Dutch continue to dominate on the gridiron!
The Mighty Dutchmen take the field on Friday night prior to their game against the Quincy Orioles. Photo courtesy of John Osadchuk.
by Marsha Chartrand
Manchester got off to a strong start Friday night at home against Quincy, scoring 19 points in the first quarter to hold a strong lead that would last them for the rest of the game, in what Coach Ben Pack called a “victory (that) was a true team effort.“
Early on, a 31-yard Kannon Duffing pass to Jaxon McGuigan gave Manchester its first touchdown, followed up with a PAT by Nick Laurain. Duffing completed his next pass to Andrew Campbell for the Dutchmen’s second TD, with a 24-yarder, but Laurain’s kick was blocked, leaving the score at 13–0 in Manchester’s favor. With 1:40 remaining in the quarter, Gunner Carson’s 9-yard run completed the scoring for the first quarter. The two-point conversion attempt from Duffing to Campbell was unsuccessful.
In the second quarter, Quincy came alive and had a successful 10-yard touchdown pass with a conversion attempt that was no good. Manchester came back and matched the touchdown on a four-yard run by Blake Sloan with a successful PAT by Laurain. At the half, Manchester retained a substantial 26–6 lead.
The Dutch again provided the sole action in the third quarter, with Wyatt Carson running five yards for a touchdown with only :24 remaining. Laurain again had a successful PAT to extend Manchester’s lead by another seven points.
As the fourth quarter began, the Dutch set up another Duffing pass to McGuigan, this time for 43 yards, with another PAT by Laurain. The Orioles responded with a 10-yard TD pass late in the quarter, but that concluded the scoring and Manchester left the field with a resounding 40–12 victory.
The strong lead allowed Pack to use all of his players in the game and he said, “It was just as exciting to see our young kids have success as it was our first-string players.
“The defense played exceptionally well the entire game,“ he added, “facing a team that passed and ran the ball. We continue to dominate on short yardage and goal-line situations. The defense denied Quincy points after each of their two touchdowns and held them off multiple times on third and fourth downs. Bubba Duffing and Jeff Loomis led the defense in tackles, while Jaxon McGuigan and Gunner Carson had interceptions. Defensive-end play by Nathan Fletcher and Cody Branner contained the Quincy QB and applied pressure the entire night.“
Offensively, Pack said, Manchester’s attack was the most balanced to date. Jaxon McGuigan, Gunner Carson, Blake Sloan, Wyatt Carson, and Andrew Campbell each scored touchdowns. Quarterback Kannon Duffing added to his season totals passing, completing eight of 10 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
Pack added that tight end Alexander Woods played a huge role in springing the team’s running backs, having improved weekly and now dominating defenders.
“The unsung hero this week goes to Luke Blumenauer,“ Pack concluded. “He caught two key passes and blocked outstanding.“
Nick Laurain continued kicking the ball with precision. His kickoffs pinned Quincy deep, and the point after touchdowns were valuable points.
Friday night, September 30, is Homecoming and the festivities leading up to the game are outlined in last week’s article here. The game begins at 7pm on the Athletic Complex versus the Michigan Center Cardinals. It’s the ultimate GAME DAY … Go, Dutch!
Andrew Campbell catches a pass from Kannon Duffing to make the Dutchmen’s second touchdown of the game on Friday night. Photo courtesy Mark Ball.
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