On Friday night, Nov. 1, the Manual Crimsons crushed the Male Bulldogs 21-0, signifying the end of Male’s decade-long winning streak in ‘The Old Rivalry’ game. Manual’s win also signified the return of the barrel for the first time since 2013. The game was designated a red-out by the Crimson Crazies.
First Half:
The Bulldogs started off on offense to begin the game. They gained five yards, but were quickly tackled by Manual’s defense. They managed to gain enough yards to complete a first down a play later. Then, a flag on the play created a loss of eight yards, and the Bulldogs were forced to punt at their own 13-yard line. Manual then gained possession for the first time in the game.
A few players later, Brayland Miles (#14, 10) attempted to catch the ball, but it was ruled incomplete. On third down, the Crimsons gained eight yards, achieving the first down. An official timeout was then called. When play resumed, Gerian Traynor (#34, 11) took the ball and ran for a big gain. He was tackled just six yards away from the end zone. Kaden Mack (#6, 10) snapped the ball and threw it to Traynor, who gained three more yards a play later. Mack then threw the ball to Willis Nofsinger (#5, 12), who scored the first touchdown of the game. Parker Friedman (#53, 12) kicked a successful extra point, bringing the score 7-0, with Manual in the lead.
The Bulldogs then got the ball back, but were unable to gain much yardage. A flag on the play was called, resulting in a loss of four yards for Male. The Bulldogs were stopped once again by Manual’s defense after failing to convert on third down. The Crimsons returned to offense, and successfully moved down the field, but were unable to score again before the time ran out.
The score was 7-0 at the end of the quarter.
“Class of 2025, the last team to play in historical Manual stadium’s real grass. History’s being made- just keep watching,” said defensive end Cash Zuberer (#18, 12)
The Bulldogs began the second quarter on offense, and gained several yards. They were able to get a first down, and continued to make their way down the field. However, they were stopped by tackles from David Pellman (#55, 11) and Corey Warner (#2, 11). A flag on the play was called, and the Bulldogs lost two yards. They struggled to move forward, and punted a few plays later as a result.
The Crimsons then took the ball. Mack tossed the ball to Traynor, who ran and gained a couple of yards. The Bulldogs then called a timeout. When play resumed, Mack threw the ball to Miles, who ran for a big gain, resulting in a first down. The Crimsons quickly gained more yardage, and Mack threw the ball to Cameron Jessee (#19, 12), but he was just short of the first down.
Jackson Pritts (#17, 10) then punted the ball away, resulting in Male getting the ball back. A flag on the play was called on the Bulldogs, and the Crimsons gained a yard to get to the 9-yard line. Mack threw the ball to Traynor, who scored a touchdown with 29.4 seconds remaining in the first half. The extra point by Friedman was good, bringing the score up to 14-0 at the end of the second quarter.
“Man, it feels great. This senior class has been through a lot. We’ve got a heck of a football team of resilient guys, and we’re especially glad to bring it back to this great student section,” said head coach Keith Eckloff.
Second Half:
Manual started the third quarter with the ball, and quickly gained momentum to open the second half. Jessee gained seven yards to start. Nofsinger then handed the ball off to Miles, who ran five yards in a trick play. Jessee got the ball a play later, and ran 51 yards to score the Crimsons’ third touchdown of the game. The extra point by Friedman was good. Manual now led Male 21-0.
Once Male regained possession, they managed to inch down the field. However, Manual’s defense remained on point to the point where Leron Brown (#11, 12) almost successfully intercepted the ball. Later on, the Bulldogs punted yet again, where the ball was caught by Nofsinger. Manual took the ball back, and gained nine yards. They were able to get the first down, and Mack snapped the ball to Miles who gained two yards a few plays later. A flag on the play resulted in a loss of 19 yards, however. The Crimsons were at the 26-yard line on third down, but managed to gain the yardage back. Traynor attempted to run, but was tackled after two yards. Pritts then punted the ball after Manual was unable to convert on third down. Male was able to catch the ball with no trouble, but they were taken down to the ground soon after.
By the time the third quarter was over, the score was 21-0, still in the Crimsons’ favor.
“I mean like I said, I feel ecstatic. Had to lose it for 11 years and come out here and beat [them] 21 [to] nothing and they turn off the… scoreboard,” Jessee said.
In the final quarter of the game, the Crimsons started off on offense. They gained a few yards, and then called a time out. Rashad High (#7, 10) ran to complete another first down. The Crimsons continued to move down the field, but then the Bulldogs intercepted the ball. They failed to gain any yards, though, eventually calling a time-out on third down. Male moved a few more yards, but were taken down by Dequoria Warner (#2, 11). The Bulldogs called another time-out with four minutes remaining in the game. They spent the rest of the game trying to move down the field, but Manual’s defense put a stop to any momentum Male had. The game ended shortly after with a Manual win and a final score of 21-0. The win marked the first time in over a decade that Manual defeated Male.
“It’s great to bring the barrel back home. No better feeling than this,” Friedman said.
Manual ends the regular season with an overall record of 9-1, and 3-0 in district. The Crimsons will play next Friday, Nov. 8, during the first round of the KHSAA Class 6A football playoffs against Campbell County at Manual Stadium.
