Arch Manning has blossomed into one of the most coveted football recruits in the country. But before he decides where he’s going to play college football, Arch Manning has a chance to do something that his uncles Peyton Manning and Eli Manning never did in high school:
Win a state championship at Isidore Newman.
“When it comes to football, I think without question, especially on our level, it’s the hardest pinnacle,” Isidore Newman head coach Nelson Stewart told USA Today. “A state championship in football is unlike anything else.”
Stewart knows how special winning a state title in football would be for the school. He was teammates with Peyton Manning and Cooper Manning (Arch’s father) in 1991 when the team fell in the semifinals. That’s still the closest Isidore Newman has ever come to winning it all.
Both Peyton Manning and Eli Manning were superstars at Isidore Newman and enjoyed a lot of success during their high school days. However, neither could get over the hump and lead the school to a state title.
- In 1991, Peyton Manning threw a late interception against Haynesville in the state semifinals
- In 1992, Peyton Manning and Isidore Newman lost on a last-second field goal to Pickering in the state quarterfinals
- In 1998 , Eli Manning’s Isidore Newman team lost in the state quarterfinals to East St. John
- One year later, in his senior season, Eli Manning and Isidore Newman fell to Riverside Academy in the state quarterfinals
As you can see, Arch Manning certainly had to face some lofty expectations. He’s led Isidore Newman to a 6-2 record in 2021 and capped off the regular season with a 48-12 win over South Plaquemines. Manning completed 11-of-15 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown on the ground in the latest win.
Arch Manning has already equaled what Peyton Manning and Eli Manning have done in the playoffs. He led Isidore Newman to the state semifinals last year, where they ended up losing 21-7 to Lafayette Christian.
Now Newman is the No. 5 seed in the Division III 2021 playoffs and has a first-round bye before facing Episcopal.
