The Miller and Manship families gather at a family cookout.

Submitted photo

Sophomore Jack Miller runs the ball for Lapel while with a North Decatur opponent at his heels.

Brian Gill | For the Times-Post

Lapel coach Tim Miller.

Dalton Clark | For the Times-Post

Eli Manship.

Mike Brown | For the Times-Post

Luke Manship.

Mike Brown | For the Times-Post

LAPEL — To most, Friday night’s regular season football finale may just seem like a meeting between Eastern Hancock and Lapel.
For a few, it means much more.
It’s not just the Royals squaring off against the Bulldogs, it’s the Manships vs. the Millers.
Eastern Hancock brothers Eli and Luke Manship will be wearing blue and white, while lining up against them in black and gold will be their cousin Jack Miller and uncles Tim (head coach) and Todd (defensive coordinator) Miller.
“I would be lying to you if I said it didn’t affect Thanksgiving some years. We spend most of the season rooting for each other and hoping we both do well, and then in a three-week period we hope that we see each other twice,” Tim said. “The last few years, we’ve been two pretty evenly matched teams. You want to win any game, but now with there being two Manship boys and my own son, it means even more.”
In the stands — or behind the end zone — will be a group of family members trying to be as neutral as possible.
“It’s probably hardest on my dad (Tom) because he doesn’t want to be partial to either side. He pretty much rotates week to week between Lapel and Eastern Hancock games,” Tim said. “There will be a pretty large family contingent there on Friday for this one.”
Tom Miller and his wife, Marciann, will be in their typical spot behind an end zone rooting on their grandchildren and sons during Friday night’s family clash.
“My wife and I make it a point to sit right square in the back of the end zone with chairs so that we’re not on either side,” Tom said.
The family grew up in Hancock County and graduated from Mt. Vernon High School, and while Tim and Todd moved on to coach at Lapel, their sister, Libby, stayed in Hancock County with her husband, Mike Manship, whom she met at Mt. Vernon.
“My sister and brother-in-law selfishly would not move to Lapel and bring their boys with them. I questioned them on that one,” Tim said. “We take trips together, though; we were all at the lake together this summer, and we always talk about the games that we’ve played against each other and will play against each other. That piece of it is a lot of fun.”
The family ties to football also begin at Mt. Vernon where Tom, Tim and Todd all played.
“I think too, me, Luke and Jack are always trying to compare ourselves to what Tim, Todd and our grandpa did at Mt. Vernon,” Eli said. “We’re trying to be just as good as them, and that’s something we talk about all the time. It goes back a long way.”
Since taking over the Lapel football program in 2012, Tim has won four sectional championships and a school-record 80 games. In 2022, he knocked out the Royals — and his nephew — in the sectional en route to a championship, and last year the Royals — and Eli — returned the favor, defeating the Bulldogs in the opening round on their way to winning the sectional.
“That Thanksgiving, I may have worn a sectional championship shirt and I may have thrown some bragging rights at them, but at the end of the day it’s just a game. We all love each other, and that family bond can’t be broken,” Eli said. “We’ll remember these games forever.”
The oldest of the kids playing in the game, Eli has faced Lapel four times. Last year was his first time playing against his cousin Jack, and now this season his brother Luke will be a part of the game.
“I’m excited,” Luke said. “It’s definitely going to be different playing against my cousin and uncles, but definitely looking forward to it, for sure.”
The three children aren’t just taking up spots on the team’s rosters, either; they are all major pieces of their teams’ success.
Jack is the starting running back for Lapel and has rushed for 749 yards and nine touchdowns this season and has caught 11 passes for 158 yards and a score.
For Eastern Hancock, the Manship brothers are first and second on the team in receptions. Eli has caught a team-high 35 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns, while Luke has hauled in 21 passes for 279 yards and one score. Both see time on the defensive side of the ball as well for the Royals.
“It definitely adds a piece to it. We find ways to get the film during the year because we want to keep up with how they’re playing. We tend not to text each other about things, but Todd will text me and say something like ‘go watch clip 72 of this game, Eli or Luke made a big catch or a big play,’” Tim said. “Two of them being involved adds another element because the last two years it was just Eli.”
As defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs, Todd has the unique task of game planning to stop his nephews. In the two meetings last year, Eli went for 53 yards and 73 yards.
“It is a little weird because I’ll line up at receiver next to their sideline and Todd is right there calling the defense to try and stop me and our offense. A basic word, but the best word for it, is that it’s just different. I have to still go out there with my team, and we all have to do our job, but personally, in that game, I know way more than my teammates do,” Eli said. “Not every player has uncles and cousins that they’re going against. It’s a different mindset that you have to have for sure, but there’s still a goal to accomplish out there.”
That goal this season for the two teams is to end the season strong as they enter postseason play. Both the Bulldogs and Royals sit at 5-3 on the season and will have tough first-round sectional matchups against Northeastern and Centerville, respectively.
With wins, the family members would meet each other again in the semifinal.
“Within Eastern Hancock schools, Lapel has always been a big game and kind of a rivalry. Then you bring our family into it too and it’s neat to see. We’re always proud of Tim, Todd, Jack and all their accomplishments, and I know they’re proud of us,” Eli said. “We didn’t really want to draw them this year, though, because we’ve played them two straight years in the sectional.”
While on the field, things are business as usual, it doesn’t take long for everyone involved to go back to being normal family members.
“It’s one big unhappy family on the night they play each other,” Tom said laughingly. “They all get along well together, though; that’s the good thing. They’ve grown up together and have grown up around sports, both in the family and outside of it. We’re all not far apart, and I live about halfway in between each school. We get together for the typical summer cookout and on holidays. For me, it’s a delight that they can compete hard and then shake hands after the game and come to Christmas or Thanksgiving and all still get along.”
Those family gatherings — as would be expected — are filled with conversations about all types of football.
“We love talking football when we’re together. Even for some family pictures we’ve brought our Lapel and Eastern Hancock jerseys with us to wear. During the season we try not to talk about each other’s teams, but we definitely talk about other teams, and that’s always awesome,” Eli said. “That family aspect brings a lot more to the game, and we embrace it fully. Whether it’s fantasy football or backyard football at the holidays, it’s always great to talk football with them.”
The Royals and Bulldogs play Friday at 7 p.m. at Eastern Hancock.