Manchester Central football player Cody England speaks with a reporter during practice at Gill Stadium in Manchester on Aug. 25, 2025.
FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT
Manchester Central seniors have some answers * B3
THE MANCHESTER CENTRAL football team's seniors have the answers, coach Ryan Ray said.
Most of the 12 Little Green seniors have a lot of experience. Seniors Cody England (wide receiver/defensive end), Gibril Djuma (running back/defensive back) and Miguel Cruz (fullback/outside linebacker), for example, are each entering their third year of varsity football.
Ray is looking for his seniors to lead and show their younger teammates how to do things the right way.
"I feel like a lot of our seniors now didn't have a lot of answers three years ago," Ray said during a recent practice at Gill Stadium, "but now, three years later, they seem to have a lot of answers. They know what to expect."
Djuma said the Little Green have focused on building a positive atmosphere within the team following a difficult campaign. Central went 1-8 last NHIAA Division I season and has won five games over the past three years.
"The mood after games, practices after a huge loss just weren't it," Djuma said of last season. "We've been trying to fix that this year."
In preseason camp, there's been an emphasis on teamwork and being good teammates to one another.
"If somebody messes up, don't put them down," Cruz said. "Bring them up with you."
Central will be talkative on the field, Djuma said.
The Little Green are big on pre-snap communication to ensure everyone knows what they are doing. Ray often tells his players not everyone has to do the right thing but everyone has to do the same thing.
Even if a player does not know their assignment on a play, they need to run and hit, Cruz said.
England added it's important to go beyond just doing your job.
"You can't just make the block," England said. "If you make the block, you've got to keep going, try to get someone else, you know? Try to just keep going. Never stop."
Ray said the Little Green boast a lot of athleticism but lack depth.
"We do have a lot of starters and starting-caliber guys coming back but, after the first group, we get real young and real new quick," Ray said. "As long as we stay healthy, we should be able to be pretty competitive on a week-in, week-out basis."
Central will open the season on Friday night (6:30) at Nashua North, which is coming off a 2-6 campaign.
Central will need to adapt its game plan week to week. Ray said that the Little Green are not like Exeter, which has one style of play and approach that often leads to positive results.
"They've got enough kids and enough athletes that have done it for a long time that they don't have to change," Ray said. "We have to change and find answers every week."