Ledyard Wins Fifth Straight

Seniors Alex Manwaring and Slade Baxley each had big nights for the Ledyard High School football team as the Colonels blanked the Vikings of East Lyme, 27-0, at Mignault Field.

Ledyard took command of the game just before the half. Leading 7-0, the Colonels decided to go for it on fourth and long. Quarterback John Rainy found Manwaring for a 20-yard gain, and on the next play Rainy ran it in for a 13-0 halftime lead.

Perhaps the most exciting play of the game came on a punting situation. Baxley turned bad snap and potential big loss into a successful kick, setting East Lyme back at their own 25.

"He retrieved the ball, ran about 20 yards, and then punted it while running for a long punt," Ledyard parent Ted Stockmon said. "Never saw that before, or likely to again."

Baxley later intercepted a pass and caught another pass from Rainy for a score. Manwaring finished with 151 rushing yards.

The 7-1 Colonels have now won five in a row. They need one more victory to become playoff eligible. East Lyme, meanwhile, dropped to 4-4.