LAWRENCE— When Mike Yameen screams from the sideline to his defense, "House! House! House!" you'd expect sensational 290-pound freshman nose tackle Robert Hughes to answer, not the undersized linebacker behind him.
"It's a nickname I got when I was a little kid playing Pop Warner," said the Lancer junior in the middle, Steven Mannion. "When I was 8, I was like a little ball, short and 100 pounds, so I played with the older kids, because I couldn't make weight. They all called me 'House.' The name sticks, even today."
Since those pudgier times, Mannion has grown into his frame without any special diet.
"Just a lot of running and lifting and working out, I guess," he said.
A two-way starter for Lawrence at center and backer, Mannion hits more like a 5-foot-9, 194-pound train. Tonight at Veterans Memorial Stadium, he leads a defense up to the unenviable task of trying to stop high-powered Dracut in a key Merrimack Valley Conference small division clash.
Mannion may not be a senior, but he understands the gravity of this situation.
"We have to understand, it's all or nothing," said Mannion. "We win this one and Methuen next week becomes another huge game against a tough team. Dracut is all we can think about right now."
In Yameen's 3-5-3 scheme, the middle linebacker has to do much more than fill gaps, run sideline to sideline and assault ballcarriers.
"He has to recognize the formations and make the calls, too," said Yameen. "Steven's a tough, hard-nosed kid, and he's done a great job for us."
Mannion was forced into a football baptism by fire a year ago, when starter Edwin "Preacher" Vieira was lost to injury early in the season.
"Once I saw him get injured I got butterflies, I had no idea what I was doing," said Mannion,who also plays baseball in the spring. "I'm not going to lie, I was a lost dog. It was a big step. But (Vieira) helped me out a lot, and I just took advantage of what he and all the other seniors were trying to teach me."
These days, it's not Mannion's girth that people are noticing. It's his physical nature, and of course the mid-chest length hairstyle that he sports.
"I haven't really had a haircut in four years," said Mannion of the locks that flow freely out his helmet. "Back then, I was living in Florida for a while and got a real bad haircut. So I decided not to cut it anymore.
"I still trim the ends, but I'm going to leave it this long. The girls love it, and that's the main reason I'm keeping it."
Yameen, who goes with the totally shaved look up top, has no issues with Mannion's styling habits, just so long as he keeps making plays.
"Whatever it takes," said the coach.
Quick hits
A game of the magnitude of Whittier Tech and Manchester Essex deserves better than some meadow in Manchester By the Sea. Too bad the folks involved with Saturday afternoon's CAC showdown of large school unbeatens couldn't have done right by these athletes and found a field worthy and available.
At some point, what's best for the kids has to take precedence over all else. ...
Central Catholic and Methuen might be the one rivalry that supersedes all others when it comes to fierceness.
A huge chunk of the Raider roster always seems to hail from the city known as the town of Methuen. And while the numbers have waned in recent years, a trio of Central two-way starters — Zac Borrelli, Jaycob Morales and Trae Musumarra — could have all been Rangers.
The great part of tonight's 7 p.m. Nicholson Stadium collision is that there really isn't much at stake for either team. Next week's Central-Billerica and Methuen-Lawrence tilts remain much bigger when it comes to playoff implications.
Try telling that to the guys in the helmets tonight.
Central at Methuen truly has "Game of the Year" potential. ...
What kind of resistance will unbeaten Salem offer tonight when the Blue Devils host Manchester Central?
Considering that Londonderry High's playoff hopes hinge on a Salem win, the Lancers are hoping plenty.
Seriously, Salem has the No. 1 seed locked up already in the upcoming Division 1 playoffs.
"Are you kidding me?" said Salem coach Jack Gati. "Our kids are excited to play. Actually, it's a great game to play, headed into the playoffs. Central is playing well, they'e big up front, have some pretty good backs. Our guys are ready to play." ...
Talk about walking into a tough spot. North Andover travels to Wilmington tonight with each team's Cape Ann Large hopes hanging in the balance.
The Wildcats enter off a tough loss to Masconomet. You know Evan Butters and the boys will be a bit surly after the loss.
Time for North Andover to either step up and re-assert itself as a factor in the CAL or travel back to the pack.
Today's Games
Brooks at Nobles, 2 p.m.; Central Catholic at Methuen, 7 p.m.; Dracut at Lawrence, 7 p.m.; North Andover at Wilmington, 7 p.m.; Tewksbury at Haverhill, 7 p.m.; Timberlane at Alvirne, 7 p.m.; Manchester Central at Salem, 7 p.m.; Billerica at Andover, 7 p.m.
Tomorrow's Games
Greater Lawrence at Shawsheen Valley, 10:30 a.m.; Masconomet at Pentucket, 2 p.m.; Nashua North at Pinkerton, 2 p.m.; Georgetown at North Reading, 2:30 p.m.; Worcester Academy at Phillips Academy, 6 p.m.; Whittier at Manchester, 7 p.m.
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