Manzano football gets it done with team concept

Unlike most of the elite level 5A football teams in New Mexico, Manzano (Albuquerque) doesn't have a single player who has been offered a scholarship from a Division I FBS school.

Which begs the question: Can the Monarchs — who have never won a state championship — do it in a year where there seems to be no clear-cut favorite?

"I think we have the talent level to play with anybody," said Manzano (2-0) coach Chad Adcox, whose team plays at Clovis (1-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. "Do we want to be a state champion? Of course we do, but we're not looking at it from that perspective. We want to be the best team we can be in 2013. I know it's a cliché, but that's our thought process."

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The process centers around a culture of hard work, discipline, mental toughness and team work. Lacking a true superstar player on either side of the ball, Manzano has been the ultimate definition of a cohesive unit early in the season.

In a season-opening 17-14 win over highly-rated Volcano Vista (Albuquerque), the Monarchs offense scored just 10 points — a field goal on its first drive of the game and a touchdown on its last possession, with Manzano quarterback Angel Gonzales throwing a 10-yard TD pass to receiver Josh Alvarez with 1.4 seconds left, capping a 70-yard drive.

"It was crazy," Adcox said. "We didn't play particularly well in that game, our offense struggled for most of the game and somehow we found a way to win."

That's what the good teams usually do, and the Monarchs certainly hope their all-for-one mentality carries them to new heights.

"It's by far a collective effort with us," Adcox said. "Our quarterback and our running back (Corey Morrow) are both 5-7, and we have no D-I kids. You look at our roster, and we're not big and we don't have any speed burners. But I do like our talent."

Especially Morrow, who rushed 20 times for 102 yards against Volcano Vista's tough defense. Morrow has excellent vision and running instincts, consistently churning out yards and finding ways to make defenders miss. Slot Charles Countee has displayed strong playmaking ability, and Lorenzo Perea spearheads a physical and tough offensive line.

"Lorenzo is our duct tape guy," Adcox said. "He can play any position on the o-line, and we'll use him wherever we need him most."

Defensively, the Monarchs are stout, with one of the best linebacking corps in the state. In Maclinton Cox, Cameron McMahan and Tanner Huber, Manzano has a trio of linebackers who make plays all over the field.

Cox had 15 tackles against Volcano Vista, and in the same game McMahan had a couple of sacks and accounted for the team's defensive TD, as he recovered a blocked field goal in the end zone. The Monarchs also have a stout defensive line, led by nose guard Gilbert Archuleta and defensive tackle Jonathan Potter.

Safety Todd Countee has also played a vital role on defense with his solid pass-coverage skills and ability to play the run as well. If Manzano can somehow slow down arguably the state's best offensive player in Clovis tailback Kamal Cass — he accounted for nearly 400 all-purpose yards in a 68-25 win over Highland (Albuquerque) last week — then it will lend further credence that Manzano has what it takes to win a potential state championship.

For now, Adcox is staying up late at night trying to figure out a way to slow down the ultra-talented Cass, who rushed for over 2,580 yards and scored 40 touchdowns a year ago.

"I think he's the best running back in the state," Adcox said. "He proved it last year and he proved it once again last week. Hopefully we can find a way to limit the damage."