The home team had won the previous three meetings between Manchester and Hall, and Hall kept the tradition alive. The Red Hawks fell 37-30 to the Titans on Friday. While the Red Hawks had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Titans 16-7.
Manchester's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jeremiah Pinckney, who rushed for 118 yards and one touchdown on only 15 carries. Kaden Bradford was another key player, rushing for 72 yards.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 1.8 yards per carry. While three picked up at least one total tackle, Pinckney stood above the rest. He rushed for 118 yards and one score on only 15 carries. Manchester's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.8 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 6.93 on average over their last five games.
Manchester's defensive line didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Noah Colon. Samuel Mojica got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Hall's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jordan Scher, who picked up 103 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Scher is becoming a predictor of the Titans' success: when he posts at least 80 receiving yards the team is 2-1 (and 1-4 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Tommy Hussey, who threw for 193 yards and four touchdowns.
Manchester has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season. As for Hall, their win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 3-5.
Coming up, Manchester will take on New Britain at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The Golden Hurricanes will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something the Red Hawks surely won't give up without a fight. As for Hall, they will head out to challenge Platt at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. That contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Hussey and Austen Standish.
