Very few high school athletes have the opportunity to play on a team coached by their own parent. That number dwindles when some parents say they don't want to coach their child because they know he or she can receive a better education at another school.
That is the case of Shady Side Academy senior tailback Louis "Manny" Berry IV. His dad is the head coach at University Prep in the city but Manny has been attending Shady Side since he was in sixth grade.
"My parents knew how good of a school Shady Side Academy was so they wanted me to stay," said Berry, a Stanton Heights resident. "It wasn't too tough of a decision."
After finishing the regular season 6-3 in the Allegheny Conference in Class AA, the Indians have qualified for the WPIAL Class AA playoffs. They will play at Mount Pleasant (7-2, 7-1), the Interstate Conference runner-up, at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Once he entered high school, Berry supplanted himself as one of the go-to guys in coach Dave Havern's system.
"He has played since his freshman year," Havern said. "I don't think he got a minute of JV ball. He is a rugged kid and good football player. He is such an athlete and smart player that we can put him anywhere."
Like many 5-foot-7, 156-pound athletes, Berry has had to face his entire high school career with people telling him he can't make it to the next level due to his size.
"The heart I play with," Berry said about what he takes pride in the most. "As long as I take pride in what I do then I will earn the respect. Most teams don't respect me because of my size."
Based on his career numbers, most if not all teams should have Berry on their radar. This season alone, he is seventh in Class AA with 1,062 rushing yards on 81 carries and 14 touchdowns. His 13.2 yards per carry is the highest among all rushers in the top 10 in that category.
"He always was a great athlete but he worked hard in the weight room," Havern said. "He is a small guy. He will try to make things happen once in awhile but he has done well with maturing and his discipline."
The biggest reason for his success is the speed and quickness he possesses on the field.
"We have had some fast guys at Shady Side but he is different," Havern said. "He is a different speed. He has an amazing burst. He places in national [track] meets. He is not just a speed guy, he is a football player. He is at full speed by his second step.
"He is one of the fastest guys I have ever seen on the football field and I have been doing this for a while."
Berry attributes his speed to his track career.
"I have been getting more looks in football than track," Berry said. "I would like to play football in college. The main reason I did track is to get better in football."
Berry will be heading into the WPIAL playoffs this Friday after arguably one of his greatest games of the year, albeit it coming in a 41-36 loss at undefeated Highlands.
Berry scored three rushing touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Golden Rams.
"He shows up in big games," Havern said. "We are eight points from being 8-1. The conference is a tough conference. He had some big games. It was a real good game [against Highlands] by anyone's standards."
First Published: October 30, 2014, 4:00 a.m.
