Nelson Stewart caught a clear view of the Many football offense when he did radio commentary from LHSAA state championship games the past three seasons.
What the Newman coach saw in those games remained largely the same when he called up video this week so he could prepare for the Greenies’ next opponent — a Friday showdown on the road between the state’s top two Class 2A teams.
No. 2 Newman (3-0) might not face a better team this season. The 7 p.m. kickoff at No. 1 Many (3-0) will have an overflow crowd. The setting will offer Stewart an up-close view of what he has seen from the radio booth and from the coaches’ film.
"They're almost the same team," said Stewart, his voice still hoarse from a wild 54-52 victory Friday against Benton. “(Coach Jess Curtis is) really doing the same stuff. Physical play at the line. They always have two good running backs. They take a lot of pride in their strength and conditioning. I’ve seen them enough times to know they’re a true program. It’s not cyclical. It’s not up and down.”
Many also has a top-flight college prospect who plays quarterback and made a commitment in the summer to a major Power Five program. But where Tackett Curtis makes the biggest impact for Many is at strong safety. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Southern Cal commitment is listed by 247Sports as the No. 6 player in Louisiana. Nationally, the website listed him as the No. 7 linebacker, the position he is projected to play in college.
Also on the field will be Arch Manning, the five-star No. 1 quarterback and overall player in the country by the 247Sports composite whose commitment to Texas during the summer is still making waves.
Manning played what might have been his best game yet Friday in a rally from 19 points down in the third quarter with 21 of 36 passing for 392 yards and four touchdowns passing with zero interceptions.
His fourth-and-13 throw of 29 yards to speedy junior wideout Peter Loop for a touchdown caught the attention of SportsCenter and its Twitter page, which shared a video that surpassed 1.9 million views.
“I don’t think there are very many quarterbacks in the country you can find with that touch,” Stewart said of the throw that fell into Loop’s outstretched arms near the back right corner of the end zone.
“They had a safety there and (Manning put the pass) in the only place he could,” Stewart said. “It was a phenomenal throw. An off-balance throw. He makes those plays when he’s flushed out. It's the things you can’t teach.”
The two offenses could not be more divergent. Many attempted four passes in their first two games this season and none in the third game. The Tigers rushed 49, 47 and 49 times in the three games for an increasingly large total each game, from 287 to 390 to 519 yards.
Jeremiah James, a junior, is the lead running back, rushing for more than 100 yards in all three games for a total of 485 yards with six touchdowns, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Curtis, who plays quarterback, has eight carries for 209 yards and three touchdowns. He has scored on runs of 38, 64 and 47 yards.
Newman seeks a more balanced approach. The Greenies use the run game to set up the pass game and the other way around. Against Benton, Newman scored four touchdowns passing and three rushing.
Manning has completed 47 of 71 passes for 790 yards with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has rushed nine times for 89 yards and two scores.
Newman will be challenged without senior tight end Will Randle, a Texas commitment, who will miss the remainder of the season with a knee ligament tear. He leads Newman in receptions with 14 for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Will Loerzel, a junior tight end, caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter Friday.
The game is much anticipated in the Many community. A line to purchase ticket has been constant since Monday, said Many coach Jess Curtis, Tackett’s uncle. Jess Curtis said some coaches from other nearby schools scheduled their games this week for Thursday so they could be available to see Newman and Many play.
Barricades will surround the field so the overflow crowd can watch from the track surface. The stadium has two sides of bleachers and is surrounded by pine trees.
Both coaches welcome the chance to visit other parts of the state. Many, which won a state championship in 2020 and was a runner-up in 2019 and 2021, will play at Newman next season.
Newman will leave New Orleans in the morning and have a walkthrough practice in the afternoon at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, located about 30 miles from Many.
Newman beefed up its schedule with 5A schools Hahnville and Benton in Weeks 1 and 3, and 4As Pearl River and Belle Chasse also on the road the next two weeks. The district slate also is competitive with Country Day and M.L. King preceding a finale against reigning Division III state champion St. Charles, which defeated Newman twice in the past three seasons.
The schedule should prepare Newman for possibly facing the likes of U-High and Notre Dame in the postseason. U-High is the reigning Division II state champion.
Whichever team wins will have done so against one of the best in the state. Stewart would know, having seen Many play in those recent state championship games — a place the Greenies would like to be when the season concludes in December.