By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Friday night will mark the 27th annual Bird Bowl.
Junior Hayden Mann will hit the field for his second Bird Bowl, but the rivalry is something the offensive tackle has grown up knowing.
“I’ve been around the Bird Bowl for a while,” Mann said. “It is not really what this game means to me, but to the team. This is the time to come together, and we are a family. We are stuck like glue.”
Mann’s first Bird Bowl came when he was in first grade, the year he began his football career.
“It means everything to me to be a Cardinal. This is something I have waited for my whole life,” Mann said. “Ever since I was in first grade, that was when I saw my first Bird Bowl. I didn’t think of it much back then, and I didn’t know any of the players’ names. Seeing that game is what really got me connected to football.”
Mann’s older brother, Dalton, who played for Harlingen High, graduated last spring. Dalton is attending Texas A&M University in College Station but still keeps in contact with his younger brother.
“I have some big shoes to fill, and they expect a lot out of me,” Mann said. “I still talk to my brother, of course, and he’ll give me some advice on the game. I know some people over at South, but I’m not talking to them this week. But it is a fun week.”
Mann has filled in well at the right tackle position and has flourished on a seasoned offensive line.
“This is the most fun I have had,” Mann said. “I feel connected with everyone, the coaches are like a father figure to me. Protecting the blind side is tough. It is a bit stressful because our guys scramble, but we get it done.”
Harlingen High will look to make it 11 straight wins against Harlingen South come Friday night. The last Hawks win was in 2007, when South won its second straight Bird Bowl.