Steve Manning
Big-Game Player
by By James Joseph, West Side Lax
Waterford middie Mark Manning scored 46 goals and added 18 assists last season as a junior.
But according to Ravens Coach Craig Morris, it wasn't so much how many points Manning posted, but when he provided them.
"He always seems to play his best in our biggest games," Morris said.
Case in point: There was Manning's eight-goal performance in the 2006 Utah High School Lacrosse League Division A semfinals. Manning followed that gem with a three-goal performance in the state final, a 13-12 overtime victory over rival Jordan.
"He scored some big goals to bring us back in the fourth quarter there," Morris said. "He really became our go-to guy....That kind of competition seems to bring out the best in him. There were a few games in the regular season where if we had things well in hand, he'd let other people step up. But when push comes to shove, and the season's on the line, good luck trying to stop him. He can be a one-man wrecking crew."
And Manning's penchant for coming through in the clutch has continued in 2007. On March 22, Manning finished with a game-high 10 points on eight goals and two assists to lead Waterford to a come-from-behind, 11-8 victory over Judge Memorial.
"I enjoy those situations where you have to step up and take on the challenge," The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Manning said. "That's what it's all about for me."
Morris calls Manning, "a throwback player," because of his ability to play on both ends of the field. That makes Manning a natural middie. But Morris will use him some at attack this season too. Manning possesses a deadly shot, and he can create space for himself with his dodging.
"My biggest challenge this year is to try to keep him on the field as much as humanly possible," Morris said.
Manning, who plans to play college club lacrosse at Brigham Young next year, has the talent to play NCAA Division I lacrosse, Morris said. And during Waterford's three-game trip to Florida in early March, he turned heads.
"Everybody we played back east all wanted to know who he was after the game," Morris said. "They felt like he could play at any level."
Waterford lost all three games in Florida against East Coast competition, but the games were close and the team represented Utah lax well. Since coming home, Utah's top-ranked team bounced back to win four straight games and is now 4-4 after splitting a pair at the Tournament of Champions over the weekend.
Two of those wins, against Judge Memorial and Park City, were comeback victories. And Manning said his team has a target on its back after last year's state title.
"We had kind of a rough start in the beginning of the year," Manning said. "We're trying to pick it up."
When the games are on the line, the Ravens can expect Manning to do just that.