QB Arias leads Bulldogs to two straight wins
Two years ago, after making positive strides towards becoming the starting quarterback at Emerson High School, Manauris Arias was handed some bad news. Head coach Eddie Marinez had decided to go with Joan "J.Q." Quezada as the starter instead of Arias, who believed he was being groomed for the role.
"I was a little disappointed," Arias said. "But deep inside, I knew it was the best thing for the team. I knew I was going to start on defense, so it wasn’t that bad. But everyone wants to be the quarterback. I love having the ball in my hands, controlling the game, the tempo."
"We just felt we would be a better team with J.Q. at quarterback," Marinez said. "Manauris was ready. I just think we were gifted to have two guys, but J.Q. was better suited for what we had."
As it turned out, the move worked to perfection. Quezada emerged as one of the best signal callers the Bulldogs have ever had and earned a scholarship to the University of Maine. Arias was a standout defensive back, earning All-Area honors.
And the Bulldogs enjoyed the best season in school’s history a year ago, winning nine games and advancing all the way to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV championship game.
At the end of last season, Arias knew that there were no longer any obstacles that would prevent him from finally becoming the starting quarterback. With Quezada in Maine, the show was all his.
"We were very happy with Manauris," Marinez said. "There wasn’t going to be any controversy or question. We knew he was going to be the man."
"I was ready for this year," Arias said. "I knew we all had to be ready."
So Arias was the one to make sure that the rest of the Bulldogs were diligent in attending off-season conditioning sessions.
"He’s a great work out person," Marinez said. "He knew that we weren’t going to be the biggest team around, so we had to be in great shape, in the best physical condition possible. He led by example throughout the summer."
"I don’t think of myself as being a leader," Arias said. "I think everyone knew their roles and what they were supposed to do. I just knew we had to be in better condition than any team we played."
When it came time for training camp, the 5-9, 170-pound senior was totally prepared for the challenge. He was in great shape and finally playing the position he was groomed to play.
"I never felt any pressure and never thought of it," Arias said. "I just wanted to play. I just wanted get on the field and show people that I could play. Because of my size, people never think I can be good enough to play. It’s a big shock to them when I get on the field."
After Arias led the Bulldogs to an impressive 40-14 win over Memorial in the season opener, the diminutive field general saved his best for the second game.
Last week, against Hudson Catholic, Arias passed for 123 yards and a touchdown in the air and added 80 yards and scoring three touchdowns himself on the ground, leading the Bulldogs to a 27-0 victory.
For his efforts, Arias has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Marinez said that he is never surprised with what Arias does on the field.
"I expect him to make plays," Marinez said. "Whenever we need a big play, Manauris is the one who does it. He gets the big play, the big yardage. I’m still waiting for the rest of the team to step it up and compliment him, but he’s doing so well. I still expect him to do even more, his passing to be better, his ability to run the option better. When that happens, the offense will open up even more."
While Marinez always had faith in his quarterback, Arias was a little nervous to begin the season. But not now.
"After the first game, I had more confidence," Arias said. "Now, I have even more confidence after the second game. But never in 100 years did I think I would do as much as I did. I thought the running backs would do most of the work. I love it. This game was a big confidence booster to me."
Marinez said that now Arias is making plays offensively, his defensive skills tend to get lost in the shuffle.
"But he’s been a three-year starter for us and he was our leading tackler last year," Marinez said. "We moved him to free safety this year. He first was a cornerback as a sophomore, then played strong safety last year. He’s a great physical specimen and there is very little that he cannot do. He’s just an awesome kid."
Arias is also a talented student as well. He takes honors classes at Emerson and has already attained a score of over 1000 in the Scholastic Aptitude Tests.
"I don’t want people to think I’m like the stereotypical dumb jock," Arias said. "It’s just not true."
While his collegiate plans are still up in the air – with the possibility of being recruited by NCAA Division I-AA schools as a defensive back – Arias knows that he would like to pursue a degree in either mathematics or engineering.
"I’d like to play in college," Arias said. "We have to see what happens."
Arias was then asked another question, one that he has heard thousands of times since he was a youngster: namely the origin of his unusual first name.
"I don’t know where it comes from," Arias said. "My mother said that she saw it on a soap opera once. Everyone asks me about it. It’s not a new question. It’s a weird name. When I first started playing, the coaches called me Lawrence. I didn’t care."
It’s safe to say that both the Emerson coaching staff _ as well as opposing coaching staffs throughout Hudson County – knows exactly who Manauris Arias is now.
"We’re just so lucky to have him as our leader," Marinez said. "I don’t have to call him the team captain. Everyone knows he’s the man."
That’s man, like in Man-auris Arias. – Jim Hague