OHS Sailor competes in Offense-Defense Bowl

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Oceanside High School sophomore Edward Mannone participated in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia last month, which features standout football players across a variety of age groups.

The 11th annual Bowl Week was a weeklong series of events, including awards dinners, press conferences, a youth football convention and a coach’s clinic. The game was streamed live on YouTube.

Mannone, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound underclassman doubles as a running back and linebacker for the Sailors’ junior varsity team. He attended the Offense-Defense football camp at Long Island University’s Post campus last summer, where he was named Most Valuable Player for linebacker.

The recognition allowed him to suit up on the defensive side of the ball during the December event, as Mannone recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter of a close game that his team would end up losing, 14-8.

“It felt amazing,” Mannone said. “I jumped up, handed [the ball] to the ref, went to the sideline and celebrated.”

The high schooler said he hopes to play football at a Division I program, adding that Florida University would be his dream school. Playing with athletes from different states provided a new perspective, Mannone said. “It was interesting to see how different people played, gave me a challenge…and also helped me to push myself to be better.”