Manchester wins season opener on the gridiron

Manchester Flying Dutchmen showed their strength against the Whitmore Lake Trojans on Thursday, August 25. Photo courtesy Shannon Fether

by Marsha Chartrand

The Manchester Flying Dutchmen won their first game of the season, traveling to Whitmore Lake Thursday night, August 25.

The game started off slowly, the first quarter ending scoreless, and much of the third quarter remained the same. Whitmore Lake made the first touchdown with 3:37 remaining in the second quarter, with a one-yard dive by #4 Francis from the Trojans. Gunner Carson, assisted by Wyatt Carson, made the tackle. The two-point conversion attempt was no good, leaving the score at 6–0.

At 2:25 in the third quarter, the Trojans’ Reil #12 ran to the Dutchmen 1-yard line for two yards, with a fumble recovered by Wyatt Carson, whose five-yard run gave the Dutch its own touchdown. The point-after kick by Nick Laurain was unsuccessful, but still tied the score at 6.

In the fourth, the Dutchmen picked up some steam and came out strong. Kannon Duffing completed a 16-yard pass to Jaxon McGuigan at the Manchester 49, setting up a 1st and 10. Gunner Carson ran to the Trojans’ 32 for another 19 yards, and at the 11:16 mark, Wyatt Carson ran for 32 yards to complete the touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt from Duffing to Luke Blumenauer was unsuccessful but left Manchester with a 12–6 lead. And Manchester wasn’t done yet. With 5:32 remaining, Blake Sloan ran nine yards for one more TD in the game. And the two-point conversion pass from McGuigan to Alexander Woods was successful, giving the Dutch an ultimate 20–6 final score.

Game leaders included Duffing who was 9 for 13 in passing, for a total of 146 yards and no TDs. Wyatt Carson had 11 carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns; McGuigan had seven receives for 105 yards total.

This week, Manchester will open the Cascades Conference season by facing the Addison Panthers at home, 7pm on Sept. 1 (Thursday).

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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.