Manning off to slow start but Kennedy believes a good year is possible

Manning – When you lose 27 seniors from a high school football team, let alone a AA school, and some of your top players are among that group, adjustments are going to have to be made. And that’s what Manning is doing.

           The Monarchs didn’t get off to the best of starts, falling to Crestwood 48-14 in the season opener on August 22 at CHS’ new on campus facility, Knight Stadium. However, there was no panic in the eyes or voice of Reggie Kennedy, the Monarchs’ veteran head coach.

           “We’re not going to see a defensive front like the one we saw tonight,” Kennedy said of Crestwood, which is a AAAA school. “That front seven for them was really good. The linebackers can run, they were strong, hit the point of attack real well, had some big bodies on the line. We did a pretty good job of controlling the line of scrimmage for most of the night, though. I feel real good, believe it or not. There’s a lot of positives for the first time out.”

           Manning, which lost to Scott's Branch 40-38 in its second game, is trying to find a way to make do without Ja’Rae Mitchell, a 2-year starter at quarterback, and big play producer Jeffery Ceasar. Ceasar was selected as the Region 7 Player of the Year, and he had a tremendous season on offense, defense and special teams.

As a wide receiver, Ceasar had 39 catches for 530 yards and a 13.6 per-catch average. Six of his

catches went for touchdowns and he also had four catches for 2-point conversions. He had 10 carries for

38 yards and two touchdowns.

As a cornerback, Ceasar had seven interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns, and 172

return yards. He had 41 tackles, three tackles for a loss, seven pass deflections, one forced fumble and one

fumble recovery.

On special teams, Ceasar averaged 34.1 yards on 14 kickoff returns, taking three of them back for

touchdowns. Ceasar returned four punts for scores, giving him seven TD returns total. He had 309 yards

on eight punt returns for a 38.6 average.

Ceasar scored touchdowns five different ways – on a run, on a catch, on an interception, on a punt

return and on a kickoff return – to finish with 17 touchdowns.

           Lovell Stevenson made his first start at quarterback and connected with wide receiver CJ Robinson for a couple of long touchdown passes. Kennedy hopes that is a sign of things to come.

           “He didn’t hurt us,” Kennedy said of Stevenson, who completed 6 of 16 passes for 165 yards and the two TD passes to Robinson, who had three caches for 109 yards. “For his first game at quarterback and the kicking duties (Stevenson is the punter and placekicker), I thought he did a pretty good job. I could rate him a little bit higher I we would have won the game.”

           Jordyn Thompson will be another receiving target.

           Manning played the game without its leading rusher on offense and one of its top performers on defense in senior Jontavious Canty. The running back/linebacker has a dislocated hip. He will miss at least all of the Monarchs’ non-region schedule.

           Canty had 97 tackles, two quarterback sacks, a defensive touchdown and 11 ½ tackles for a loss. Canty picked up 769 yards and nine touchdowns on 112 carries.

           The Monarchs return six starters on offense and four of them are on the offensive line. Manning has both of its tackles back with Isaiah Hamilton returning on the left side and Jeremiah Dingle on the right. Hamilton is a 6-foot-4-inch, 275-pound rising junior while Dingle is a 6-2, 275-pound senior.

Ethan Canty returns as the left guard while Semja Bush-Rankins will again be the center.

           “We’re going to work to run the football,” Kennedy said. “I thought our offensive line did a pretty good job overall.

           Lovon Stevenson, Lovell’s brother, moved to running back after Canty’s injury. He was having a good game before being ejected from the game in the second quarter for a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He had five carries for 37 yards. Lovon as supposed to be the tight end.

           Defensively, the Monarchs have five starters returning, but they will be breaking in a lot of new players. Jontavious Canty and his twin brother, Dontavious Canty, return at linebacker alongside Daniel Robinson and Ethan Lowder. Ethan Morales and Meltwan Smith will be counted on to shore up the defensive front after the loss of Shrine Bowler Jalynn Coard and Tyler Green.

           CJ Robinson and Thompson will again be starting in the secondary.

           The Monarchs made it to the lower state championship game and finished with an 11-2 record. They went undefeated at 6-0 in winning the region title. The other teams in the region are East Clarendon, Kingstree, Lake City, Marion, Mullins and Atlantic Collegiate Academy.

           Kennedy expects things to be a little bit better when the Monarchs travel down U.S Highway 301 10 miles to Summerton to face off against fellow Clarendon County School District school Scott’s Branch on August 29

           “I did see some bright spots too,” he siad. “We got down in the red zone (inside the Crestwood 20-yard line) early twice. One we turned the football over on four downs, then we get it again and we have a mental breakdown, got about 45 yards in penalties. It took us way back. You can’t do that against a good football team.

           “It’s a learning curve and we’ve just got to work through it. This game is going to make us a better football team.”