Frigid conditions mark end to Memorial playoff run

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Erik Seymore falls into the end zone for Memorial’s only score. Photo/Andrew Sylvia

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Cinderella story is over for now, but in the end, Friday’s snowy playoff defeat could be just a pause in the ongoing renaissance of the Manchester Memorial football team.

Despite home field advantage, Memorial couldn’t find their footing against Bedford, falling 31-8 at the hands of the Bulldogs.

Memorial looked poised to score on their first drive of the night but fumbled just feet away from the goal line, beginning an overarching theme of offensive frustration that lingered throughout the contest.

Instead, it was the Crusaders’ defense that kept them in the ballgame. After trading touchdowns (freshman Erik Seymore doing the honors for Memorial and senior Solomon Sanchez for Bedford) and two-point conversions, the Crusaders prevented a second Bulldog touchdown, forcing a 19-yard field goal with just over four minutes left in the half.

Bedford would follow their failed field goal attempt with Bedford senior Alex Zwickau forcing an interception a few plays later, giving Bedford back the ball near midfield and in striking distance of what would have been a key momentum-building opportunity going into the half.

Ultimately, Bedford could not get into the end zone, with another field goal attempt from 14 yards out unsuccessful, leaving Memorial at just a 11-8 disadvantage heading into the half.

“We made a stupid turnover, but (the stop) meant a lot. The kids came down and did their homework, they knew what routes (Bedford) liked down there,” said Memorial Head Coach Rob Sturgis.

Unfortunately for Memorial, the inability to capitalize on offense eventually just became too much to overcome in the second half.

After stopping the Bulldogs on their first drive after the break, Memorial ate up almost eight minutes of clock, running 14 plays and coming up just short of the red zone before running out of downs.

Bedford came back on the next drive and this time they would score, with junior Joseph Mikol finding senior Alex Zwickau through the air on a 15-yard pass, completing a five-play, 75-yard series.

As with Goffstown a week earlier, Memorial’s secondary began to crumble at this point. Mikol’s 34-yard pass to Sanchez putting Bedford on the door of another score on the Bulldogs’ following drive, with senior Elie Menderson closing the deal immediately afterward with just under three-and-a-half minutes to play.

Then Mikol put one last dagger into the Crusaders’ hearts, taking favorable field position after Memorial lost the ball of downs with 2:32 left and immediately found Zwickau for a 30-yard aerial score that caught Memorial napping.

Mikol garnered 127 yards overall despite the frigid conditions, completing six-of-12 passing attempts.

“They did a great job. In these conditions, we told our kids it was going to be a run game. We knew with (Mikol) they were eventually going to air it out and they could our DBs with our eyes down and they just caught us,” said Sturgis. “We didn’t expect them to throw on the last touchdown, but we were all-run and they caught us off-guard and threw it deep, so kudos to them.”

Junior Kai Colson led Memorial with 106 yards on 20 carries while Sanchez tallied 84 yards on nine touches Erwin Russell had 112 yards on 14 rushes for Bedford.

Including Friday’s playoff game, Memorial ends the truncated COVID-19 schedule 3-3, but that is an accomplishment in itself given that Memorial had gotten just one win in the last five years.

Friday’s loss exemplified a spirit of tenacity that has rekindled hopes for Memorial when they return to the field next fall.

“It’s sad in the moment, but when we all get a few days to reevaluate what these seniors accomplished, it really set the precedent to kind of change where we’re going with the future,” “From their leadership to their work ethic to their never-give-up mentality. I mean, it would have been really put your heads down when you’re down by 8-0 to what was honestly today the better team. But they wouldn’t stop fighting and that’s the type of program we want to be known for.”

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Cinderella story is over for now, but in the end, Friday’s snowy playoff defeat could be just a pause in the ongoing renaissance of the Manchester Memorial football team.

Despite home field advantage, Memorial couldn’t find their footing against Bedford, falling 31-8 at the hands of Bedford.

Memorial looked poised to score on their first drive of the night but fumbled just feet away from the goal line, beginning an overarching theme of offensive frustration that lingered throughout the contest.

Instead, it was the Crusaders’ defense that kept them in the ballgame. After trading touchdowns (freshman Erik Seymore doing the honors for Memorial and senior Solomon Sanchez for Bedford) and two-point conversions, the Crusaders prevented a second Bulldog touchdown, forcing a 19-yard field goal with just over four minutes left in the half.

Bedford would follow their failed field goal attempt with Bedford senior Alex Zwickau forcing an interception a few plays later, giving Bedford back the ball near midfield and in striking distance of what would have been a key momentum-building opportunity going into the half.

Ultimately, Bedford could not get into the end zone, with another field goal attempt from 14 yards out unsuccessful, leaving Memorial at just a 11-8 disadvantage heading into the half.

“We made a stupid turnover, but (the stop) meant a lot. The kids came down and did their homework, they knew what routes (Bedford) liked down there,” said Memorial Head Coach Rob Sturgis.

Unfortunately for Memorial, the inability to capitalize on offense eventually just became too much to overcome in the second half.

After stopping the Bulldogs on their first drive after the break, Memorial ate up almost eight minutes of clock, running 14 plays and coming up just short of the red zone before running out of downs.

Bedford came back on the next drive and this time they would score, with junior Joseph Mikol finding senior Alex Zwickau through the air on a 15-yard pass, completing a five-play, 75-yard series.

As with Goffstown a week earlier, Memorial’s secondary began to crumble at this point. Mikol’s 34-yard pass to Sanchez putting Bedford on the door of another score on the Bulldogs’ following drive, with senior Elie Menderson closing the deal immediately afterward with just under three-and-a-half minutes to play.

Then Mikol put one last dagger into the Crusaders’ hearts, taking favorable field position after Memorial lost the ball of downs with 2:32 left and immediately found Zwickau for a 30-yard aerial score that caught Memorial napping.

Mikol garnered 127 yards overall despite the frigid conditions, completing six-of-12 passing attempts.

“They did a great job. In these conditions, we told our kids it was going to be a run game. We knew with (Mikol) they were eventually going to air it out and they could our DBs with our eyes down and they just caught us,” said Sturgis. “We didn’t expect them to throw on the last touchdown, but we were all-run and they caught us off-guard and threw it deep, so kudos to them.”

Junior Kai Colson led Memorial with 106 yards on 20 carries while Sanchez tallied 84 yards on nine touches Erwin Russell had 112 yards on 14 rushes for Bedford.

Including Friday’s playoff game, Memorial ends the truncated COVID-19 schedule 3-3, but that is an accomplishment in itself given that Memorial had gotten just one win in the last five years.

Friday’s loss exemplified a spirit of tenacity that has rekindled hopes for Memorial when they return to the field next fall.

“It’s sad in the moment, but when we all get a few days to reevaluate what these seniors accomplished, it really set the precedent to kind of change where we’re going with the future,” “From their leadership to their work ethic to their never-give-up mentality. I mean, it would have been really put your heads down when you’re down by 8-0 to what was honestly today the better team. But they wouldn’t stop fighting and that’s the type of program we want to be known for.”

About this Author

Andrew Sylvia

Assistant EditorManchester Ink Link

Born and raised in the Granite State, Andrew Sylvia has written approximately 10,000 pieces over his career for outlets across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. On top of that, he's a licensed notary and licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance, he's been a USSF trained youth soccer and futsal referee for the past six years and he can name over 60 national flags in under 60 seconds according to that flag game app he has on his phone, which makes sense because he also has a bachelor's degree in geography (like Michael Jordan). He can also type over 100 words a minute on a good day.