Thomas Manu, Hello!

Alcoa QB offers preview; Cooper joins the greats

Alcoa sophomore Thomas Manu is interviewed by Heath Dunkel of Too Hype Sports after being named the media outlet’s player of the game.

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Eli Graf is clutch.

The Alcoa senior and Mr. Football semifinalist can run it. He can throw it. The college he’s committed to — Harding University — is the defending NCAA Division II national champion.

Have you seen the other guy?

Backup Thomas Manu isn’t afforded many opportunities to throw, what with most of his minutes on offense this season coming after Graf and the starters have routed the night’s opponent.

Manu starts at safety for the Tornadoes on defense.

That said, Manu, the projected starter when Alcoa makes the jump from Class 3A to 4A next season, has certainly made the most of his chances on offense this fall. Take Friday, for example.

Sophomore running back Micah Jones kicked things off with a 40-yard touchdown sprint down the right side with the contest not two minutes old, and nine-time defending state champion Alcoa ran away from Pigeon Forge, 56-21, in a 3A first-round playoff game at Goddard Field.

The Tornadoes (9-1) host Austin-East in second-round action on Friday.

Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Alcoa threw the kitchen sink at Pigeon Forge, Graf following up the Jones score not long after with a 70-yard, sideline-walking spectacular.

For the year, Graf’s numbers are sensational, completing 88 of his 121 passes (73 percent) for 1,287 yards and 17 touchdowns, balanced against three interceptions. The do-it-all star has also rushed 80 times for 571 yards and seven touchdowns, collecting 2,006 all-purpose yards.

Wideout Jamir Dean brought a punt back 52 yards for a 21-0 Alcoa lead before the quarter change. After Graf’s 5-yard run made it a four-score margin less than a minute into the second, Alcoa coach Brian Nix let Manu go out and cut loose a little bit.

“He could be a dawg,” Nix said. “He’s got great skill. He’s fast. He’s got a great arm. Great kid, man. People at school love him.”

Jamerius Abuhania ran under a Manu toss in stride from 37 yards for a 35-0 bulge with eight minutes to play in the half. It was real nice.

“I saw that safety sitting in the middle of the field,” Manu said. “I saw Jam wide open, so I just let it fly.”

Not quite done, Manu fired a short toss over the right side to junior JaColby Cooper with two minutes to go until the break. Cooper went wild, cutting and juking his way to the end zone from 34 yards to put it well out of reach for the Tigers.

Editor: The Juke King Project selection committee freaked when it saw the highlight. Five guys! Two of them while sideways! There was no doubt.

Cooper joins Maryville High’s Jordan Irvin (2016), Alcoa’s Ahmaudd Sankey (2019), Heritage’s Daniel Foxx (2020), Maryville High’s Noah Vaughn (2021) and Maryville Lil’ Rebs quarterback Jett Olivet (2023) among the Juke Kings, considered the rarest fraternity in all of sports. Subscribers can learn more about the award and why it’s so special by clicking the link here.

Back to the game.

A score just prior to intermission, followed by two more in the third, brought Pigeon Forge back within three touchdowns early in the fourth. A 2-yard scoring run from Manu quickly snuffed out any Pigeon Forge hopes for a rally.

Manu’s numbers for the night?

Two throws, two touchdowns. One rush, a third score.

Justin Lindsey muscled his way in from a couple yards away later in the frame to close the scoring.