Ah, nuts: Thunder squanders lead as losing streak reaches 11 straight

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THUNDER - (12) Ryan Greiser of the Thunder hauls down (6) Steve Savoy during their game Friday night. - Special to The Vindicator/Nick Mays

The Wolves bested Mahoning Valley 18-6 in the last 55 seconds for the 59-53 win.

By JOHN BASSETTI

VIndicator sports staff

YOUNGSTOWN — Manchester outscored Mahoning Valley, 18-6, in the last 55 seconds to emerge the winner in the close American Conference Eastern Division af2 battle Friday night.

Although Manchester had 20 more offensive plays in the game, Mahoning Valley didn’t lose its lead until the final minute in falling for the 11th straight time, 59-53.

Once again, a turnover — a fumbled snap — blew Mahoning Valley’s chance to go ahead in the final 30 seconds before a Covelli Centre crowd of 3,032.

Before Friday’s game, Manchester had lost six of its last seven games. The Wolves (5-7) remain alive for a playoff spot, while the Thunder is 1-11 with just four games remaining.

“Too many again,” coach Chris MacKeown said of the Thunder’s six turnovers. “But we had our opportunities at the end of the game and did the onside kick with 45 seconds left,” MacKeown said, defending the move that allowed Manchester to score and go ahead, 48-47.

“They scored quickly, but that gave us more time, but then we fumbled the snap,” MacKeown said of the turnover that ended Mahoning Valley’s next-to-last possession.

Steve Savoy had 14 catches for 120 yards and four touchdowns for the visitors, Quorey Payne and C.J. Brewer had six catches apiece for 84 and 67 yards, respectively, while Jermaine Moye had four receptions for 70 yards.

DB Brandon Taylor had a Thunder-record three interceptions.

Mahoning Valley scored first, just 21‚Ñ2 minutes into the game at 12:32 when Brad Roach’s 15-yard pass off the net and wall was picked off by Payne. Nathan Palkovic’s extra-point kick gave Mahoning Valley a 7-0 lead — its first since leading against the Wolves in Manchester on May 22, 7-0.

Mahoning Valley extended its margin to 13-0 at 10:08 following a 4-yard run by Brewer after Manchester quarterback Mike Potts tripped and fumbled. Tim Cheatwood fought to jump on the ball and recovered on Manchester’s 5-yard line. Fullback Brenton Brady gained a yard before Brewer’s TD.

The Thunder pushed its lead to 20-0 at 4:25 on Roach’s 16-yard TD pass to Payne. Mahoning Valley got control to start the drive after Taylor intercepted a Potts pass that was deflected by Thunder DB Patrick Wells. An 11-yard Roach pass to Moye aided the drive.

Manchester finally scored on Potts’ 9-yard pass to Savoy and Chris Koepplin’s PAT was good at 1:52. Still, Thunder fans had to be feeling better with their team ahead, 20-7, instead of down, 20-7.

However, Erick Harris’ clean interception and 20-yard return of a Roach pass put the Wolves back in the game, 20-14, at 13:30 of the second quarter.

A 23-yard Roach-to-Moye TD pass put some spark back in the arena at 10:04 for a 27-14 advantage and a Roach-to-Payne TD pass following Taylor’s second interception — an 18-yarder — gave Mahoning Valley a 20-point lead at 34-14. The Roach-to-Payne pass covered 12 yards.

Manchester pulled within 34-20 on Potts’ 3-yard run, but Koepplin missed the extra point.

The Wolves pulled with seven (34-27) on a Potts-to-Savoy TD catch covering 7 yards at 9:55 of the third quarter.

Manchester tied the score, 34-34, on Savoy’s 13-yard TD catch from Potts and Koepplin’s PAT at 5:36.

Thanks to an interference penalty on Erick Harris, Mahoning Valley got a first-and-10 at Manchester’s 13 and scored on the next play when Brewer caught a pass from Roach and Palkovic made the PAT for a 41-34 Thunder lead.

After controlling the ball since the start of the fourth quarter, Potts’ 10-yard lob to 315-pound tight end Rich Ranglin and Koepplin’s kick tied the game again, at 41-all at 6:07.

Roach’s 15-yard pass to Payne gave Mahoning Valley a 47-41 edge at 1:54, but the extra point failed following an errant snap.

Potts’ 16-yard TD pass to Savoy and Koepplin’s successful point-after at 0:55 put the Wolves ahead for the first time in the game, 48-47.

But Payne’s electrifying 53-yard kickoff return put the Thunder ahead, 53-48 with 45.5 remaining. Roach’s 2-point conversion pass to Brewer was incomplete.

Potts’ 2-yard TD run put Manchester up, 54-53, but the quarterback’s two-point conversion pass to Savoy gave the Wolves a 56-53 lead with 37.4 seconds left. Koepplin’s 35-yard field goal pushed Manchester’s lead to 59-53 with 10.5 seconds remaining.