Manual and Central set to kick off 2024 high school season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It has become one of the top opening high school football games annually in the area. Manual and Central will kick off the new season this Friday night at Central Stadium.

And you could tell during practices at both schools this week that things were getting a little more intense.

"Oh yeah, very, very excited," said Central Head Coach Marvin Dantzler, who has been head coach for eight year. "Any time you can get through the off-season and get through the grind, now we get to have some fun."

Manual has won the last four meetings. First-year head coach Keith Eckloff knows about the rivalry. He spent the last five years as head coach at Seneca and is very familiar with Central's program.

"First of all, it's going to be a great environment," said Eckloff. "That place is fun to play. The crowd gets into it. The band is fun. You love playing over there. It's a great atmosphere and they're a solid football team. Those guys are state title contenders in their division every single year and so it's a good test for us to start the season."

And there could be no better gauge for Central to find out where they are early in the season year in and year out. As they have typically done through most of the last decade, the 3A power is starting the season with a pair of 6A contenders in Manual, followed by St. Xavier.

"One of the things we always say around here is we try to get the right people in the seats and the wrong people out of them," said Dantzler. "Playing Manual and then next week with St. X, they kind of helps you do that really quick. I'd rather know in August than November.

"If we wanted to start off 2-0, I'd probably schedule it a bit different. That's not to say that the goal is not to be 2-0."

We'll see who can start 1-0 Friday. It's a 7 p.m. kick at Central Stadium.