Kroger KSR Game of the Week Preview: DuPont Manual at St. Xavier

In what may be the biggest Kroger KSR Game of the Week this season, DuPont Manual (#4 in KSR’s Week 7 Kentucky High School Football Rankings) travels to St. Xavier (#1 in KSR’s Week 7 Kentucky High School Football Rankings) in a battle of 6A powerhouses.

Since 1998, St. X and Manual have met on 33 separate occasions. The Tigers have won a whopping 32 of those 33 matchups by an average score of 30-12. Manual grabbed their lone victory in 2019, edging out the Tigers 20-19 in an instant classic.

Nine of those 33 matchups ended with St. X knocking Manual out of the postseason. The Tigers are currently riding a 16-game winning streak over in-state teams, which includes the 2021 Class 6A State Championship. Manual has won four consecutive games against in-state competition, and six in total. St. X is currently on a four-game winning streak over the Crimsons. Pro talent such as Keenan Burton, Travis Prentice & Bernard Jackson have all played in this series.

NEW—Kroger KSR Game of the Week: DuPont Manual at St. X – On3 https://t.co/ERtO0svzWu

— Freddie Maggard (@FredMaggard606) October 4, 2022

Can the Tigers Continue their Dominance?

St. Xavier comes into Friday’s matchup sporting a 5-1 record, with their one loss coming at the hands of Elder High in Cincinnati (OH) last month. The Tigers are led by three-star defensive end Micah Carter, who committed to Purdue in June. St. X touts an experienced defense, led by seniors Carter (37 TACK, 2 TFL, 4 SACK, 1 FF), OLB Jaxon Panariello (35 TACK, 4 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 INT), and MLB Austin Uhrhan (31 TACK, 4 TFL, 1 SACK).

The Tigers’ leading passer is junior Trevor Havill (29/59, 503 YDS, 6 TD, 3 INT), who wasn’t active in last weekend’s 37-0 victory over Ryle. Havill committed to Ohio State for lacrosse last month. Backup senior quarterback Adam Boone (23/40, 192 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT) started for the Tigers and may start in Friday’s matchup as well. Havill’s status is currently unknown.

St. X employs a committee running attack, as junior Davis Yates (45 ATT, 244 YDS, 2 TD), junior DonTre Richardson (51 ATT, 228 YDS, 2 TD), and the aforementioned Boone (46 ATT, 159 YDS, 4 TD) have all gotten around the same amount of carries this season.

In six games this season, St. X has averaged 125 passing yards and 133 rushing yards while allowing 108 passing yards and 101 rushing yards. They run a well-balanced rush/pass scheme and will attack an opponent’s weakness. In their loss to Elder last month, they only rushed for 41 yards. Their success depends on how well their run game is operating.

Can Manual Pull off the Upset?

The Crimsons come into Friday night’s huge matchup 6-0 and haven’t faced much opposition this season. In their six games, they have outscored their opponents a combined 206-41. All of their matchups this season have led to this one. This game is going to mean much more to the Crimsons than the Tigers, as they have only one victory over St. Xavier since 1998. On multiple occasions, they have fallen just short and been left with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Junior running back Zah’Ron “Zeek” Washburn is the Crimsons’ premier offensive weapon, coming into this game having rushed for 650 yards and 13 touchdowns on 108 attempts. He is Class 6A’s second-leading rusher.

Junior quarterback Eli Creech (29/53, 445 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT) is Manual’s leading passer, but he hasn’t played since early September. Freshman quarterback Tyree Stoner has taken the reigns behind center for the Crimsons, passing for 295 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in four games this season. The Blakey brothers, Jeremiah (8 REC, 196 YDS, 3 TD) and Aiden (10 REC, 164 YDS, 1 TD), are Manual’s leading pass catchers.

Manual’s defense has been a run-stopping machine this season. They’ve allowed only an average of 38 rushing yards a game. The Crimsons defense is led by three-star Marshall commit DT Beni Tshita (13 TACK, 3 TFL, 3 SACK), senior Miles Rhodes (24 TACK, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 1 INT TD), and the self-proclaimed “Bone Collector” Christopher Jones (17 TACK, 3 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 FF, 1 FR). The defense isn’t too shabby stopping the pass either, only allowing around 85 passing yards a game.

Who Comes Out on Top?

Expect an emotional, physical battle between these two schools. St. Xavier wants to avoid losing its second game of the season, which they haven’t done since 2020. Manual looks to seize control of Class 6A and take down the Tigers for only the second time in 24 years. This game will come down to how effectively St. X can establish a rushing attack against Manual’s tight defense. Whoever wins that battle should have a huge advantage in this game.

The entire state is ready for this Top-5 matchup.