Q-Manoids Capture Harvard-Yale Crown, Triumph Over Saybrook/Trumbull, 28-14

The wind was as swift as Carl Lewis, as strong as Vasily Alexeyev, and at least for a half, the Quincy House offense was as potent as 151-proof rum.

In the end, the wind was still there and Quincy had run up the score on Yale's Saybrook/Trumbull to capture the Harvard-Yale House football championship, 28-14.

But it was nowhere near as close as the score indicates. Quincy's tremendous trio of backs--Tim Manges, Jay McNamara, and T.J. Andre--controlled play from the start of the demolition of their Eli opponents.

Quincy's first possession immediately exposed the weaknesses in Saybrook/Trumbull's defense. Capitalizing on it, quarterback Ron Kind called nothing but running plays, and Manges, McNamara, and Andre responded well to the calls.

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The Q-manoids moved the ball 75 yards in 12 running plays that culminated in a Kind-to-Manges handoff from three yards out. A successful handoff to McNamara capped off the drive to make the score 8-0.

The men from New Haven did have their chance to come back. After the kickoff, the Bulldogs had the ball at their own 44--not bad field position. Four plays and a fumbled snap later, Quincy had the ball back at Saybrook Trumbull's 33.

The Quincy ground attack continued. Kind dished off to McNamara on the 23 and watched Number 33 dash in for another score. The two-point conversion failed, and Quincy's lead was 14-0 as the first quarter ended.

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Saybrook/Trumbull had the ball for three plays before giving it up once again, as McNamara intercepted a pass from signalcaller Gary Ricoh to bring possession back to Quincy.

Two plays later, Ron Kind pass wound up in the endzone, this time in Andre's hands. The conversion failed, but the Quincy romp continued--20-0.

Only two downs afterwards, Quincy got the ball back. Danny Pallares intercepted a Ricoh pass, and action headed the other way.

Then it was deja vu. Kind and Air Quincy connected once again on a 23-yd. scoring pass to Andre, and Kind got in the scoring action as he dove through the Saybrook/Trumbull defense for two more points.

At halftime, it was 28-0 in Quincy's favor and a blowout was very much in order.

Those 28 were all the points Quincy needed as the Yalies attempted their comeback.

The Harvard offense seemed to lose its spunk in the third quarter, while Ricoh and his favorite running back, Chuck Goldbach, began to gain some yards.

Goldbach pulled off a 13-yd. run to the one to give his team only its third first down of the afternoon. Two plays later, Ricoh handed to Doug Goumas, who ran the three feet for Saybrook/Trumbull's first touchdown. Goumas ran in the two-point conversion to make it 28-8.

Quincy's offense remained lifeless, and Ricoh connected with Pete Henkel on a 40-yd. pass for another Yale score. It was 28-14, and time was running out.

Both teams exchanged possessions, but Saybrook/Trumbull was gaining momentum. Luck was with Quincy, however, and time ran out to give the Harvardians the 28-14 victory and boasting rights all over Cambridge and a small community in central Connecticut.

The Quincy players were jubilant after the game, spraying champagne at anything that had legs.

"Everyone gets excited for Yale," said Kind, adding, "The team was really intense."

Captain McNamara agreed. "We were ready," he said. "We were awesome!"