Laurence Manning's Sanders scores on both sides of the ball on way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

There was plenty of energy at Laurence Manning when the Swampcats hosted Augusta Christian on Friday, Sept. 25. It was homecoming night for the 'Cats, and they were finally opening region play after weather caused them to postpone a previously scheduled matchup with John Paul II. LMA wanted to come out and make a statement, and they did just that.

It was a full team effort as the Swampcats crushed the Lions 55-23, but one player was able to make his impact truly felt on both sides of the ball. Senior linebacker and tight end Asher Sanders scored a pair of touchdowns in the romp, catching a TD on offense before returning an interception to the end zone on defense. His effort on both units also helped him earn recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"It's awesome. I definitely got a lot of love and support from friends and teachers at school, and going to church and getting the same amount of love," Sanders said of the encouragement from the LMA community. "It's been great. I really appreciate the people who have been posting me and congratulating me. It's been awesome."

The fall has been full of starts and stops for Laurence Manning. They lost their opener against Williamsburg Academy because of weather and were forced to reschedule their matchup with John Paul II, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 11, because of another stormy night. As a result, the matchup with Augusta Christian became their region opener and came with the added hype around homecoming. With playoff seeding on the line, Sanders and company wanted to make a good impression.

"That was a crucial win; that's one we really need as far as seeding come November for the playoffs. It was kind of a must-win situation, but we liked our matchups," Sanders said. "We saw what they had to bring to the table and felt like we were the better team, and we showed that."

Sanders' biggest play of the night was a remarkable 70-yard interception return, breaking up a trick play for a massive momentum swing that put the game away before halftime.

"It was like a sweep, just a run to the right, and it turned out to be a throwback back to the quarterback," Sanders explained. "I'm just doing my job, trying to force it back inside, and then two other guys, I want to say it was Tristan (White) and Cole Yomtob, they got to the ball before I did and wrapped him up before he could throw it back to the quarterback. The ball was in the air and I just pursued, tried to make a play, and Cole Lambert was the one who tipped it in the air straight to me. It kinda worked out to where I've just got to do my job and pursue the ball, and it paid off because the ball landed right into my hands. I had a full head of steam heading into the end zone, and I just took it and ran."

It was part of a second consecutive game where Laurence Manning played lights out on the defensive side of the ball, which allowed them to turn to some of their reserves late. Sanders, who added two pass breakups and five tackles to the defensive effort, credits the camaraderie the Swampcat defense built in the offseason for their impressive performances so far this fall.

"I think it's been our work in the offseason," he said. "We have the strongest senior class we've had in a while, and that comes down to the work we've put in lifting and conditioning; just a lot of the chemistry that we have. That's definitely showing up and paying off better than it has in other years. I think it's the bond and the ability we have to rely on one another as a group because we know what each guy has to offer."

Sanders added two catches for 31 yards and a touchdown on offense, rounding out an exceptional group of skill talent. On any given night, the 'Cats feel like any player can take over a game, whether it's the rotation of Pierson Gamble and AJ Dennis in the backfield or the receiving duo of Scoop Dennis and Rob Briggs paired with standout quarterback Grainger Powell.

"We have one of the best quarterbacks, if not the best quarterback in the league, so to have him be able to get the ball out to our great studs at receiver, Rob and Scoop, and to have such a deep running back room, sometimes you can forget about the tight end, which is where I'm at," Sanders said. "You've got all sorts of weapons, and it's kind of a matchup nightmare for defenses.

"This is what you dream about, scoring touchdowns in front of your home crowd on homecoming, in front of your friends and family. It's definitely something I'm not going to forget; it was a great experience."

The blowout win came on the heels of an incredible 45-21 win over their rivals from Wilson Hall a week prior. Now, Laurence Manning just wants to keep momentum rolling in the right direction as they play four of their final five regular season games on the road.

"That's definitely been the big hiccup to our season, practicing and just not being able to play. It's definitely disappointing for the team, especially for our seniors; we hate to lose a game. We're trying to capitalize on all of the moments we get to play," Sanders said of the odd nature of their season. "But, in a weird way, it's been good for us because it teaches you to enjoy the moment and take advantage of the opportunities you do get."