by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond
scontomanolis@digitalsports.com
An 8-2 to record is a tremendous season for just about any football program.
But for Manchester it wasn’t even good enough to make the playoffs last year.
What are the 2008 Lancers going to have to do then to advance to the postseason?
“We are going to work a lot harder,” tight end Josh Nelson said. “We really didn’t finish at the end of the season when we found out we weren’t going to the playoffs. Kind of slacked off a little bit. This year we are going all out, playoffs or bust.”
Manchester graduated 33 seniors from last year’s team including seven first-team all-Dominion District members.
The Lancers lost three defensive standouts in ends Cameron (Michigan State) and Ryan Jude (Kent State) and back Leonard Smith, but all the other eight starters return.
“It makes it way easier because everybody knows their assignments ahead of time,” senior defensive back Eric Willis said. “We can teach while we’re making our plays.”
Senior tackle Jonathan Durrett will anchor the defense. At 6-5 and 330 pounds he was a second-team all-Central Region selection last year.
“He is being heavily recruited,” Manchester coach Tom Hall said. “He’s a horse, a big tough kid.”
J.P Pearson (So.) and Zach Youngman (Sr.) fill the voids at defensive end and Reggie Simms is at tackle.
Willis, R.J. Brown (DB) and Tony Brown (S) make up the secondary with Brandon Merriman leading the linebackers.
“He is as good a kid as we have had,” said Hall of Merriman. “He has great instincts at linebacker and is a coach on the field.”
On the offensive side quarterback Tyler Henderson returns for his second season under center. The first-team all-district member threw for over 1,100 yards and rushed for over 700 as a junior.
“I look to pass first but if it’s not there I don’t hesitate to run the ball,” Henderson said. “I think it helps the team a lot when the quarterback is another person that can make a play.”
Senior Jabril Hasan and sophomore D.J. Holmes will be Henderson’s best options at wide receiver. Holmes looks to be a promising weapon at 6-3, 180 pounds.
On the varsity team for four years Brown will finally start at running back after backing up some pretty good ball carriers. Brandon Childs will also take some handoffs out of the backfield.
Some of the experience and talent are gone from last year but a week into practice it seems that the old and the new are already starting to mesh.
“It’s going great,” Durrett said. “It’s fun hitting people.”
2008 schedule 2007 result
(all games at 7:30 p.m., unless noted)
Aug. 15 – Meadowbrook, 6 p.m. (scrimmage)
Aug. 21 – at Varina, 6 (scrimmage)
Aug. 28 – Thomas Dale W, 35-14
Sept. 12 – at Huguenot W, 18-6
Sept. 19 – L.C. Bird L, 28-10
Sept. 26 – at Clover Hill W, 35-8
Oct. 3 – Cosby W, 24-19
Oct. 10 – at Lee-Davis W, 17-16
Oct. 17 – George Wythe W, 45-8
Oct. 24 – at James River W, 42-28
Oct. 31 – Midlothian W, 35-14
Nov. 7 – Monacan L, 14-10
Big game: L.C. Bird. One of Manchester’s two losses last season came against the Skyhawks. The winner of this game will have a leg up in the battle for the district title.
Key players: Tony Brown, RB/S, Sr.; Jonathan Durrett, DT, Sr.; Tyler Henderson, QB, Sr.; Jabril Hasan, WR, Sr.; Brandon Merriman, LB, Sr.; Eric Willis, DB, Sr.; Josh Nelson, TE, Sr.
Key losses: Byron Tibbetts, OG (Christopher Newport); Leonard Smith, RB/DB; Cameron Jude, DE (Michigan State); Ryan Jude, DE (Kent State); Ryan Bouldin, RB (Chowan); Brandon Harrington, OL (Virginia State)
Top newcomer: D.J. Holmes, WR, So.
The skinny: The Dominion District is going to be very competitive. If Manchester can get their younger players up to speed fast they have a chance to be successful.
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