total team effort, and it took everyone for us to get that win.”
A year ago Roberts likely had no idea that he would be asked to step in and take over the quarterback role, but he looked like a natural on Friday.
He went a cool 9-for-13 for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He added 28 yards rushing on the ground.
Dendy was proud of how his new quarterback performed in his debut.
“Rainer managed the game well,” Dendy said. “For the most part, he made good reads. He threw the ball well. He kept our guys composed out there and showed a lot of leadership ability.”
On defense, Roberts also added two total tackles and a key interception.
Warner Griffin led the Mavericks with 77 rushing yards to go with eight total tackles and a blocked kick.
Will Fouche had two catches for 58 yards and touchdown to go with 35 rushing yards and four total tackles.
Blayke Dendy had eight total tackles to go with 15 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards.
Link Greenlee was a key pass catcher for the Mavericks, hauling in three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Taylor Porter had seven total tackles, while Nick Cohea had five.
Will Fuller came up with a fumble recovery.
Manchester will attempt to keep the proverbial train rolling on Friday night when they travel to face an extremely difficult opponent Heritage Academy.
Dendy feels that they will have to keep some explosive players contained to earn their next victory.
“Heritage is the number two team in AAA, so they will be a very difficult opponent for us,” Dendy said. “They have some really athletic skill position guys who can give people problems. It will definitely be a challenge for us on the road.”
Kickoff for the non-conference game is set for 7 p.m.
