Football: QB Conner Manning is the toast of Orange County
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Junior quarterback Conner Manning of El Toro has put his team into the Southwest Division championship game after passing for 465 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-41 win over La Habra.
Manning increased his season total to 3,946 passing yards, which means he has passed Matt Barkley as the single-season leader in Orange County history. Barkley passed for 3,560 yards in 2007 at Mater Dei.
The 6-foot-2 Manning spent the offseason quietly working on his skills, and Coach Robert Frith said it has paid off.
‘I’ve never seen a kid work like him,’ Frith said.
La Habra had won four consecutive section titles and trailed, 47-13, before scoring four consecutive touchdowns and taking advantage of two onside kicks to give El Toro a scare.
El Toro, which uses a spread offense with no huddle, will face Tustin in Saturday’s final at Angel Stadium, a fitting place for a quarterback who will draw the interest of college recruiters for 2013.
-- Eric Sondheimer