Manvel Rolls Past Alvin 53-0 at Freedom Field, Moves to 4-0

MANVEL, Texas — This one got away from Alvin pretty quickly.

Manvel came into Alvin ISD's Freedom Field and took control from the opening whistle, putting points on the board offensively, creating turnovers on defense and eventually walking away with a 53–0 district win.

But before getting into everything Manvel did well, there is something worth saying about Alvin:

Those kids never quit.

The scoreboard wasn't pretty. There's no way around that. But standing on the sideline watching the game, I never got the feeling Alvin had decided it was over.

They kept playing. They kept hitting. They kept trying to make something happen all the way down to the final whistle.

Manvel was simply too much for them on this night.

Manvel Came Out Firing

It didn't take long.

Quarterback No. 11 Brayden Tuiasosopo found the end zone twice on the ground in the first quarter, and before everybody could really settle into their seats, Manvel was already starting to take control of the game.

Then the defense decided to get involved.

Junior defensive back No. 25 Keith Williams jumped a pass and took it the other way.

Pick six.

Now Manvel had the offense scoring, the defense scoring, and Alvin was trying to figure out where the next challenge was coming from.

Senior No. 9 Kenneth Malone-Hayes got around the left side and found the end zone before the first quarter was over.

At that point, it had been all Manvel.

The Mavericks jumped on Alvin early and never gave up control. Photos: Jeteral C. Mitchell / Game Day Sports Journal

New Quarterback. Same Result.

Manvel eventually brought in junior quarterback No. 15 K. Thompson.

The result didn't change.

Thompson connected with No. 5 Carter St. Junious for another touchdown early in the second quarter and the Mavericks kept rolling.

Alvin finally hit a nice completion and looked like it might have something going.

But Manvel quickly shut that down.

The ball was stripped, Manvel recovered it and took possession deep in Alvin territory.

That was pretty much the story of the first half. Every time Alvin looked like it might have found a little daylight, Manvel closed the door.

No. 2 Xaiyden Brown helped get the Mavericks down near the goal line before Malone-Hayes took it in for another score.

Then Brown got his own, breaking loose for a 22-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.

Manvel went into halftime leading 46–0.

Forty-six points in one half. Manvel had complete control.

Manvel Can RUN the Football

Here's one of the things that continues to stand out to me with this team:

Manvel can run the football.

And I'm not talking about having one running back carrying the whole offense. Everybody is getting involved.

The Mavericks put up 278 rushing yards on only 29 attempts — an average of 9.6 yards per carry.

Tuiasosopo led the way with 79 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries.

Xaiyden Brown added 78 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Kenneth Malone-Hayes finished with 51 rushing yards and also got involved through the air, finishing the night with two touchdowns.

No. 30 R. Carr added another 50 yards and a score.

So who exactly are you supposed to key on?

That's the problem.

You stop one guy and somebody else is ready to make a play. When you're averaging nearly 10 yards every time somebody takes off with the football, you don't have to make the game complicated.

Line it up and play football.

And That Manvel Defense...

Now let's talk about the other side.

Because while that offense is putting points on the board, this Manvel defense is quietly putting together a remarkable start to the season.

Through four games, the Mavericks have pitched shutouts against Houston Lamar, Pasadena Memorial and now Alvin.

Thursday night was more of the same. Alvin couldn't really get anything established. Manvel forced turnovers, Williams turned one of them directly into six points, and that defensive front made life difficult all night.

And I'm going to say it again because I've been watching these two:

No. 55 Jacob Jinkx and No. 99 Amir Bowers.

Those are two senior defensive linemen who continue to jump out at me.

Big. Physical. Active.

It's still September, and there is plenty of football left to be played.

But I'm telling you now: keep an eye on those two.

That Manvel defensive front looks capable of causing some real problems as this district schedule gets tougher.

Alvin Never Stopped Playing

Obviously, nobody at Alvin is going home celebrating a 53–0 football game.

But I don't want the final score to be the only thing said about those kids either.

They kept playing.

Even after the game had gotten completely away from them, Alvin continued lining up, continued competing and continued trying to make plays.

Alvin continued to compete through the final whistle despite the scoreboard. Photos: Jeteral C. Mitchell / Game Day Sports Journal

That's football.

Sometimes you're the team putting 50 on the scoreboard.

Sometimes you're the team looking up at it.

The question is what you do next.

Thursday night, Alvin kept fighting until there wasn't any more football left to play.

That deserves respect.

Manvel Is 4–0 — And Look at These Scores

So now Manvel moves to 4–0.

Let's look at how they got there:

Do the math.

That's 195 points scored and only seven allowed in four football games.

That's an impressive opening stretch.

But before anybody starts planning a parade, pump the brakes.

Things are about to get a little more interesting.

Here Comes Pearland

Manvel gets Pearland next on October 2 at 7 p.m.

Pearland isn't going to be interested in anything Manvel did the previous four weeks.

That's what makes district football fun.

What happened last week doesn't score any points this week.

But after watching this Manvel team through the opening stretch of the season, I will say this:

They look ready for the fight.

And we're about to find out.