Manchester Academy is proud to announce that two of their senior athletes were chosen for the AA All-State MAIS Football Team.
This team is a list of all the top 28 offensive and defensive players state-wide in the AA Classification of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS).
This list of players was chosen by a committee made up of football coaches from around the state.
"There are a lot of factors involved," said Manchester's Headmaster Bryan Dendy, "Everybody has stats on MaxPreps now so they will take that into consideration. Also, some of the coaches on the committee saw our kids play, and rewarded them for their abilities."
Will Fouche made the list as a defensive back, and Blayke Dendy was chosen as AA Defensive Player of the Year.
These boys also received the honor of being chosen to play in the AA MAIS All Star Football Game, which took place on December 1, 2017, at Jackson Preparatory School.
For the All-Star Game, players were divided into two separate teams, blue and white, using a draft system.
Luckily, both Fouche and Dendy would represent Manchester Academy on the Blue Team, which defeated the White Team with a score of 27-20.
Will Fouche played the position of strong safety for defense, while Blayke Dendy played on offense and defense as an H-Back and a Linebacker, respectively.
Both of the boys experienced a week of preparation for this game, including 2-a-day practices and individualized instruction, while also getting to know other players from across the state.
"It was a big honor just to get invited to it," said Will Fouche.
"It felt great," said Blayke Dendy about his experience, "It was a huge honor to get to go down there for a week out of school, practicing with guys that you've played against all year and that are on your team. That was just a really cool experience, getting to play with some of those guys, getting to meet a lot of new people. It was a really fun experience."
Looking back, both boys felt that this was a good end to their respective football careers.
"That was probably my last time to ever put on a football helmet and go out on the field," said Blayke Dendy, " I really enjoyed my experience playing here at Manchester Academy. We had great coaches, great fans, and a great atmosphere every week. They treated us great and you really felt like a superstar every Friday night. It was just an all around great experience. I hate that it's over with, but I know that we left a pretty good legacy for the underclassmen coming up."
Leaving football behind, Will Fouche and Blayke Dendy both plan to focus their remaining time at Manchester Academy on the baseball field, hoping to pursue careers in that area of athletics.
"We had an outstanding season, and its always good to see your athletes be rewarded for their efforts. They did leave a legacy, and laid a foundation for a football program that we'll be forever grateful for," said Headmaster Bryan Dendy.
