Wolves overcome slow start
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
Manchester Wolves head coach Danton Barto said he sent the message repeatedly in the days leading up to his team's game against Albany, but apparently that message wasn't received until halftime of Saturday's contest.
Although Barto warned his team that it would be in for a fight if it wasn't sharp from the opening kickoff against a winless Albany team, the Firebirds scored on their first play from scrimmage and had a four-point lead at halftime. The Wolves looked like a different team in the final two quarters, however, and rallied for a 74-53 victory in their home opener at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
"It was ugly, but we'll take a win," Barto said. "We played well in the second half. We have to find a way to get out of the gate better."
Albany led 30-26 at halftime, but the Wolves scored 24 points in each of the final two quarters. Manchester quarterback James Pinkney (East Carolina) completed 18-of-30 pass attempts for 252 yards and seven touchdowns.
"We came out focused and ready to play (in the second half)," Pinkney said. "In the first half we took them for granted. It was all mental."
The victory improved Manchester's record to 2-1 overall, and 1-1 in the American Conference's East Division. Albany dropped to 0-4 overall, and 0-3 in the East Division.
The Firebirds have held the lead in each of their four losses, but have faltered in the second half of each game. Albany was held to seven points in the third quarter and didn't score again until 56 seconds remained in the game.
Manchester wide receiver Steven Savoy (Utah) caught eight passes for 86 yards and four touchdowns. The Wolves also received a strong performance from wide receiver Emery Sammons (Norfolk State), who caught six passes for 112 yards and three TDs.
Wide receiver Christian Wise provided most of the offensive highlights for Albany. Wise caught a team-high eight passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
Manchester will be at home against Tri-Cities on Friday night.
"To be a championship team you have to be prepared for everybody," Pinkney said. "You have to be focused. You can't take anybody for granted."
