A pause for the Manchester-Clinton football rivalry

Manchester and Clinton’s rivalry was considered among the best in the state, and was definitely the longest in the state as documented by the MHSAA. They are shown here playing at Rynearson Stadium at EMU in 2011. Photo courtesy of David Jose.

After 100+ years, the Manchester-Clinton football rivalry is taking a hiatus.

It hasn’t been an easy decision for Athletic Director Lon Pinhey, who was forced to make the determination in January.

“When you come down to it, it’s a numbers game and we’re going in the wrong direction,” he said. “And after the numbers, it comes down to health and safety and then a myriad of other issues that potentially support this decision. It’s my job to try to preserve our athletic program and the health and safety of the kids participating in athletics.

“I understand the history and the tradition, but it’s just not a healthy situation for our kids.”

As Pinhey reviewed the numbers of the current and upcoming classes in Manchester, he realized that there are six classes in a row coming up with fewer than 60 students in each year. With enrollment now hovering around 270 in the high school, that will take us to 220 students in just a few years. Many of the Cascades Conference schools have also been facing declining enrollment over recent years; but while Manchester was once in the top 50% population of the league, we’re now in the bottom half.

“So we are able to remain competitive in the conference, but Clinton is pushing 400 kids this year,” he said. “That’s a lot to overcome. We can still have success, just at a different level of competition. I want to get Manchester schools and our athletic programs back to that perception; we need to flip the script that this is the place to be. My job is to maintain, preserve, improve, and support the program.

“I didn’t want to be ‘that guy,’ (who ended the rivalry) but football is a different kind of a game than many other sports,” he added. “You’re talking about a large number of kids, and a lot of opportunity for injuries. I had to take all of that into account when making the decision. For now, this is just a pause; a hiatus. The door is always open. We’ll keep a relationship with Clinton in other sports.”

Currently, Manchester has signed a two-year contract with Whitmore Lake to replace the Clinton game that would normally have been held on August 26, 2022. Football contracts are normally set in two-year increments, so each team will have a home game and an away game.

“We are not locked in for any longer than that,” Pinhey said. “Then we will see where we are. We are not locked in for any longer than that. (Clinton AD) Jeff Waltz knows that. We’ll reevaluate where we are at, and in two years we could be talking about ‘it’s back!’

“For now, we need a mindset change for everyone involved.”

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.