Sometimes the best thing for an athlete is realizing he or she is not invincible. 
Case in point: Centennial quarterback Kainnan Manna. Last season as a sophomore, Manna led the Coyote powerhouse program to the Open championship game before falling to Liberty, the only team to beat Centennial in 2023.  
Manna was instrumental in the Coyotes success last season, throwing for 2,200 yards with 21 touchdowns and only one interception. 
But he wasn't satisfied. Like most of his teammates, Manna took the title game loss hard. And in spite of significant losses to graduation, Centennial  entered the 2024 as a consensus top-5 team in Arizona. Manna was one of the reasons. 
The Coyotes also took on one of the toughest schedules possible: Hamilton, Highland, Brophy and Salpointe were the first four opponents. All were losses. Three of the four were one-score games.
Nevertheless, Centennial was 0-4, a record Coach Richard Taylor and staff were not used to. So much so that during Centennial's week four matchup with Salpointe, it was made known to Manna that fellow junior QB Ethan Beltran would likely get  playing time,.which he did in the second half. . 
"That was a reality check for sure," Manna admits. 
Like his team, Manna persevered. 

Small but Fierce

At 5-9, 170 pounds, Manna is not a prototype Division-1 quarterback prospect. But he has no real fear of anyone or any team. He'll have to fight and scratch to find a place to play at the next level, unlike his QB counterpart tonight Tait Reynolds, who is already committed to Clemson as a football and baseball player. 
"(Manna) has a great arm and he knows the game," Queen Creek coach Travis Schureman said of the Centennial quarterback. 
"Anyone who's done what he's done under coach Taylor and that program, he knows what he's doing. It's always tough to beat a good team twice."

Schureman is referring to Queen Creek's week seven contest with Centennial, when the Bulldogs won 31-21. 
Manna was still trading snaps with Beltran to that point, but it may have been the best thing for him. 
"That was a tough thing for me and how I approached everything," Manna says of having to split reps. 
"I didn't feel like I deserved to be replaced, but at the same time I wasn't doing everything in my power to help us win. I wasn't playing up to my potential. So it was probably a good thing for me." 

House Money?

Schureman is familiar with Centennial's all or nothing mindset. As a junior at Mountain View in 1992, he went through a gauntlet schedule which left the Toros 1-4. They won their region and eight straight games before falling to Mesa High in the championship game. 
"it's always easier to play when you feel like there's nothing to lose," Schureman said. 
"We have our work cut out."
By regular season's end, Manna had regained his role as the starter. He's also proven the 14th-seed Coyotes legitimacy as a 6A contender after taking down No. 3 Red Mountain and No. 11 Casteel in the first two rounds. The 3-7 regular season no longer matters. 
Manna has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions in those two games, and he's eager to have another shot Queen Creek  

"It's probably gonna be harder than the first game," Manna says, noting his team's third consecutive trip to play an East Valley school  

"They probably have the state's best football player with Reynolds. But it's kind of been our motto that we're taking on the East Valley. All that matters is Friday night."