This past Friday night, Manual beat the Frederick Douglass Broncos, 35-28. The game was designated a blackout by the Crimson Crazies.
First Half:
To start off the game, Manual received the ball. However, during the kick-off, Willis Nofsinger (#5, 12) fumbled deep in Crimson territory. As a result, Frederick Douglass scored fairly quickly and easily with an 8-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, and Frederick Douglass led Manual, 7-0, only a few minutes into the first quarter.
The Crimsons regained possession, but after a false start penalty and pressure from Frederick Douglass’ defense on third down, Manual was forced to punt. Frederick Douglass then received the ball and had good field position. A few plays later on fourth down, the Broncos decided to go for it, but Manual’s defense breached past the offensive line for a sack, allowing for Manual to get the ball back.
Kaden Mack (#6, 10) then had a great connection with Nofisinger, the latter with a big rushing play following this. Gerian Traynor (#34, 11) was ultimately tackled short of the first down a few plays later, forcing Manual to punt again. The Broncos regained possession, but Manual got the ball right back shortly after, with the first quarter coming to a close.
During the first play of the second quarter, Mack had his eyes set on Cameron Jessee (#19, 12) for a relatively long, downfield pass. Jessee, however, was forced to the ground by the defense, allowing Frederick Douglass to intercept the ball and run it back down the field for a touchdown. The extra point was good, and Frederick Douglass now led Manual, 14-0.
Undeterred, Manual got the ball back. Mack came under pressure once again and was forced to throw the ball away, where it was almost intercepted by the Broncos, who took the field with even more momentum. On fourth down, Mack was able to connect with Trenton Claypool (#3, 12) to move the sticks and get a first down. A few plays later, Traynor broke through for an 8-yard rushing touchdown to get the Crimsons on the board. The extra point by Parker Friedman (#53, 12) was good. Manual now only trailed Frederick Douglass by a touchdown, 14-7 with about eight minutes left in the first half.
The Broncos then got the ball back but were forced to punt only a few plays after. However, they decided to fake the punt, instead deciding to rush, where they ultimately got a first down and moved into Manual territory. However, Manual’s defense responded a few plays later with a big tackle on the Broncos’ running back on third down and prevented Frederick Douglass from converting on fourth.
Manual then regained possession of the ball in their own territory. Despite a 24-yard pass from Mack to Laterrian Spencer (#10, 11), a pile-up of penalties and a bad snap forced Manual to punt. With a little over 30 seconds remaining in the first half, Frederick Douglass called a time-out. Jackson Pritts (#17, 10) kicked a 59-yard punt to Frederick Douglass’ one-yard line. The first half came to an end shortly after, with Manual still trailing the Broncos 14-7.
“Well, we just need to be more consistent. We didn’t take care of the football very well tonight and so, turnovers will bite you, especially against a good team like this,” said head coach Keith Eckloff.
Halftime:
Halftime started with a performance by the national award-winning Manual Dazzlers dance team. Their routine was followed by a performance by the Crimson Sound marching band and the Colorguard, who performed a few renditions, including “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire and “Conga” by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. They ended their performance, by playing Manual’s fight song, “Stand Up And Cheer.”
Second Half:
Fredrick Douglass got the ball to start the second half, but after a quick three-and-out, Manual got the ball back. Mack connected with Jessee for a big 29-yard passing play. Then, Mack threw the ball to Brayland Miles (#14, 10) for a 43-yard gain, resulting in Manual’s second touchdown of the night. The extra point by Friedman was good. The Crimsons were now tied with the Broncos, 14-14.
Despite getting the ball back, a penalty and a big sack by Jessee pushed the Broncos back into their territory. Another penalty pushed them back further, ultimately leading Frederick Douglass to punt from their 2-yard line. Despite Nofsinger dropping the ball during the punt return, Manual was able to start their drive on Frederick Douglass’ 32-yard line.
Advancing down the field, it was ultimately Mack who scored the Crimsons’ third touchdown of the night, a 13-yard rushing play. The extra point was again made by Friedman, giving Manual the lead for the first time with a little under five minutes left in the third quarter.
The Broncos got the ball back, but could not convert, resulting in a punt. However, Manual fumbled the ball on Frederick Douglass’ 20-yard line. Despite this, Leron Brown (#11, 12) picked off the Broncos’ quarterback a play later, and ran down the field to score a touchdown. Due to a dead-ball penalty on the Crimsons, the touchdown was invalid and Manual started their drive where Brown had intercepted the ball.
Shortly after, though, Traynor ran for a 25-yard rushing touchdown. The extra point by Friedman was successful. Manual then led the Broncos, 28-14. The end of the third quarter came only a few seconds after Manual’s fourth touchdown of the night.
To start the fourth quarter, Frederick Douglass got the ball back, but their offense struggled to move down the field, resulting in another punt. The Crimsons got the ball near mid-field, but only a few plays later, Mack threw another interception. The Broncos then took over near mid-field. Despite a big tackle by Braydon Underwood (#21, 12) caused by pressure from Jessee, Frederick Douglass was able to score after two long, downfield passes. The extra point was good, but Manual still led 28-21.
During the kickoff following the Broncos’ third touchdown, Rashad High (#7, 10) fumbled the ball deep in Manual territory. He then threw his helmet while on the field in frustration, drawing a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Broncos were able to use the penalty to their advantage, scoring shortly afterwards, and tying Manual 28-28.
With only a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, Manual got the ball back and gained momentum with a 52-yard rushing play by Traynor. However, the Crimsons were forced to kick a field goal following third down. Friedman’s kick came up short, though, giving Frederick Douglass possession on their 20-yard line. The Broncos attempted to pass on third down, but the ball soared over their receiver’s head, forcing the Broncos to punt. Manual got the ball back, but they were forced to punt shortly after as well. Frederick Douglass got the ball back on their 20-yard line once again, but the fourth quarter ended a few seconds later. The game was now headed into overtime.
Manual won the coin toss, choosing to receive the ball to start. After only two plays, starting on the 10-yard line, Traynor ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point by Friedman was good, and Manual now led the Broncos 35-28.
Frederick Douglass then got the ball, starting out on the ten-yard line as well. Their first two attempts were incomplete passes. On third down, Manual’s defense was penalized for pass interference. Frederick Douglass was allowed to repeat the down and the ball was moved to the five-yard line. During their repeated third down attempt, the Broncos’ had another incomplete pass. Then, on fourth down, Manual’s defense prevented the Broncos from scoring, causing another incomplete pass and ending the game.
Manual beat Frederick Douglass, 35-28.
“We knew we were controlling the line of scrimmage. We felt pretty good about what we were doing in the first half. We just have to control the football. And, you know, the turnovers really kind of bit us. We said at halftime, we just have to keep control of the football and not turn it over,” said Eckloff when asked how the team came to score more following the first half. “I feel really good about our guys’ resiliency and ability to fight through in the second half.”
The Crimsons’ next game is against Eastern on Friday, Sept 13 at 7:30 p.m.
