<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2vC4Os_0w3v4B1u00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2vC4Os_0w3v4B1u00" width="1280" height="886" ><figcaption>Football: Bishop Eustace vs. Holy Cross Prep, Oct. 11, 2024</figcaption></figure>While basketball is his first love, football is his sport.At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Manny Doku brings an athletic element to the Holy Cross Prep football team. He can line up in the wildcat and use his speed and quickness to get outside. His length allows him to go up and pull down passes - on both sides of the ball as a receiver and defensive back.The senior also dabbles in the kicking game and punts.“Manny’s a special kid,” coach T.J. Maderia said. “You can’t teach what he’s got. And outside of that, he works extremely hard. He’s in the weight room all the time; he’s always on the field getting extra work in, running routes with after practice.“He knows the offense inside and out. He’s just a great kid to have in our organization on top of what he does with his God given abilities.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0DaiUP_0w3v4B1u00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0DaiUP_0w3v4B1u00" width="1280" height="935" ><figcaption>Manny Doku, 2, of Holy Cross Prep carries the ball during a football game against Bishop Eustace at Holy Cross Prep Academy in Delran, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media</figcaption></figure>Scoring a pair of touchdowns, Doku played a major role Friday night as Holy Cross Prep rolled to a 43-8 victory over visiting Bishop Eustace in a West Jersey Football League United Division matchup. Doku scored the game’s first touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Will Updike on the Lancers' first possession. He then added a 58-yard TD run with 8:40 left in the third quarter that extended the lead to 29-8.“What I bring to the table athletically is speed. I can also go up and catch balls,” Doku said. “I can make good reads.”On the ground, Doku finished with 116 yards and a score. He also caught five passes for 81 yards.Doku leads Holy Cross Prep (6-1) with 31 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns this season. Not too bad for a guy who spent the summer playing AAU basketball despite generating college interest for football.He listed Temple, Merrimack, Stonehill and Delaware State as potential landing spots.“I think playing basketball, especially here and for the basketball coaches that we have here, really has made Manny mentally tougher and that’s helped him on the football field,“ Maderia said.“On the football field, you face adversity all the time. When he came back, he was mentally a lot tougher.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1gPTPY_0w3v4B1u00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1gPTPY_0w3v4B1u00" width="1280" height="973" ><figcaption>Christian Shio, 7, of Holy Cross Prep runs the ball during a football game against Bishop Eustace at Holy Cross Prep Academy in Delran, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media</figcaption></figure>In addition to Doku, running back Christian Shio rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Updike finished 9-of-11 for 161 yards and two scores - all in the first half. Anthony D’Ambrosio had four catches for 94 yards and a score, while Vincent Gilliam rounded out the scoring with a 10-yard TD run.Anthony D’Ambrosio, Shio and Vincent DiAmbrosio each had a fumble recovery.For Bishop Eustace, Delano Mann accounted for the team’s lone touchdown with an 80-yard kickoff return. He also had an interception to close out the first half. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4MngeX_0w3v4B1u00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4MngeX_0w3v4B1u00" width="1280" height="855" ><figcaption>Will Updike, 15, of Holy Cross Prep throws a pass during a football game against Bishop Eustace at Holy Cross Prep Academy in Delran, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media</figcaption></figure>The Crusaders (5-2) were limited to 54 yards of total offense.Holy Cross rebounded from a 3-0 loss to Princeton last week with its highest scoring game of the season. The Lancers finished 4-5 overall a year ago.“It’s been our senior leadership,” Maderia said. “For four years, these kids have been waking up at five o’clock in the morning, going in and lifting. In the springtime, they’re out on the field hitting the sled. In the summertime, they’re showing up for OTAs and 7-on-7s.“When you do the little things in the offseason, good things just naturally happen. I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids to do it with."The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name,<a href="https://cb.sailthru.com/s/6fj/Newsletter_hs_sports">click here</a>.Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting <a href="https://www.nj.com/">NJ.com</a> with a subscription.Kevin Minnick covers the West Jersey Football League. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:kminnick@njadvancemedia.com">kminnick@njadvancemedia.com</a>. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) <a href="https://twitter.com/kminnicksports?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@kminnicksports</a></div></body>

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Doku plays big part as Holy Cross rolls to sixth win, downs Bishop Eustace

While basketball is his first love, football is his sport. At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Manny Doku brings an athletic element to the Holy Cross Prep football team. He can line up in the wildcat and use his speed and quickness to get outside. His length allows him to go up and pull down passes - on both sides of the ball as a receiver and defensive back.

Doku plays big part as Holy Cross rolls to sixth win, downs Bishop Eustace

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