Less than five minutes into his debut as Ooltewah’s starting quarterback, Goose Manning was in a predicament that any veteran would dread. The Owls trailed a talented Tyner team 18-0, but Manning kick-started an offensive explosion that led to a big rally and a 49-36 non-district win.
After waiting his turn to take over the offense, the senior accounted for three of the Owls’ five first-half touchdowns, rushing for TDs of 21 and 25 yards and throwing a 57-yard scoring strike. He led the Owls with 84 rushing yards and threw for 121 yards.
That effort earned him the season’s first Times Free Press Player of the Week honors.
“Wow, I’m not sure what I thought after the first few minutes,” Ooltewah’s rookie head coach Shannon Williams said. “For a young team to be down 18-zip against that team, I wasn’t sure how they would respond.”
After Tyner returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and added two more TDs, Manning led the Owls to 42 unanswered points, all in the first half, including 21 in the final 1:40 before halftime.
Before taking over the quarterback duties this season, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Manning had lined up at tailback on offense as well as outside linebacker and cornerback on defense. That versatility paid off in Friday’s rally.
“He’s not your prototypical quarterback,” Williams said. “He’s very well rounded, though, and has a skill set that can be productive for us.”