With their season halfway over, the young Manhattan Boys soccer team has had a strong start to their season. 

The team, which is now 4-1-2, started their season on Aug. 30 at Bishop Stadium against Wichita Heights. They started off rough, with heights scoring one against the goal post, but they won that game respectively, with a score of 7-1. Juniors Ged Comiso and Carter Oehme each had a hat trick that game, though sophomore Ibrahim Alali was able to get one in to solidify the score.

“So I think the first 20 minutes were a little bit slow,” head coach Mike Sanchez said. “Maybe some nerves from the first home game, and we just kind of picked it up after half.”

The boys then played Seaman and Hutchinson, winning both, 3-0 against Seaman and 5-4 in PK shootouts against Hutch. 

Eventually, the team lost their winning streak, losing against Wichita East and Hays 2-3 each. The boys didn’t let this get to their spirits, as in their next game against Wichita South, they mercy ruled them. Oehme and junior Jimmy Ramirez got the majority of the goals, with Ramirez scoring 3 and Oehme 2.

The boys’ most recent game was on Sept. 17 was against Blue Valley West, a high standing team that is currently 4-2-1. 12 minutes into the game, BVW scored but the boys were not discouraged, as Ramirez was able to put one in with an assist from Oehme. After half, BVW was able to score, but yet again, the Indians followed with another goal from a PK earned from Oehme with senior Zac Thompson taking the kick. The match ended up going into extra time, though nothing new came from it and the game remained as a tie with 2 goals each.

“We came out good in the first half,” Oehme said about the game. “That’s like the first time this year we’ve done that, and I feel like that’s the key [why] we stayed in the game.”

The game was thought to be evenly matched, but the determination from the Indian was evident. 

“The amount of heart and passion that they played with,” Sanchez said. “That’s what we need, game in game out. To battle for each other.”