With a more condensed regular season and an expanded postseason schedule with the change to the format for high school football a few years ago, each victory and loss seems to carry more weight than it did in the past. As a result, it stands to reason that a 2-0 start to the season is an incredibly valuable thing when it comes to determining who gets into the playoffs later in the fall, making the Manchester Essex football team’s 2-0 start to the season is pure gold for the Hornets.
“Every game matters the same when it comes down to the playoff system and league standings, so being 2-0 is obviously the preferred situation to be in,” explains Manchester Essex football coach Joe Grimes. “More importantly, starting strong allows for more flexibility and a kind of buffer to help mitigate impacts from injuries and scheme changes that usually happen in the October window. A strong start can be the difference for teams on the bubble for playoff spot, a home playoff game or even a league title that need to get through that tough spot down the road - or at least gives you more paths to whatever that teams goals are.”
Manchester Essex improved to 2-0 with a 38-18 win over Rockland on Sept. 20, utilizing a powerful rushing attack and suffocating defense to pick up a victory in the Hornets’ home-opening game of 2024. It’s a similar formula to what the Hornets used to win in the season opener at the start of September.
“We ran the ball really efficiently and played very tough, physical defense and that helped us stay ahead of a tough and talented Rockland team,” says Grimes. “It was a grind-it-out type of effort from our guys, and I was glad we were able to come out on top.”
Quarterback Zach Hurd kept the Bulldogs on their heels by providing a two-pronged attack on offense, totaling 157 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and amassing 103 yards passing.
“Zach Hurd had another great game leading the way on offense and defense,” explains Grimes. “However, he’d be the first to tell you that it takes a whole team effort to get it done.”
Hurd was certainly not alone when it came to contributing toward the win. Conrad Garfield went over the century mark as well, rushing for 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Noah Cohen (49 yards rushing) and Gabe Magee (one-yard rushing touchdown) also kept things churning on the ground.
“Conrad Garfield had his best game of the young season,” says Grimes. “Conrad is a dynamic runner that compliments the work Gabe Magee, Noah Cohen and Zach Hurd do in the backfield and it was great to see his contributions to show up on the stat sheet this week.”
It also doesn’t hurt that the offensive line was able to open holes for those runners to go through, and the defensive line was similarly successful in imposing their will upon the opposition.
“Senior Cian Brennock and Junior Walker Valeo both set a great physical tone on the offensive and defensive lines all night long,” says Grimes.
The next challenge for Manchester Essex will be pushing the streak and the record to 3-0 when they head back out on the road to play Triton on Sept. 27 (6:30 p.m.).
“We just got our first good look at the 2024 version of Triton on film this weekend and we’re getting familiarity with their personnel,” explains Grimes. “We played them right at the end of 2023, so we had a good base to work off of, albeit with new faces in new places, of course. We expect a physical, tough battle against a team with not a lot of gaps.
Both teams are undefeated early on in the season, making this one a highlight on the schedule.
“They’re a strong 2-0 and should be confident coming into this one - they’re playing great football right now,” says Grimes. “We love a good challenge and we’re really looking forward to the week.”
