Late Touchdown Gives DC Win Against Manchester

NORTH MANCHESTER, IND.  --  A late touchdown run by sophomore Cory Bennett (Tampa, Fla./Blake) and a defensive interception on the ensuing opponent possession, sealed a 20-14 victory for the Defiance College football team against Manchester (Ind.) University in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game in North Manchester, Ind.

Defiance (3-3, 2-2 HCAC) trailed for the majority of the game, but a one-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Logan Scott (Curtice/Genoa) as time expired in the third quarter and Bennett's one-yard scamper at the 3:06 mark of the fourth quarter, gave the Yellow Jackets the lead at 20-14.

On its ensuing possession following the Bennett score, Manchester (0-5, 0-3 HCAC) began the drive with a sack, but a pass interference call on the very next play, gave the Spartans a fresh set of downs and moved the ball into Defiance territory at the 46-yard line.  The DC defense then put the game away for the Yellow Jackets when senior Kenny Jones (Toledo/Bowsher) came up with his fifth interception of the season ending the drive for the Spartans.

With only a timeout remaining for Manchester, DC was able to run out the final two minutes and reached the .500 mark on the season (3-3) with the six-point win.

DC had 306 total yards of offense with 172 yards on the ground, led by Bennett who rushed for a game and career-high 93 yards on 18 carries (5.2 yards per carry) to go along with the TD.  Freshman Demaria Washington (Miami, Fla./Dr. Phillips) also had a strong day going for 66 yards in 14 attempts.

Scott completed 10-of-26 passes for 134 yards and recorded both a passing and rushing TD on the day.  

Sophomore wide receiver Nate Roberts (St. Petersburg, Fla./Boca Ciega) led the Jackets in receptions with three for 23 yards.  Freshman DeVonte Cravin (Ama, La./Hahnville) had a team-high 36 yards on one catch which was for a TD.

Defensively, three DC players tallied a team-high nine tackles in junior Markell Moncrief (Detroit, Mich./Southfield Lathrup), junior Kolton Davis (Toledo/Bowsher) and senior Matt DeVore (Van Buren).  Davis also added a tackle for loss, while three of DeVore's stops were for loss, including 1.5 sacks.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Manchester broke the stalemate with a touchdown at the 10:30 minute mark of the second period on an 11-play drive to take a 7-0 lead.  The Defiance offense struggled to get things going until the 1:42 mark when Cravin caught his only pass of the game that came on a 36-yard TD throw from Scott to cap a drive that was set-up by an interception by sophomore Beau Barkley (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Churubusco).  The extra point following the Cravin TD was missed, preserving a one-point advantage for the Spartans at the break, 7-6.

Late in the third quarter, Manchester added to its lead with a nine-yard rushing TD with 3:49 left to play to extend the margin to 14-6.  The two teams traded possessions, but a poor Spartan punt gave the Jackets excellent field position with the ball on the Manchester 39-yard line.  The errant punt would lead to a one-yard TD run by Scott following a 33-yard hookup to junior Tyler Gillig (Tiffin/Tiffin Columbian) on the previous play, to get the Jackets to within two points, 14-12.  DC capitalized on the two-point conversion on a trick play that ended with senior Cody Wilson (McComb) completing a pass to freshman Jason Santora (Avon) in the corner of the endzone, evening the score at 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

The two teams continued to trade possessions throughout the majority of the fourth quarter until DC began a drive with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation.  The Jackets then put together a 12-play, 74-yard drive that ended in Bennet's one-yard run putting the Jackets ahead for the first time in the game, 20-14, with 3:06 to play.  DC attempted a second two-point conversion, but the pass would miss its mark, keeping the score, 20-14.

On the ensuing kickoff, Manchester got a solid 24-yard return, but three plays later, Jones came up with the interception for DC to end the Spartans' hopes of a comeback and clinching the 20-14 victory for Defiance.

Manchester ended the game with 256 yards of offense (85 rushing and 171 passing).  The Spartans were led offensively by quarterback Tristan Chester who completed 18-of-27 passes for 171 yards and one TD, but had a pair of interceptions.  Lous Medina led the Spartan receivers with game-highs of five catches for 81 yards.  On the ground, Manchester was led by Lucas Lorian with 34 yards on 11 carries.

Defiance will seek a third straight victory next Saturday, Oct. 15 when it hosts Anderson (Ind.) University in a HcAC game at Justin F. Coressel Stadium.  The game is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.