Manchester Academy’s assault on 8-man football continued in the second week of the season with a 38-8 win over North Sunflower Academy.
The Mavericks took control of the game early on, going up 30-0 in the first quarter, and never let up on their way to a 38-8 win.
According to Manchester Academy head coach Bryan Dendy, the line set the tone for the game early with a dominating effort.
“Our line did a really god job of blocking and opening up holes for the backs,” Dendy said. “We were able to utilize our speed against them. It was a hard-fought game, and we were happy to come out on top.”
Despite their relative inexperience, Manchester’s running backs have put on some extremely impressive performances.
Dendy feels that they still have room to grow as they acclimate to the high school game.
“Our backs are learning quickly that it’s a different type of speed at the high school level,” Dendy said. “They’re still adjusting every day. They’re getting there.”
Upton Hitt had a nice game at quarterback for the Mavericks, completing 6-of-12 passes for 98 yards. He also chipped in four carries for 47 yards in the win.
Parks Poe continued his strong start to the season with five carries for 131 yards with three touchdowns. Poe also chipped in three tackles to the cause.
Dylan Dendy took three carries 11 yards with a touchdown in the victory. Dendy also had four tackles, two of which were for loss.
Michael Williams was given five carries in the contest, and he produced 64 yards with his opportunities.
Ty Kilpatrick led Manchester with two receptions for 58 yards in the winning effort. Kilpatrick also had two tackles and a fumble recovery.
Jon Riley Poe had two tackles in the win.
The Mavericks will have their toughest test to date on Friday night when they travel to Belzoni to face Humphreys Academy on Friday night.
The Rebels of Humphreys are 2-0 on the season after thrashing Union 40-14.
Dendy believes the Rebels will be quite the test for his young squad.
“Humphreys has sort of set the bar for 8-man football,” Dendy said. “Coach (Jerry Wayne) McLendon and Coach (Joe) Taylor have done a great job with that program. They’ve got some speed. Everything they do frightens us. They can line up and run it at you, and they can spread you out. It will be a very difficult challenge for us.”
Kickoff at Humphreys is set for 7 p.m.
