Manfull ready for The Rock

The United High graduate will start at running back tonight against Seton Hill.

By JOHN KOVACH

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — After missing all of last season because an off-the-field injury, Corey Manfull from United High School is back and ready to carry the football for the Slippery Rock University football team this year.

Manfull, a redshirt junior running back from Kensington, will get the starting call tonight when The Rock opens the season at home against Seton Hill at 7 at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Manfull, who played for coach D.J. Ogilvie at United, was scheduled to be the starting running back for Slippery Rock last year, but injured his hand two weeks before camp started and was redshirted.

He lost a key to his apartment and was trying to enter through a window when it broke, cutting the tendons in his left hand and requiring surgery.

“The tendons in my left hand had to be reconnected so that I could get my grip back. It took me four weeks into the season to get through [rehabilitation],” explained Manfull, who could have played at that point in his recovery. “I was cleared to come back but I took the whole year off instead. No sense in wasting a whole year of eligibility.”

Hand is now healed

He said he now is ready to go.

“The hand is all back to normal. It doesn’t bother me any more,” said Manfull, who got some valuable experience as a sophomore in 2005.

“I got to start one game and I pretty much rotated every other series with the starter [in 2005]. I was supposed to start last year,” said Manfull, who is hoping to get his hands on the ball a lot this year. “We do a lot of running. We’re pretty much a run offense. I expect to get quite a few runs.”

An art major and the son of Robert and Angela Manfull, Corey said prospects are bright for the team.

Last year, The Rock posted a 7-4 record, including 4-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference to tie for third under coach Dr. George Mihalik, who is entering his 20th season.

“We’re looking real good. We didn’t graduate very many people. The offense has been looking good all camp,” said Manfull. “I am optimistic this year.”

12 area players on roster

Manfull is one of 12 area players on roster, which also includes Terry Grossetti, a redshirt junior wide receiver from Shenango High who caught 16 passes for 220 yards and five TDs last year.

The other area players are Adam Niles, redshirt senior defensive lineman from Laurel; Dom Razzano, redshirt junior linebacker from Shenango; and sophomores Rich Burnworth, redshirt wide receiver from Reynolds and Ross Crist, quarterback from New Castle.

Freshmen are Adam Shankle, defensive lineman from Springfield; Michael Maurer, defensive end from Liberty; Jason Lane, freshman offensive lineman from Kennedy Christian; Joshua Woods, offensive lineman from Grove City; Zach Anderson, wide receiver from Shenango; and Spencer Haben, linebacker from Shenango.

kovach@vindy.com