Hawks Victorious in Football Season Opener

The Manchester High School varsity football team got off to the kind of start it was hoping for Friday night.

The Hawks, who are looking to surpass the school-best mark of six victories in a season, opened the 2011 campaign in impressive fashion by defeating South Plainfield, 35-14, in the nonconference, season-opener for both teams.

Manchester, with help from its big, powerful, experienced offensive line featured a balanced attack that smashed South Plainfield on the ground and through the air.

Tailback Joe Johnson, a 1,400-yard rusher in 2010, picked up where he left off with four touchdowns. Johnson scored three touchdowns during a monster first half when the Hawks rallied from an early 7-0 deficit.

Johnson scored on a two-yard run, a seven-yard run and then latched onto a 38-yard scoring strike from quarterback Tim Rogers. In the second half, the Manchester speedster added scoring runs of five and 20 yards when the Hawks broke the game open.

Manchester also played solid defense. The Hawks struggled making third-down stops last season but played disciplined football out of its 4-3 base defense and stymied a veteran and experienced South Plainfield offense.

The Hawks qualified for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Associated sectional playoffs last season for just the second time in the school's 36-year history and took their first step toward making the playoffs again with a successful home-opener.

There is little time for Manchester to rest on its laurels, however. On Sept. 16, the Hawks travel to face Barnegat High School in their first Shore Conference Class B South test of the season. Last year, Barnegat bounced Manchester, handing the Hawks one of their four losses. Poor special teams play hurt Manchester in that defeat, but the Hawks showed improved special teams play in its three scrimmage games.