By Michael Letendre
The second half of the season is going to be a successful one for the football squad over at Bristol Central.
And the Rams might be taking on Manchester at just the right time.
After a 3-0 start, with a postponement of its contest against Enfield also in the mix, the squad fell at home to Middletown 12-7 on Oct. 6.
This is a game Central quarterback Jack Hartley and crew might be able to steal in the end.
Will Central, coming off its own bye week, start it’s five pack of remains games with a huge triumph in Manchester?
Here’s what to expect tonight on the road:
Bristol Central (1-4) at Manchester (3-1), Tier II Showdown
Time: 6 p.m. (Memorial Field, Manchester)
The Series: Central and Manchester, old friends from its CCIL days, are playing in each other for the 20th time in school history.
Series Edge: The Red Hawks lead the all-time series 13-5-1 overall.
Last Season: To open the 2022 campaign, Central fell at home to Manchester by a 21-14 final. The Rams led 7-0 after one period while the contest was tied up at 7-7 heading into the fourth frame. But the Red Hawks scored 14 points in the final tilt to ice the game. Nik Salinas and Carmelo Thompson each rushed for 51 yards over the losing effort. Tre Blair had 10 rushes for 44 yards while making a reception off a pass by Salinas for 36 yards.
What to expect: Central is going to have its hands full with Red Hawks quarterback Emanuel Sampel as he’s connected on 60-percent of his passes to date (47-for-78, 857 yards) – good for six touchdowns…The Central secondary can and will makes stops and it’s going to be important to mark star receiver Joe Mugovero from the onset. The junior has a team-leading 22 catches for 444 yards and five touchdowns…The team also has a host of senior tight ends and receivers and that can make critical third down connections…Over their first three games, Manchester notched at least 28 points in every game before the Middletown setback…There’s size and ability on defense as well as Manchester has a solid five up front. Julian Ortiz leads the squad in tackles while the Red Hawks have total 10.5 sacks…Central’s Jack Hartley and crew have plenty of time to turn this around it starts tonight in Manchester…Hartley has made 12-of-36 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown this season but his work in the ground schemes has helped move the chains for the Rams. He continues to lead the program in both carries and yardage. Overall, Hartley has 113 carries for 372 yards and three touchdowns…Anthony Paulino, Tristian Toussaint and Jayden Glasper will all attempt to move the ball upfield with Cassias Breland and Quincy Lawson making some catches along the way…Jack Jones will once again helm the defense, averaging 11.0 tackles-per-game while scooping up eight tackles for a loss…This is going to be a tough challenge but if Central can make stops, the visitors should be able to hang around in this one.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.
