Wolves take a bite out of Thunder

Sunday July 13, 2008

Quorey Payne was the lone bright spot for Mahoning Valley
 
MAHONING VALLEY 27, Manchester 53
 
Manchester, NH. – Manchester jumped out to a 26-0 lead and never looked back, dismantling the Thunder 53-27 on Brady Sullivan Field inside of the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Wolves scored early and often, scoring on the second play from scrimmage as Quarterback James Pinkney found Bradly Chavez in the end zone from 23 yards out. Manchester managed to find the end zone three more times in the quarter while Mahoning Valley failed to reach pay dirt. Pinkney finised the first stanza a perfect six for six with three scores.
 
Mahoning Valley Wide Receiver Quorey Payne, in just his second game with the Thunder, accounted for the first three Thunder scores. Payne found the end zone twice in the second period and cut the lead to 33-20 with his nineteen yard third quarter touchdown catch. But the Wolves quickly answered, as Pinkney found Steven Savoy from six yards out to put the Wolves ahead by 19 entering the final quarter.
 
Manchester’s offense continued to click throughout the final quarter, meanwhile the Thunder sputtered. The Wolves added fourteen points in the final frame and Mahoning Valley found the end zone just once. The lone fourth quarter Thunder score came on a John Tackmann one yard rush, his 15th rushing score of the season. That score put Tackmann atop the Thunder record books for most rushing scores in a season.
 
With the loss Mahoning Valley has now dropped all five games to Manchester in series history, including three this season. The Thunder is winless on the road in 2008 (0-7). Mahoning Valley will try and break that streak next week as they travel to division leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.