NORTH MANCHESTER — Manchester High School football coach Brandon Baker knew he was losing some players from last season, but he actually lost a few more than he had originally planned on. Following last season's 69-0 sectional semifinal loss to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, capping a 4-7 season, Baker prepared himself to lose such seniors as Austin Flack, Seth Brubaker and Dillon Gable. However, he didn't anticipate replacing four guys he was relying on to play along the offensive line this season. "We found out we were losing two at the end of the school year, but we didn't find out about the other two until a week before practice," Baker said. "So, we spent the summer thinking we'd at least have them." The players, which included three seniors and a sophomore, did not come back this year because of injuries or work, but they did leave the Manchester Squires' staff scrambling to fill their voids when the team opens the season Friday at Mississinewa. The load of protecting senior quarterback Logan Brunn, as well as leading the way for the Squires' run-oriented offense, will go to seniors Aaron Snep and Dustin Boyd, as well as junior Cole Sellers. Along with those three, juniors Justin Lewis, Jurgin Cripe and Evan Altimus will be vying to fill the last two spots on the line. "We run the option, so we're trying to make it as easy on them as possible," Baker said. "With the option, the line has one less person to block, as he's allowed to come through on misdirection." While the offensive line plays a huge part in the success of an option offense, the runners may play an even larger role, as Brunn will be the one calling the shots. Brunn is entering his second season as the starting quarterback, and Baker has liked what he's seen from the 6-foot-1, 180-pound signal-caller. "He's been working on being a better leader in the huddle," Baker said. "In the past, he'd get down on himself, but he's been doing a much better job of being positive. As a quarterback, you have to know where everybody on the field is supposed to be, and he does." Joining Brunn in the backfield will be senior running back Preston Penrod, who led the Three Rivers Conference with 1,022 yards on just 146 carries last season. Penrod is the one proven in the backfield, and he'll be joined by junior Tyler Singleton, sophomore Noah Johnson and sophomore Gunnar Ream. "The scrimmage game (told) us a lot," Baker said about the running back position. "We also have a couple of freshmen, but they're not quite ready." Rounding out the offense will be the receiving corps, which includes seniors Jon Woodward and Brayden Bowman, junior Cody Harlan and sophomore Brodi Carter. On the defensive side of the ball, Baker runs into the same problem he has on the offensive side, which is small numbers along the line. "As a small school, the same kids have to play offense, defense and special teams," Baker said. "That's the way it has to be. We're pushing them hard in conditioning to prepare them." With small numbers, the Squires will once again be implementing a 3-5 defensive scheme. "We don't have a lot of linemen," he said. "We have smaller, quicker guys. With that, we'll be (blitzing) at least one guy on every play, which will give us four rushers." Manning those three down linemen positions will be a rotation of Snep, Sellers, Lewis, Cripe and Altimus, while the linebacking corp will consist of Boyd, Brunn, Ream, Carter and junior Jim Sainsbury, with sophomore Phoenix Goad also seeing time. In the secondary, Baker is relying on Penrod, Woodward, Bowman and junior Evan Olinger. Despite the small numbers, Baker does see positives in this year's team. "As a whole, they're a bunch of good kids," he said. "If that turns into wins, I don't know." Two years ago, the Squires also had small numbers and big question marks, but the team ended up going 8-2 and shared a TRC championship with Rochester. "The guys on that team did the work," Baker said. "When those guys were seniors, this year's seniors were sophomores, so hopefully they learned something." And Baker knows how this year's team can compete in the TRC, and it's nothing fancy. "We have to be fundamental," he said. "We're not going to be blowing teams off the ball. Each guy is going to have to do his job on each play. And, if we're in a game, we need to understand what it takes to win." Two years removed from a TRC championship, Baker sees a few teams crowding the top of the conference standings, led by the Tippecanoe Valley Vikings. "Valley has a lot of returnees," he said. "When we beat them two years ago, their seniors were playing as sophomores. Whitko will also be good, and Rochester is Rochester."
