Memories of Manchester football

While the warm temperatures outside will say otherwise, the end of summer is on the horizon.
Granted, the summer is enjoyable with all the community festivals and laid-back vacations. Plus, I seem to be one of the few around here that actually enjoys the hot weather (it can stay like this into the fall, only dropping into the low 70s during the winter for all I care).
However, the month of August does bring a lot of excitement. The return of high school sports is on the horizon. Can you feel the anticipation?
With football training camp scheduled to begin Monday, with the rest of the fall sports starting camp two days later, it’s time to start putting trips Up North behind us and start gearing up for Friday nights under the lights. And while training camp is usually the time to focus on a new season, I along with many other sports writers tent to think back toward some of the memorable high school football games we’ve covered in previous years.
I’ve been fortunate to have covered several memorable games, from intense rivalries between neighboring communities to down-to-the-wire playoff games. Before coming to Manchester, I covered Sand Creek’s run to the state semifinals in 2005 and Onsted’s epic upset of Jackson Lumen Christi the following year. But since arriving in Manchester in 2007, the Flying Dutchmen have provided me with many memorable moments.
Doing the math, I’ve covered 32 Manchester varsity football games as a member of The Enterprise (I know, I have no life), so it’s hard to narrow down the list for a top five. But in my list, four games came down to the final seconds, while one was a major statement victory in the playoffs. There surely will be more memories to come in the 2010 season, but for now here is a look back at some of the top Manchester football games of the previous three seasons.
Dutchmen at Grass Lake, Oct. 10, 2008
The Dutchmen entered 5-1, yet were underdogs to an undefeated Grass Lake team featuring Cascades Conference-leading running back Skyler Stoker. Yet that night at the Joe Betchel Athletic Complex, both titans lit up the scoreboard, combining for 82 points.
Stoker was as good as advertised, running in three scores and finishing with 180-plus yards. But Will Rickert was even better for Manchester, scoring five touchdowns in the Dutchmen’s 44-38 victory. The final score came with 15 seconds remaining after Rickert, Logan Zigila and Jimmy Hamilton engineered a game-winning drive. A minute before Rickert’s touchdown, Zigila hit Hamilton for a 33-yard completion on a third-and-18.
The victory propelled the Dutchmen to a share of the Cascades title.
Dutchmen vs. Clinton, Aug. 28, 2009
Last year’s season opener was the 107th installment of “The Battle of M-52,” a perhaps the most memorable. A defensive struggle in the rain saw the teams play to a 6-6 tie in regulation. After exchanging touchdowns on the first overtime session, Zigila hit Corwin Every for a touchdown during Manchester’s second possession. The Dutchmen’s defense preserved the 20-14 win two plays later when Clinton quarterback Hayden Craig was sacked and lost a fumble.
The teams would meet again in the Division 6 district final, with Manchester winning again 11-0.
Dutchmen vs. Grass Lake, Oct. 30, 2009
Manchester clashed with the Warriors in the opening round of last year’s playoffs at Saline High School and put on another memorable show. The Dutchmen carried a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter, but Grass Lake didn’t go quietly. A touchdown and two-point conversion made it 10-8, and after making a defensive stand, the Warriors moved the ball to within field goal range with 24 seconds remaining. However, Brent Schriber blocked the 27-yard field goal attempt, allowing the Dutchmen to advance.
Dutchmen vs. Grass Lake, Oct. 5, 2007
Entering their homecoming game at 3-3, the Dutchmen needed to win out to keep their playoff hopes alive. Grass Lake appeared to end that hope when James Vuocolo’s 84-yard touchdown run gave the Warriors a 12-7 lead with 4:12 remaining. But the Dutchmen answered with a long scoring drive of their own, capped by Kyler Ritter’s touchdown run with 40 seconds left. A successful two-point try gave Manchester a 15-12 lead, and a late-second interception by Rickert preserved the win.
Dutchmen at Hudson, Oct. 31, 2008
Hudson boasts the state’s longest winning streak at 72 games (set in the 1970’s) and has a proud football tradition. Not many teams can post what Hudson coach Chris Luma called “the worst loss on this field,” but that’s what the Dutchmen did in the opening round of the 2008 state playoffs. Manchester, fresh from a 7-2 regular season, marched into Thompson Field and posted a 28-6 victory over the Tigers. The Dutchmen busted open a 14-6 game late in the final 4:12 with two Zigila touchdown passes, including a 95-yarder to Trevor Hanewald. The Manchester defense forced Hudson into three turnovers in that span to advance. The victory sparked the Dutchmen’s run to the Division 6 regional championship game.