No. 6 Manvel downs No. 9 Crosby 35-21 in battle of Top 10 teams

By AD Jewell
Contributing Writer
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

ALVIN, TEXAS (August 27, 2016) Even mother nature couldn't resist showing up for the season opening showdown on Friday, August 26, 2016 between the No. 6 Manvel Mavericks and No. 9 Crosby Cougars. After a hour rain delay at Alvin Memorial Stadium, both top ranked teams took the field to kickoff the 2016 high school football season. 

And what a kick off it was, Crosby received the kick and on the first snap of the game senior quarterback Mannie Netherly, took the ball 71 yards for the first touchdown. Crosby would miss the extra point leaving the score 6-0. 

Netherly, who is also a  standout receiver pledged to LSU, passed for a total of 171 yards and would also rush for 92 yards. Netherly threw two touchdown passes and one interception. Junior Craig Williams would receive a TD pass on a 14 -play drive in the second quarter and junior Cedric Patterson III would get a 24-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter for Crosby. 

Manvel also debuted a new quarterback,  junior Kason Martin. In a stellar 28 point second quarter, Martin threw for a total of 233 yards, three touchdown passes and one interception. One of the passes in the 2nd quarter was an impressive 85 yard catch and run touchdown by junior Jalen Preston. Preston would also run for an 11 yard touchdown on the following drive. After an action packed first half Manvel lead Crosby 35-14.

Manvel’s defense made its presence known throughout the whole game, shutting down Crosby’s running backs and racking up a total of three sacks on Netherly. Lance Bryant, Xavier Rosette, and Kobe Foster all got sacks for Manvel. 

Both teams will have to spend some time this week working on penalties. Twenty-six combined penalties were given for a total of 282 yards. 

The only score of the second half would come with 5:35 left in the game. Netherly would find Patterson for his second touchdown pass bringing the final score at Memorial Stadium to Manvel 35, Crosby 21.

While both teams had struggles with penalties, they also had successes in their new quarterbacks.  Both teams look prepped for great seasons of district play. Next week Manvel heads to North Shore and Crosby takes on Houston Reagan.

Crosby HS WR Mannie Netherly commits to play college football for LSU

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

CROSBY, TEXAS (June 25, 2016) Heading into his final year of high school football, one Houston area player knows what colors he will be wearing when he takes the field in the fall of 2017. Crosby High School senior Emmanuel (Mannie) Netherly announced on Friday evening, June 24, 2016, via his Twitter account, that he will attend Louisiana State University and will play for the Tigers beginning in 2017. The 6-2, 183-pound quarterback and wide receiver had offers from over 20 other schools, including Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Texas.

Netherly led Crosby High School to a 11-1 record in 2015, with a 10-0 regular season record while posting an 8-0 record in route to the district championship. In the playoffs, Crosby defeated Lumberton by the score of 42-13 in the first round of the Class 5A Division II before falling to Fort Bend Ridge Point 42-14 at NRG Stadium in the second round.

The future LSU Tiger will bring impressive stats to Baton Rouge. He posted a 4.48-second 50-yard dash, along with a 4.32-second shuttle run and a 36.9-inch vertical jump. In his junior year at Crosby, as a wide receiver, he caught 60 passes for 1,002 yards and 18 touchdowns. In addition, he carried the ball 22 times for 230 yards and four touchdowns. When playing quarterback, he completed 13 of 23 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. He was a first team all-district selection at wide receiver and was named to the Texas Sports Writers Association's all-state second team. Netherly and the Crosby Cougars will kick off the 2016 season on Friday, September 2, 2016 against Manvel High School.