Manchester Defeats Earlham on Homecoming Weekend
Allyson Fogerty
Fans young and old gathered in the bleachers of the Carl W. Burt Memorial Field to cheer on the Manchester Spartans as they faced off against the Earlham Quakers at this year’s Homecoming football game.
The crowd was awash with black and gold; students, parents, alumni and even a few stray bees were rooting for the Spartans as Manny walked through the crowd taking pictures with fans of all ages.
As the game started, cheers of anticipation could be heard throughout the field. The coin was tossed, and after landing on tails, Manchester won and chose to receive. Earlham kicked the ball, and from there, it would be a game never to be forgotten. Within the first seconds, Manchester Spartans number 15, Kevin Georges, caught the ball and took off across the field. He scored the first Spartan touchdown leading the game 6-0 and leaving the crowd in awe.
The second quarter saw four more Spartan touchdowns bringing in half-time with a score of 34-0. This quarter also witnessed a fight between opposing players, leaving one with his first penalty for unsportsman-like-conduct, and the other disqualified for the remainder of the game.
During half-time the crowd watched as the 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees were honored. First to be honored was the 2018 coach of the year, Scott Stalbaum. A 2007 Manchester University graduate, Stalbaum has led the Rochester High School’s boy’s and girl’s cross country and track program to lofty heights. He has been at Rochester for eight years. Next honored was the 1962 men’s cross-country team. They registered five of the top 10 finishes at the conference championship, and were led by coach Daryl Hartzler. Also being honored were 1998 graduate Brandon Baker, known for his achievements in both baseball and football, 2000 graduate Jaime Wilson Meyer, known for her record-holding successes in basketball, 2006 graduate Brandon Tugmon, known for his impressive history in football, and 1956 graduate Jack Jarret, known for his coaching career that spanned more than 20 years at then-Manchester College.
After the Hall of Fame inductees were honored, the last seven minutes of halftime were graced with the sassy, and entertaining hip-hop dance stylings of the Manchester Spartanettes Dance Team. Their show was a mash-up of popular “rap” music, including the famous “Kiki Do You Love Me” chorus by Drake. They left the field in a beautifully choreographed “M” formation, getting the crowd ready for the second half of the Homecoming football game.
Third quarter warranted more cheers from Spartan fans as the team scored two more touchdowns, now leading the game 48-0. In the stands, alumni could be seen singing and clapping along to the school fight song after each touchdown.
Smiles lit the faces of the alumni in attendance for this year’s Homecoming game. One alumna, Cindy Border ’78, said this this year’s Homecoming game was especially important to her and her husband as their colleague, Coach Stalbaum, was receiving the Coach of the Year Award. He has coached their sons as well, so they wanted to be here supporting him.
Border says that when she went to the then-Manchester College, the football games were not well attended. “Our team wasn’t really that good,” she added with a chuckle. She was thoroughly enjoying this year’s Homecoming, and thought the game was “great.” As the fourth quarter rolled around the Earlham Quakers had no chance for a comeback or win as the game was at 48-0. The crowd started thinning—people going to their cars, finding their loved ones, and making plans for after the game—the Manchester Spartans scored three more touchdowns. The crowd was on their feet, the cheerleaders were yelling for their team, and the game ended with a Manchester win: 69-0.