LYNN — Classical senior Manny Guerrero has been a stud on defense for the Rams this season. And if you ask head coach Brian Vaughan, it’s not just about the stats.
“He’s our leader on defense for sure,” said Vaughan. “But he’s not only a leader on the field, he’s also a leader on the sidelines, on the practice field and in the classroom. He’s a great student, a great friend and a great leader for our guys.”
All that being said, the stats are still quite nice for the senior defensive end. Guerrero leads the Rams in both sacks (11) and tackles for loss (14), while he’s second on the squad in total tackles (69). That averages out to 7.7 tackles and one sack per game, meaning Guerrero has been an impact player in every game this season.
“His motor is unreal, he’s always going 100 miles per hour,” said Vaughan. “He means a lot to the defense and I’m not sure where that unit would be without him. He’s made a lot of really big plays over the course of the season.”
Guerrero — who spent time on the junior varsity squad for parts of his sophomore and junior seasons — notes that he’s really happy with the way he’s made the transition to the varsity team.
“I feel like I’ve really become a much better player this year,” said Guerrero. “I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot of new things, and being on this team has helped me a lot personally as well as on the field. It’s been a great year.”
Along with that bump up to the varsity team, Guerrero was named a team captain. He was also a team captain for the junior varsity team while he was down there, which he says helped prepare him for the same role on the big team.
“Honestly the transition hasn’t been too much of a change,” said Guerrero. “It hasn’t been too tough in terms of leading the team because I had some experience with being a leader, and it really helped me grow as a person over the course of the year.”
“You always want to highlight it when a guy puts so much effort into his schoolwork and his work in the community, and that’s Manny,” said Vaughan. “When a guy can do both — make plays on the field and make a difference off of it — that’s a great thing to see as a coach.”
Now, as Guerrero prepares for his final high school game — the Thanksgiving Day rivalry battle with English — he is taking stock of his time with the Rams.
“It’s crazy that this is going to be my last game here,” Guerrero said. “It’s been a long, hardworking journey. It’s kind of sad that this is it, but that’s just a part of life.”
Vaughan is also going to miss his high-energy defensive end next season.
“It’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to have him back next year because he’s such a great part of the team,” Vaughan said. “We’re happy for him and where he’ll go next, but it would be nice to have him back for another year if we could.”
As for what he wants to do after his career ends at Classical, Guerrero wants to continue to play football. While he doesn’t currently have any set plans to play in college, he’s still hoping for a shot.
“I just want a shot to keep playing,” Guerrero said. “I love this sport with all my heart and I would love to continue my career at the next level if given the opportunity.”
Classical and English will kick off their annual rivalry game on Thursday morning (10) at Manning Field.
