Groton’s Manning Named ESPN Ithaca’s Coach of the Year By Ryan Gineo (ESPN Ithaca)
June 14, 2023
Tompkins Weekly Article: https://www.tompkinsweekly.com/articles/grotons-manning-named-espn-ithacas-coach-of-the-year/
On June 11, Groton football head coach Joe Manning was named ESPN Ithaca’s Coach of the Year (in a boys sport) during the 10th annual Night of Champions awards ceremony. In his fourth year in charge, he oversaw a near-unstoppable force throughout the 8-man scene.
The season started off in as dominant a fashion as one can imagine, putting up at least 50 points in the first three games and giving up only 12 points in total.
Then came their big matchup against rivals Moravia, where they would be given their biggest scare of the regular season. Trailing by eight points heading into the fourth quarter, Groton kept the ball for the majority of the final stanza, scoring twelve unanswered points to take the lead. Ben DeMatteo sealed the victory with an end-zone interception to keep their perfect campaign intact.
After breezing through their final four regular season games and a 40-0 win over Unatego/Franklin in the Section IV 8-man semifinals, Groton once again faced off against Moravia with hardware on the line. After a back-and-forth affair in the first half, Groton pulled away after the break, prevailing 46-14 to win its first sectional title since 2009.
After conquering Section IV, the next aim was to win a regional championship, something that was newly implemented by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) this past fall. Groton passed the first test outside of its section with flying colors, easing by Section XI’s Tri-Valley 58-30 and recording a season-high in points. But on Black Friday, the perfect season came to an end in the regional championship with a 36-18 defeat at the hands of Section V’s Pembroke.
At the end of it all, Groton finished 11-1 with a sectional title in hand, outscored their opponents by an average of 45 to 13, and had four players named to the New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) 8-man All-State team: DeMatteo, Austin Hunt, Gaige Goodsell, and Nick Karandeyev.
While Manning played a big part in such unprecedented success for the program, he gave credit to his support staff for a memorable campaign.
“There are countless hours outside of practice that you put in that people don’t even realize,” Manning said in his acceptance speech. “Without a support structure, you can’t put those hours in. It’s just incredible to have that support structure.”
Manning made sure to highlight the work that his assistant coaches Mick LeVick and Justin Albro have done to help the program be where they are now.
“I was lucky enough to be a member of an athletic program that includes some of the most thoughtful dedicated energetic coaches,” Manning said. “ Our line coach and special teams coach [Mick LeVick] worked endless hours doing blocking schemes, helping out with blocking assignments, and special teams for coverage in returns. That’s all a big part of the game, and he was a big part of that.
Manning continued: “Our defensive coordinator Justin Albro broke down people’s offenses week after week and changed our defense around to stop the other team. He made my job easier as an offensive coach.”
What makes Manning’s achievements even more remarkable is that he balances it out with a full-time job as part of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. Without his fellow sergeants and deputies’ help, Manning would not have been able to coach the team. That’s because the department’s union held a vote to change Manning’s work hours so that he could get out at 2 p.m. to get to practice in time.
What Manning takes the most pride in is being responsible for his group of players, many of which he has coached in multiple sports since they were five years old. He had nothing but praise for a team fully deserving of it.
“There’s a perception in today’s society that our youth are soft,” Manning said. “Not my boys. They’re taught life lessons, they get out and work for everything they have. There are no free rides in life. Everyone doesn’t get a trophy. You don’t get a trophy unless you compete hard and beat other teams. You get a trophy because you win with life lessons.
Manning concluded: “They believed in our coaching staff and did everything that we asked them to do out in the field with discipline, speed and physicality. And that’s why we win games. Not only were they great athletes, they’re great young men, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them… It’s been a great honor for me to go watch these guys and coach the kids and see them work up through. It’s extremely rewarding.
Manning’s Coach of the Year award came with a $500 scholarship to award to a student-athlete at Groton on behalf of Guthrie. He selected Elisa Allen, who is a talented three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and softball. Allen is the Class of 2023 valedictorian and will be continuing her softball career at Binghamton University.