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Mustangs give away home opener

Loss to Dayton drops record to 0-2

by Shawn Tyrrell, Sports Writer
   Last Friday night the Manville High football team was in a very giving mood when the school played host to visiting Dayton.
   Perhaps the Mustangs were a bit too giving on the evening as they turned the ball over seven times making it easy for the Bulldogs to come away with a 28-0 victory.
   Manville also had a tough time stopping Dayton quarterback Rob Yannazzuni, who rushed 11 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns. The senior scored on runs of 2, 5, 90 and 59 yards, with the last one sealing Manville’s fate as it came with MHS trying to make a game of it.
   ”There isn’t a whole lot to say,” Manville head coach Brett Stibitz said afterward. “We didn’t play that bad. We did have some success moving the ball. We were in the red zone a bunch of times but couldn’t put it in. We have to capitalize on those chances.”
   Neither team was able to put any points on the board in the first quarter. Manville did put together a strong drive moving from the its own 25-yard line down to the Dayton 25. MHS got strong runs by Mark Walyga (21 yards) and a 13-yarder by Angelo Bell. Walyga also converted a fourth and two at the 40 with a five-yard gain. Unfortunately, the drive was halted when Bulldog defender John Hoehn intercepted a Brendan Nurnberger pass downfield and returned it to the MHS 47-yard line.
   The teams then traded turnovers as on the next play Manville cornerback David Olmsted made a diving interception of a Yannazzuni pass. But three plays later MHS gave it back on a fumble which was recovered by Dayton linebacker Kadeem Hill.
   Dayton did not capitalize on the ensuing possession but they came through with points on the next. Safety Terae Hargove made the first of his three interceptions on the evening and the turnover gave the Bulldogs a golden opportunity at the Manville 14-yard line. Three plays later, the visitors were on the board when Yannazzuni carried it in from two yards out.
   Trailing 7-0, the Mustangs again coughed up the football. This time, the ball was snapped into Bell as he was going in motion. The ball was recovered at the 23-yard line and again Dayton responded. Six plays later, it was Yannazzuni from five yards out and with the point after the Bulldogs had increased their advantage to 14-0.
   In a span of just over four minutes the momentum of the game had changed entirely, but the Dayton offense was not quite finished. Following a Manville punt of 44 yards by Mike Hopkins, which pinned the Dayton offense back at its own 10-yard line, Yannazzuni burst through the Mustang defense and found daylight and went the distance on a 90-yard touchdown run. It appeared to be a play where the Manville defense just guessed wrong.
   The third quarter was one of the most spirited the Mustangs have played in quite a few years. The sidelines were pumped up and the Manville defense came out strong. Josh Michalski recovered a fumble at the Dayton 24-yard line. MHS managed to move the ball to the Dayton five, but on fourth and a yard to go, Bell was stopped cold.
   MHS would get another opportunity. After a three and out by the Dayton offense, the visitors were forced to punt. The kick was partially blocked by Ryan Jankowski. The Mustangs again had a great chance to put some points on the board with the ball at the 11-yard line, but again they were denied by the Dayton defense, which only allowed a yard before sacking Nurnberger on a fourth down attempt.
   That was as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the night. Except for the running of Yannazzuni, the MHS defense did a pretty decent job. Senior linebacker Billy Mazzucca knew it was a game the team could have won.
   ”When we scouted Dayton it seemed the two teams were evenly matched,” Mazzucca said. “But looking at the final score it didn’t seem that way. The second half we played much better and it seemed that someone lit a fire under us. We need to have that emotion the whole game.”
   The Mustangs will be home again Friday night against St. Joseph’s of the Palisades. MHS defeated St. Joe’s last season.