Manchester’s Levi Hargis shakes off Federal Hocking tacklers on his way to the end zone as the Greyhounds claimed a 58-28 Homecoming win on October 3. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
(Manchester’s Hunter Stephens heads for the corner of the end zone on a successful two-point conversion run as the Greyhounds improved to 6-1 with a 58-28 win over Federal Hocking. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Coming off their first loss of the season the previous week in a road trip to Crestline, Coach Justin Schmitz and the Manchester Greyhounds were back on the home field at Veterans Stadium on October 3, hosting the Federal Hocking lancers on Homecoming Night for MHS. After a low start that saw them fall behind in the first quarter of a penalty-marred contest, the Greyhounds awoke in a big way, racing back to take a 28-20 halftime lead and then pulling away in a big way in the second half to cruise to a 58-28 victory, improving their record to 6-1 on the season. The six wins matches the school’s highest win total in a single season since Manchester reinstate football over a decade ago and left the Hounds at #13 in the Harbin ratings for Division VII, Region 28.
The victorious Greyhounds got a huge night from junior quarterback Amillion Brown, who tossed three touchdown passes and added three more rushing touchdowns. Senior Levi Hargis, a transfer who has brought toughness and swagger to the hounds, added rushing and receiving touchdowns.
“Tonight was an ugly win but we will absolutely take it,” said Coach Schmitz. “Right now we are on the fringe looking in at the playoff rankings so this win tonight was big. It’s really exciting for our town to get to experience a winning season again and it was great to see everybody out in full force and it feels like the football culture is finally back in Manchester.”
Speaking of his senior transfer, Schmitz said, “Levi has been a godsend for us. Offensively he can absolutely get three yards when we need it no matter what and he gets us in the right calls on defense all the time. He’s phenomenal at reading keys and more than being a great player, he is just a great person, the embodiment of Manchester football.”
After the first Manchester possession ended in a shanked punt, the Lancers took advantage of a short field and converted with a 35-yard scoring run from senior Gabe Bray that put the visitors up 6-0. On the ensuing kickoff the Hounds get a long return from Brown plus a facemask penalty on the Lancers, setting them up at the Federal Hocking 35. The Greyhounds got on the board and deadlocked the game with 6:54 to go in the first quarter when Hargis hauled in a seven-yard pass from Brown for the tying score.
The Lancers answered right back with a 61-yard drive to take a 12-6 lead on a TD pass from freshman quarterback Tristyn Bowers to junior Braeden Hill. The Greyhounds wasted no time in grabbing the lead, this time for good, going 75 yards, keyed by a huge run from Hargis, and ending with Brown taking a keeper in for the score. A two-point conversion run from Braylon Rickett put the Hounds up 14-12 with two minutes remaining in the opening period.
The Manchester defense forced a fumble, recovered by Brown, on the next Federal Hocking possession and they added to their lead when Brown dropped back, saw an opening up the gut, and took it untouched into the end zone. A two-point run by Hunter Stephens gave the home side a 22-12 advantage after the first quarter.
The second quarter began with another exciting play for the home fans, as a long punt return by Joel Blythe took the ball to the Lancers’ eight-yard line. Again, it was Brown running it in to give his team a 28-12 lead. The Hounds forced another turnover, an interception by Gage Stephens, but fumbled it right back to their guests, before getting yet another gift from the Lancers, this time a Bowers a pass being picked off by Blythe. The Hounds were forced to punt and after a high snap went awry, Federal Hocking took advantage, getting another scoring pass from Bowers to Bray to pull within 28-20 by halftime.
After the halftime Homecoming ceremonies, the third quarter began with another Raines interception, this time the Manchester senior picking off Bowers in the end zone. The Greyhounds capitalized on the pick, going 80 yards, big chunks of that coming on runs from Rickett and Blythe, and ending with Hargis taking it across the goal line from one yard away. Brown took in the two -point run that increased the Manchester lead to 36-20.
After a failed fake punt from Federal Hocking, the Hounds took over on the Lancer 38 and scored again on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Brown to a wide open Dylon Fite. Again, Brown ran in the two-point try and the third quarter ended with Manchester comfortably in front 44-20.
On their first possession of the final period, the Greyhounds tacked on some more on one of their more athletic plays of the night. Brown dropped a snap, scrambled to his right, then threw a pass up for grabs in the end zone where Rickett elevated over Federal Hocking defenders to haul it in for the score that gave his team a 50-30 lead with 9:50 left in the game. Just in case, the Hounds’ defense added a score when Brown tipped a Bowers pass into the arms of Hunter Raines, who raced 64 yards for the pick six. The two-point try was good on a pass from Brown to freshman Malakye Edwards, making it 58-20.
The Lancers did manage to put up a late score on a 51-yard scoring pass from Bowers to Bray and a two-point conversion, but it was far too little and far too late as the Greyhounds and their Homecoming crowd celebrated win number six after a long night at Veterans Stadium.
“We came our flat and the guys weren’t totally focused because of all the festivities and I had to call a timeout and rip them a little bit,” said coach Schmitz. “But we finally got focused and were able to come back strong.”
The original schedule has Hannan (West Va.) on the schedule for this Friday night but Hannan decided not to have a team, so on October 10 at Veterans Stadium the Greyhounds will host the North Adams Green Hornets with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
