Memorial Falls to Manchester

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Crucial mistakes turn tide into 52-21 loss.

Florence Galida – Contributing Writer

AKRON – The Campbell Memorial Red Devils began their Div. IV semi-final tournament game against Akron Manchester with a 7-0 lead on a Ja’les Hughes 71-yard first quarter touchdown run at the 6:45 mark. Soon after, a 48-yard TD pass to Hughes was called back by a questionable pass penalty. The tournament was held at Gilchrist Field, home of the Ravenna Ravens.

Undefeated Akron Manchester took over and scored on a second-and-10 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Peyakov to Cort Logan, added the extra point and it was a 7-7 game, which would carry into the second quarter after much action from both teams.

In the second quarter, a dropped Memorial pass was recovered by Nobel of Akron and the Panthers used eight plays to score their second touchdown – a trick pass play of 19 yards to Kyle Doughtery from Tyler Masters – and it was a 13-7 game. The busy quarter turned into a defensive battle until Manchester’s Logan pulled in a 21-yard pass to up the score to 19-7, which would hold until the second half.

Akron took advantage of a third quarter MHS fumble to tack on another touchdown via Peyakov’s pass to Logan, but the Devils fought back with a 21-yard Ja’les Hughes touchdown and an Alex Sudacov PAT for a 25-14 score.

After a great defensive show by both teams and a drive by Memorial toward the 50-yard line, a Lester Hughes pass was picked off by Clayton Hanzel and returned 37 yards for a touchdown, making it 32-14 after Noble’s kick.

The final frame had Noble of Manchester taking off for a 36-yard score to close off hope with eight minutes left. However, Campbell’s Claxton Lebron took Manchester’s kickoff and returned it in a dazzling run for a 90-yard touchdown to up the score to 45-21 with Sudacov’s kick, but time ran out for the Red Devils.

The Panthers weren’t done when they took over at the Memorial 25 after a punt and Nobel made his second touchdown and fourth PAT for a 52-21 final score in the final seconds.

Statistically, MHS rushed for 249 yards in 37 carries (of which Ja’les Hughes had 220) while Manchester’s Peyakov was 15 of 34 passes for 190 to go on toward the “final eight” state title chance. Akron’s QB made 16 of 35 passes, while Lester Hughes was 5 of 19.

MHS also lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions, all leading to scores.

Seniors who had advanced to the final 16 at 10-1 for Coach Mickey Sikora played in their last game and played hard. Graduating are LeBron, Lester Hughes, Larry Morris, Dennis Williams, Nick Opencar, Eric Jackson, Dae Bebedis, John Sikora, Jose Martin, Jose Pagan, Angel Torres, Dave Guidos, Tyler Abron, Richard Bledsoe and Skevo Zembillas, a top speedster who was injured early in the season and missed the last nine games but stood with the team.