By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
After dropping their first five outings of the 2023 season, the Manchester Greyhounds were finally able to put one on the winning side of the ledger last Friday night as they entertained the West Union Dragons at Veterans Stadium. The Hounds dominated from the opening kickoff on their way to win number one, downing the Dragons by a final count of 50-6.
The home team scored on all five of their fist half possessions to build up a 36-6 halftime advantage and never looked back, bringing the running clock rule into effect for the entire second half which ended abruptly with 6:23 to play by decision of the West Union coaching staff.
“”This was a team victory tonight,” said Manchester head coach Nick Neria. “Our defense played well all night and had some big takeaways that set us up for a couple of our scores. On the offensive side of the ball, we were finishing blocks and running with a purpose.”
The tone for the night was set on the opening kickoff when Manchester’s Ronnie Elam’s return gave the Hounds the ball at the West Union 46 for their opening possession. a 19-yard run by Elam and an 11-yard burst by Kayden Butcher set the stage for Logan Neria to carry the rock to paydirt from 11 yards out to give the Hounds an early 6-0 lead. After five snaps, the first West Union possession ended in a fumble, recovered by Manchester’s Leland Horner. Starting at their own 42, the Hounds marched 58 yards in eight plays, the drive culminating with a two-yard touchdown run from Kayden Butcher. The two-point pass from Hunter Raines to Elam gave the home team a 14-0 advantage with 5:31 left in the first period.
The ensuing kickoff was mishandled by the Dragons and covered by Raines on a diving grasp near the sideline, setting his team up at the Dragon 35 where, even after a holding penalty, a 17-yard scamper by quarterback Mason Gilliam and a 14-yard Horner run set up the third Manchester score, as Gilliam went in untouched from six yards out and the opening quarter ended with the Hounds up 20-0.
To being the second stanza, the Dragons put together their only scoring drive of the game, 56 yards in nine plays. The drive was sustained by a 19-yard run by Jaden Cockrell and ended when Burton Strunk bulled his way in from two yards away. The two-point try failed bu the Dragons had life, down 20-6.
Any momentum West Union had gained from their touchdown drive burned out quickly as the Greyhound responded with a long 80-yard scoring drive of their own. It took nine plays, the first eight on the ground, before Gilliam found Elam open in the corner of the end zone from 15 yards away and a two-point run by Neria made it 28-6.
The Greyhounds then went with an onside kick, which they recovered at the Dragons 47, only to give it right back when a Horner pass was picked off by West Union’s Kenyen Copas, but the West Union offense could not capitalize, going three and out and being forced to punt. Taking over at their own 34, the Greyhounds once again marched the length of the field getting a 25-yard pass from Elam to Brennon Barnes, then cashing in with a 12-yard touchdown run by Kayden Butcher. The two -point run by Horner send the Hounds to the halftime break with a commanding 36-6 lead.
With the running clock in effect as the second half began, the Hounds had the first possession and wasted no time putting more points up on the boar, getting a 30-yard TD run from Gilliam, who drug West Union tacklers across the goal line. Butcher ran across the two -point try to put the home team on top 44-6. The Dragons were again force to punt but got the ball back when they recovered a Manchester fumble on the final snap of the third quarter. The Dragons again chose to punt on fourth down and this time the speedy Elam picked up the bouncing pigskin and returned it 60 yards to the house for the final points of a 50-6 Greyhound triumph.
“It was great to see our players get a win and be able to celebrate,” said Coach Neria.
The Greyhounds will look to extend their winning streak on Friday night as they will travel to Fayetteville to battle the Rockets in a 7 p.m kickoff.
West Union 0 6 0 0 —6
Manchester 20 16 8 6 —50
First Quarter
MHS: Neria 11-yd. run (conversion failed)
MHS: Butcher 2-yd. run (Elam pass from Raines)
MHS: Gilliam 6-yd. run (conversion failed)
Second Quarter
WU: Strunk 20yd. run (conversion failed)
MHS: Elam 16-yd. pass from Gilliam (Neria run)
MHS: Butcher 12-yd. run (Horner run)
Third Quarter
MHS: Gilliam 30-yd. run (Butcher run)
Fourth Quarter
MHS: Elam 60-yd. punt return (c0nversion failed)