2023 Season Preview Manheim Central

Manheim Central went 11-2 last year including winning their first 9 games to start the season. They lost to Exeter 21-17 to finish the regular season. With that loss, Central did not win Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They did rebound to beat York Suburban and Lampeter-Strasburg in the PIAA Playoffs. They then lost to PIAA 4 State Champ Bishop McDevitt. This was a successful season for the Manheim Central football program, but the standard of excellence in that program is winning Lancaster-Lebanon League Titles and District 3 Titles. They did not achieve either this season, but 11-2 with 2 playoff wins is still a good year.   Coaching Update:   Mike Williams had been Manheim Central's Head Football Coach for 34 years. He compiled a 348-75-3 record, which was the most wins in District 3 history until this past season when Bob Wolfrum of Wyomissing passed him. He also won 16 District 3-AAA Titles and a 2003 PIAA State Title. He stepped down after the 2014 season. To replace him Manheim Central picked his offensive line coach Dave Hahn. Hahn has coached Manheim Central for the last 8 years. During those 8 years, Hahn has done a nice job and kept the program playing at a high level. Manheim Central won LL Section titles in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons under Hahn. He has also won 2 District 3 Titles in 2017 and 2018. The transition has gone very smoothly. Oh by the way Coach Williams still coaches at Central as an Assistant Coach.   Key returning players for the 2023 season:    [player_tooltip player_id='377418' first='Zac' last='Hahn']. Hahn the son of Head Football Coach Dave Hahn is returning for his 2nd year as the starting quarterback. Hahn is a talented QB who has been going to several football camps this summer and I expect will have a good chance to play College Football in the future. After starting for a year Hahn should build on it and have an even better year. Hahn recently picked up an offer from Clarion University. Below is what I wrote about him earlier this year:   Hahn has a nice short compact delivery of the football. He can do it all at quarterback. On his film, I saw him run for first downs on quarterback powers, but also make all the throws needed to win games. He is really good while throwing on the run, especially on sprint outs and bootlegs. He has great touch on the ball when he throws the deep ball. Also from the video you can see that Hahn has studied film and knows where he is gonna go with the ball most of the time.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ZacHahn_4/status/1666616949105672192?s=20 </div></figure>    Brycen Armold. Armold is one of the most underrated players in District 3. He was a great running back last year that really carried Manheim Central at times last year. I expect him to get some College Football looks after he has a strong Senior year. Below is what my Colleague Carl Frederick wrote about Hahn earlier this year:   In case you didn't know all this guy did last year was lead the LLBerks league in rushing accumulating 2,242 yards rushing with 35 combined touchdowns. Watching him play in person I can attest that Armold hype train is for real.  Watching him play he possesses tremendous vision and the power in his legs is second to none. The All-State returnee who has already been clocked in at a 4.58 40, should start to draw interest from Division 2 and 3 schools schools.    [player_tooltip player_id='893517' first='Aaron' last='Enterline'] Manheim Central. Enterline is a good wide receiver who shows a ton of skill last year. He is a difference-maker at wide receiver. Enterline has great size standing 6'3" inches tall. When the ball is in the air he does a nice job attacking the ball and making a play on the ball over defenders. He runs good routes as well. He recently picked up an offer from Wheeling University. Below is what my Colleague [player_tooltip player_id='1156407' first='Vic' last='Castillo'] wrote about Enterline earlier this year at a Prep Redzone showcase:   Last up we have the most exciting revelation to come from the event. That being [player_tooltip player_id='893517' first='Aaron' last='Enterline']. I won't even get into how well he tested, I'll save that for a later piece. I don't know how I missed a kid with this kind of talent. 6'3, skying over kids all over the field, Enterline performed exactly how you'd expect an overtly-physical wideout would. Enterline ability to catch in traffic last Friday night, as well as his ability to outperform during the testing portion of the camp, led to his placement here. He's unranked, that will change quickly. Excited to promote his game, he's deserving.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/EnterlineAaron/status/1669141032297017344?s=20 </div></figure>    [player_tooltip player_id='377500' first='Bode' last='Sipel']. Sipel played wide receiver and defensive back for Manheim Central. At wide receiver, he played slot receiver. He was a dynamic wide receiver who can do everything at receiver. Sipel excelled at catching the ball in traffic and in tight coverage. He is also good at catching shot passes like bubble screens and making big plays. He is also good at jet sweeps and handoffs as he uses his speed to run past defenders. On defense, he shows good range at safety and makes a ton of plays in the back end. He is also good in run support by coming upfield to make tackles. In the open field, he is a good tackler who rarely misses. Sipel is a good prospect who should get some College Football looks with a strong Senior year.    [player_tooltip player_id='916967' first='Tyler' last='Groff']. Groff played guard for Manheim Central last year. Groff shows good strength as he is able to use that strength to control defensive linemen. He is physical off the ball and uses his hands well. He is especially good at power blocking defensive linemen. He showed he has good feet and gets off the ball quickly. He also showed the ability to pass blocking well by moving his feet to stay in front of defenders. He also played defensive tackle and he again showed his strength to overpower offensive lineman. Groff is a good prospect who should only get better going into his Junior Year.    Xander Kolk. Kolk has limited film I could find, but he was impressive in the limited reps. Coach Hahn even pointed him out to me. He had 62 tackles and over 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks on the year. Kolk is expected to have a bigger role this year and I expect him to be a leader for the defense.    [player_tooltip player_id='558684' first='Sonny' last='Callahan']. Callahan is another player with limited film, but he played cornerback for Manheim Central. At cornerback, he provided good run support. He showed he is able to come upfield and make consistent tackles in space. He also showed that he can hustle and chase down plays all over the field. He also played some wide receiver and he showed good skills by catching the ball and making a few big plays. I expect Callahan to get more involved this season.   Quote:   "The 2022 Barons continued to build off the 2021 team's success. We were anchored by our line, and linebackers while bringing on new starters at the skill positions. We averaged 48 points per game and held opponents to 14 points. We finished 11-2 and had 4 All-State selections. We were not where we want to be at the end, but continue to work on building bigger, stronger, and faster for the future". Head Coach Dave Hahn.   Final Thoughts:   The outlook never changes for Manheim Central, as the expectations of competing for League and District titles remain the same every year. Coach Hahn would tell you the same thing, as he knows what he signed up for as Head Coach at Central. Returning in the backfield is [player_tooltip player_id='377418' first='Zac' last='Hahn'] at quarterback and Brycen Armold at running back is a good place to start. Armold is a special running back and Hahn is a playmaker at quarterback. Hahn also returns top targets Enterline and Sipel. I expect Manheim Central to be in the hunt again for another league title and for me, they are the favorite going into next year to win the title.

Manheim Central went 11-2 last year including winning their first 9 games to start the season. They lost to Exeter 21-17 to finish the regular season. With that loss, Central did not win Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They did rebound to beat York Suburban and Lampeter-Strasburg in the PIAA Playoffs. They then lost to PIAA 4 State Champ Bishop McDevitt. This was a successful season for the Manheim Central football program, but the standard of excellence in that program is winning Lancaster-Lebanon League Titles and District 3 Titles. They did not achieve either this season, but 11-2 with 2 playoff wins is still a good year.