Franklin 27, Manchester 21
Oct 18, 2003
FRANKLIN, Ind. — With his team trailing 15-0 midway in the second quarter, Franklin College head coach Mike Leonard put Jerremy Neibert in quarterback, hoping the senior would make a difference.Oct 18, 2003
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Manchester
Neibert didn't disappoint, helping the Grizzlies rally to top Manchester 27-21 for their first victory of the 2003 season. After losing its last three contests by a combined 10 points, FC at last erased the "goose egg" from the win column on its sixth try and evened its Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference at 1-1.
Neibert got the Grizzlies on the scoreboard by hitting sophomore running back Brad Stoneking, a converted linebacker, for an 11-yard TD with 3:18 left in the opening half. It was Stoneking's first TD reception as a Grizzly.
The senior then pulled Franklin to within two points at 15-13 with a 3-yard touchdown run in the middle of the third period.
After Manchester capped its only long scoring drive (79 yards) with a 4-yard run by quarterback Michael Blossner to go up 21-13 late in the third quarter, Neibert and the Grizzlies seized their opportunities and the football game in the fourth period.
Franklin tied the game at 21-all when Neibert finished a 69-yard drive with a 6-yard scoring toss to Stoneking and then rushed for a two-point conversion with 13 minutes remaining. The Grizzlies got their go-ahead points on a fourth down-and-goal play when junior running back Joliba Brogan burst through a hole in the middle of the line from 1 yard out.
Though freshman kicker Kenny Jordan then missed his second extra point of the day, the Grizzlies held off Manchester's last drive to prevail. Jordan almost untied the game earlier, but his 44-yard field goal try fell just short.
The Grizzlies thwarted the Spartans' bid to tie the contest in the closing seconds when freshman cornerback Shawn Wood made his first career interception, picking off a Blossner sideline pass at the Franklin 25-yard-line with 27 seconds to go.
Manchester took advantage of Franklin mistakes in the early going. Greg Jarrett caught a 9-yard TD pass from Blossner for the game's first points after the Spartans recovered a fumble in FC territory. The visitors went up 9-0 when Grizzlies starting quarterback Geoff Zentz was trapped for a safety before he was able to release the ball in his own end zone.
In the second quarter, the Spartans upped their lead to 15-0 on a 13-yard run by Jarrett after MC recovered a fumbled punt reception by Franklin freshman Danny Sears in Grizzly territory. But Sears redeemed himself with a 30-yard punt return to Manchester's 4-yard-line, setting up Brogan's go-ahead score.
Neibert completed 20 of 31 passes for 191 yards and the two TDs and led FC in rushing with 52 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Senior split end Ryan Vest was Franklin's top pass catcher with six receptions for 41 yards.
Blossner completed 16 of 43 passes for 112 yards and a TD. Brandon Tugmon had five catches for 39 yards and to lead MC's receivers and Jarrett led the visitors in rushing with 71 yards on 17 carries.