Connor Harrod and Manteno football are ready to air it out again.
Harrod took over as the Panthers’s starting quarterback as a sophomore in 2023 and put up some big numbers: 1,660 yards and 19 touchdowns vs. 11 interceptions in nine games as Manteno missed the IHSA playoffs with a 4-5 record.
Last year, the Panthers switched to a more run-oriented attack led by Harrod and Niko Akiyama. They returned to the postseason for the first time since 2019, finishing 7-3. With Akiyama graduated and Harrod back along with a fast and deep receiving corps, the Panthers are back to throwing more.
“We’re built a little different this year,” Panthers coach RJ Haines said during a break in practice on July 22. “We like our speed that we have in the skill positions. … The goal is to be balanced, run/pass. I think we can be very explosive in the pass game. …
“Last year we were running Connor and Niko and that’s what we kind of lived on. This year I think we can spread the ball out a little more, whether that’s running the ball with them or throwing the ball to them.”
Harrod is ready and willing to do his part.
“I trust our coaches,” Harrod said. “We have a really good scheme going on, so anything I can do to help the team is going to be good. It’s going to be fun.”
Haines likes the way Harrod has prepared for his final high-school season.
“First and foremost, Connor works on his body physically,” Haines said of the 5-11, 175-pounder. “So he looks the part. He’s an extremely tough kid. He’s multi-dimensional, he’s a good runner. … He understands the offense and he can make some tough throws, especially when he’s off balance (or) out of the pocket.
“And just his leadership is what we’ve got to lean on this year.”
Being a third-year varsity quarterback is an advantage.
“I just feel like over time (the game) just naturally slows down,” Harrod said. “It can speed up as a sophomore. (You can be) really anxious, a lot of bigger kids, stronger kids. But junior year, it slowed down quite a bit. You start understanding and learning the pace of rhe game. And senior year, I’m looking forward to it, hopefully the most successful year for us.”
Harrod will have a variety of targets including seniors Dylan McIntyre and Tyler Buehler along with junior Briggs Cann. Haines is looking forward to having McIntyre for a full year after he went down with a broken collarbone late in the regular season. Buehler is also a standout baseball player, while Cann was a state medalist in the 400 meters this spring.
What will it all add up to? Making the playoffs, Haines hopes.
“That’s the goal every year,” he said. “That’s the standard, that’s what we’re here for.”