Manhattan’s defense is not loaded with 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive linemen or 220-pound linebackers. But that hasn’t stopped the Indians from boasting one of the top defenses in Class 6A.
The Indians have allowed only 73 points (10.4 per game), which is the fewest points allowed by the 32 teams in 6A. Manhattan has held opponents to one touchdown or fewer in five of seven games. In last week’s win against Topeka High, Manhattan limited the Trojans to seven points. Topeka averaged 42.5 points over its first six games.
“The real story of our entire year is our defense,” Manhattan coach Joe Schartz said. “We’re super tiny. I call them the ‘mighty mites.’ They just play really hard. We have good speed on defense, but we’re overmatched size-wise every game … We’ve been able to do what we’ve done because of our defense.”
Manhattan (6-1, 1-0 Class 6A District 5) will turn to its defense again when it faces an explosive Washburn Rural (5-2, 0-1 district) offense that has scored at least 35 points in each of its past four games. The district showdown at Washburn Rural will be featured on Friday Night Live, which will be televised statewide on Kansas Cox 22 at 7 p.m.
The Indians have won their past six games, but the season started with a 26-21 loss to 5A’s Mill Valley. Since then, Manhattan has flourished – especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Indians followed the season-opening loss with a gritty 6-3 win over Emporia.
“We underperformed,” Schartz said of the game against Mill Valley. “I think our kids felt like we were going to be pretty good this year, but we weren’t able to put it all together in the first game. We bounced back and showed a lot of fight against an Emporia team to win 6-3.”
Manhattan has appeared to show improvement each week. The Indians followed the win against Emporia with a 19-7 victory against Topeka Seaman, then earned routs against Topeka Highland Park, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West.
Last week’s 22-7 win over previously undefeated Topeka High put the Indians in the driver’s seat to win the district. Manhattan forced the Trojans to commit four turnovers and limited Topeka High’s passing game to one completion for six yards.
Manhattan also has made improvement offensively. Wide receiver Bret Fehr has emerged as a dual threat, rushing for 100 yards on five carries and catching three passes for 42 yards against Topeka High. Fehr is a three-sport athlete who has committed to play baseball at Wichita State. Quarterback Kellen Myers was efficient, completing 11 of 16 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns against the Trojans.
However, the Indians know they still have a long ways to go before they can call themselves district champions. The evenly-matched district, which also includes Junction City, boasts four teams with at least five victories.
“It’s a battle every year,” Schartz said. “There are four quality programs in this district. You just never know what’s going to happen year in and year out.”
After last week’s 42-35 loss to Junction City, Washburn Rural has to approach the meeting against Manhattan as a must-win game.
“We’ve got to win our last two is the way we’re looking at it,” Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said.
Buhler, the former Rossville coach, has enjoyed some success in his first season with the Junior Blues. Five consecutive wins were sandwiched between a season-opening loss to Blue Valley West and last week’s defeat to Junction City.
Junior quarterback Blake Peterson directs the Junior Blues offense. He has passed for 806 yards with five touchdowns and has rushed for 550 yards with eight touchdowns. Senior running back Michael Singer has rushed for 784 yards. The line features 6-4, 295-pound Earl Mariner, who has committed to play at BYU.
Washburn Rural will have a size advantage against Manhattan, but still knows it will be a difficult challenge.
“They are not as big as Manhattan teams have gone in the past, especially on the defensive front,” Buhler said. “But they’re very strong physically … They run really well as a group. They’re well coached as far as techniques.”
The game will be re-broadcast at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 and at 7 p.m. Oct. 31.
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