Buffton, OH - The Manchester Spartans showed resilience with a 20-point fourth quarter, but their comeback bid came too late in a 39–23 road loss to Bluffton at Salzman Stadium.
Manchester opened the game with promise, putting together a 62-yard drive capped by a 22-yard field goal from Grant Ridgway late in the first quarter to make it 6–3. However, Bluffton's offense controlled the next two quarters, extending its lead to 25–3 behind four field goals and two touchdowns, while the Spartans' offense sputtered with four punts and a turnover. Quarterback Kaleb Hall faced pressure throughout, taking three sacks in the first half as the Manchester offense struggled to sustain drives. The Spartans' defense, though, showed fight — recording five sacks and forcing a fumble. Ziare Sullivan led the charge up front with three half-sacks and five total tackles, while Kameron Landrum and Culvin Gilbert added one apiece.
After being held to just three points through three quarters, Manchester erupted late. Hall connected with Zalin Ingram for a six-yard touchdown pass to make it 32–10, then followed with an 11-yard strike to Abdullah Abdullameer just over a minute later. James Lewis capped the scoring frenzy with a one-yard rushing touchdown in the final two minutes to close the gap to 39–23. Hall finished the day completing 14 of 24 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Ingram was his top target with five receptions for 50 yards and a score, while Abdulameer and Jaydon Berkley each added explosive plays — Berkley hauling in a 52-yard reception. Lewis led the ground game with 19 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Ridgway contributed both through the air and on special teams, connecting on his lone field goal and converting two extra points. Punter Angel Estrada pinned Bluffton deep twice with a 41.0-yard average over six punts, including a long of 54. Defensively, the Spartans tallied seven tackles for loss and five sacks. Ethan Witz (7 tackles), Isaiah Hill (8 tackles), and Shane Hagen (4 tackles) anchored the effort as Manchester tried to slow Bluffton's 462-yard attack.
