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Varsity football coach offers projections for upcoming season

by Marsha Chartrand

Varsity football coach Ben Pack, heading into his fourth year of coaching at Manchester High School, is ready to take his team on the field.

With a mixture of young newcomers and seasoned players, he is optimistic about the prospects for this year Dutchmen.

“Pre-season practice sessions have been going extremely well,” he said. “The hard work and investment of our players in the off season has proved beneficial. Our quarterback and receiving unit has the potential to pick up where we left off from last season. Returning are QB Kannon Duffing, WR Luke Blumenauer, and Alexander Woods. New to this unit for 2023 are Phoenix Hulswitt, Bubba Duffing, Tommy Johnson, Garret Wallace, and Brady Reed. All have been catching the ball well during our 7 on 7 competitions and practice sessions.”

Pack pointed out that Kannon Duffing is on track to break multiple school passing records this year, assuming he maintains his stats from the prior three years. He currently owns the Completions in Career record, with 248 completions and counting; he at 60% Career Completion percentage in passes; and is closing in on the school record for Career Touchdowns thrown. Currently with 27 TD passes, he needs eight this year to break the record. He is also closing in on the school record for Career Passing Yards. “Kannon has thrown for 3,065 yards,” Pack said. “He needs 846 yards to break the record.

“Our offensive linemen are developing at the same pace,” Pack continued. “Coach Chad Duffing has these kids working well together. We are fortunate to have him take these kids under his wing and improve them daily in the weight room as well as the field. Returning starters Landon LaVigne, Jozef Sprunk, and Nathan Fletcher set the tone for the new players to the unit: Dylan Gauss, Cody Branner, and Dom Herrst are frontrunners to be added to the starting lineup.

“Our running backs bring a whole ’nother level to the team,” Pack added. “Gunner Carson and Blake Sloan return, carrying the ball for nearly 2,000 yards in previous seasons. This tandem, added to our passing attack, will provide an opportunity for our offense to be balanced.

“On the defensive side, our linebackers lead the charge. Although young, all started as sophomores in 2022. Drake Neff and Bubba Duffing will be in the middle. Gunner Carson and Blake Sloan will be on the edges. These kids bring energy and toughness to our team,” Pack said with obvious pride.

And, yes, the Dutchmen have up-and-coming talent as well.

“Our secondary is the least experienced unit but as fast as we have seen in a while,” said Pack. “Multiple players are competing for spots at this time. The defensive line is following suit with our offensive line. Lucas Sheets is competing for an inside tackle spot. Defensive edge rushers Rocco Guido and Sean Sayer bring speed that will help pressure quarterbacks in passing situations.”

Newcomers Pack expects to make an impact this year, in addition to Guido, include Tommy Johnson and Phoenix Hulswitt, who were role-players on varsity last year; Brody Alexa and Dylan Gauss, JV players with the potential to earn a first-string spot; and Brady Reed, a JV player who could make an impact as a kicker.

Pack team motto for 2023—“Trust the Process. The Power of One.”—emphasizes that each player has an individual responsibility to reach this year goals for the team and for himself. His description of the motto is for “each player to win their battle one play at a time; earning our team the right to play for a league championship, as well as the three playoff championships.”

This year schedule begins with a home game vs. Whitmore Lake this Thursday evening, August 24, at 7pm.

GO DUTCH in 2023!

Manchester Flying Dutchmen varsity football schedule for fall 2023

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.