The Titans finished their season with an emphatic 45-0 win over the DC Presidents, thanks largely to a defense that shut down the DC offense and a near perfect game from QB Alan Mead, who completed 16 of 17 passes for 236 yards and 5 TDs.
Manchester won the toss and elected to receive the kicking off and needed only two plays before TE Jon Homer caught a 53 yard TD pass for the game’s opening points. The extra point was unsuccessful leaving the score 6-0.
The Titans Defense forced DC to punt on their first possession but DE Andy Burridge blocked the kick, setting up Manchester’s offense on the Presidents’ 26 yard line. After two runs by RB Nick Copley, WR Danny Caballero scored on a 3 yard TD pass. Ric Pennington kicked the extra point for a 13-0 lead.
DC went three-and-out on their next possession but the Presidents gained a fresh set of downs after a roughing the kicker call on Titans’ DE Erivaldo Guimaraes. Despite picking up another first down, DC were again forced to punt and which Titan’s WR Drew Sherratt returned to the Manchester 32 yard line.
The Titans drove 53 yards in 5 plays – a 16 yard reception by FB Jonathan Gago, a 14 yard catch by Caballero, two Copley runs and a 16 yard catch by WR Adam Simms gave the Titans a 1st & Goal from the DC 5 yard line as the 1st quarter ended.
Nick Copley then scored on a 5 yard run on the first play of the 2nd quarter, with Pennington again adding the extra point for a 20-0 Titans lead.
With Linebackers Rob Bainbridge and Sandy Kyriacou leading the charge, the Titans held the Presidents to another three-and-out and after a good punt, Manchester’s offense would start from their own 29 yard line. The Titans drove 61 yards in five plays, including 11 yard catch for a first down by WR Matt Barton and a 17 yard run by Copley, before being capped off by a 31 yard TD grab by WR Will Kinghorn. The extra was unsuccessful, leaving the score 26-0.
DC again had to punt on their next possession and the Titans offense took over on their own 35. They marched downfield with a 15 yard run by Copley, 12 yard catch by Barton, and another 10 yard Copley run before Mead hit Homer over the middle who dashed into the endzone from 19 yards out. Pennington’s bad luck continued on the extra point – hitting the post and setting the score at 32-0 Manchester as the Presidents ran out the clock to end the first half.
With DC struggling with injuries, the teams agreed to play a rolling clock in the second half, so there were be fewer opportunities for the Titans to increase their margin. After a solid tackle by Guimaraes stopped the Presidents opening drive on 4th down, Manchester took over and drove 53 yards in 12 plays, mainly on the ground through RB Ross Profit and FB Rick McEwen. The final yard turned into Mead’s fifth TD pass of the game and it went to James Dean, who scored his first TD in 5 seasons with the Titans. Manchester then led 38-0.
DC’s next possession was ended when an attempted Option Pass was intercepted by S Dave Barnett. A 26 yard TD run by Profit was wiped out due to a holding penalty but a 28 yard reception by Homer quickly took the ball down to the DC 2 yard line again. From here, McEwen punched in for his first ever score and with Matt Nelan kicking the extra point the scoreline was extended to 45-0.
On their final possession DC’s back-up QB attempted to pass but was sacked by DE Andy Burridge. His next pass attempt was knocked down by the 6’ 8” Burridge. Another incompletion forced a one more DC punt at the 2 minute warning. The Titans quickly moved into scoring position through Barton’s third catch of the game but as Manchester looked to put the final nail in the coffin, Mead was sacked and fumbled the ball which DC recovered.
The Presidents then ran out the clock to end the game, 45-0 to Manchester, giving the Titans a 7-2-1 record but narrowly missing out on a playoff spot.