The Manchester Titans Adult Contact Team celebrated a massive 79-0 win over an under-strength Walney Terriers side on Sunday 24th May. With the Terriers short of numbers due to the Bank Holiday weekend, the Titans Defense recorded their 2nd straight shutout and their 4th straight game with an interception return for a TD.
The Titans Offense took the opening kickoff and drove 57 yards to score – courtesy of a one yard QB sneak by Alan Mead. The XP was missed but the Titans had jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. Walney were held to a 3 & out on their first possession and when their punt went out of bounds, Manchester had great field position on the Walney 27 yard line. On the next play Mead hit WR Stephenson Ardern-Sodje with a pass over the middle and the speedy receiver spun past the Terriers free safety and waltzed into the endzone. Ryan Newton kicked the extra point for a 13-0 lead.
The Titans got the ball back on straight away when DE Andrew Burridge intercepted a pass and ran it back 11 yards to set up Newton’s 2 yard TD run. The kick was good, making the score 20-0. Walney again had to punt and once again Mead and Ardern-Sodje connected for a TD – this time from 51 yards out. The missed PAT left the score 26-0. After another Terriers punt, Manchester used the ground game and after a 28 yard run by Jon Gago, Newton added his 2nd TD from 17 yards out. 32-0 Titans. The Terriers offence finally picked up it’s first 1st down and had moved into Manchester’s side of the field when DB Jozsef Esztan made his first interception for the club to end the 1st quarter. Mead completed another short pass to Ardern and breaking tackles he advanced the ball 26 yards to set up a 29 yard rainbow from Mead to WR James Newnes behind the Terriers defense for another score. The PAT made the score 39-0.
On the ensuing possession, Walney were again held by the Titan Defense and forced to punt. Chris Payne took over at QB and drove the offence 41 yards in 5 plays, capped off by RB Adim Irozuru’s 5 yard TD run. Newton’s kick extended the Titans’ lead to 46-0. Titans Safety James Dean made his 3rd interception of the season on the next drive, ending another Walney threat. A combination of Irozuru’s running and short passes from Payne to TE Ste Kimmins, moved the ball downfield to set up RB David Blake’s 11 yard TD run. The extra point was good and the score was 53-0. The Terriers were again forced to punt and Newnes caught the short kick, reversed his field and went 27 yards to paydirt. The kick was no good but the Titans had a 59-0 lead at the end of the 1st half.
With the Titans leading by more than 35 points, the 2nd half would be played with a rolling clock (for the 3rd time this season). After another Walney punt, Payne drove the Titans offence 59 yards in 9 plays, resulting in Blake’s 2nd TD run of the game – this time from 8 yards out, extending the Titans lead to 65-0. On the next Walney series, DB Ainsley Battel stepped in front of a Terriers pass and ran 38 yards to score. Newton’s kick made it 72-0. The Titans defense continued to be relentless and forced another Walney punt to end the 3rd quarter. Manchester’s offence failed to score on their next possession, turning the ball over on downs to Walney but rookie DB Jack Hipperson made his first ever interception, and the Titans 5th of the day, to get the ball back. However Walney’s defense held firm and forced the Titans into their first punt of the game. However the Terrier’s returner muffed the punt and Newnes recovered for the Titans. Irozuru scored on a 13 yard run on the next play and Newton’s kick made the score 79-0.
Walney’s last drive ended as time ran out with the final score 79-0 to the Titans. Manchester will be happy with the result, finishing just 3 points short of their highest ever points total – 82-13 against next week’s opposition Crewe Railroaders in 2012. With victory next week, Manchester will have beaten each of the teams in their division, whilst Crewe will be gunning for the upset. The game kicks off at 3pm on Sunday at the AJ Bell Stadium, preceded by the Junior team at 12pm.