The Manhattan High football team improved to 7-1 on the season and will be the 2-seeded team in the playoffs after a 28-24 win over Wichita Northwest to end the regular season. 

Since MHS started the season off 3-0 they went 4-1 the rest of the way with their only loss Washburn Rural 35-28.Going into the game against WNW both teams were 6-1 on the season fighting for the two seed in the West.

 In the first quarter Manhattan struggled to start the game going down 7-0 five minutes into the game. The offense for Manhattan was struggling to score in the first quarter but a strip-sack from senior linebacker Ian McNabb led to a scoop-and-score to tie the game at seven. In the second quarter the offense started to click for Manhattan with rushing touchdowns from junior Carter Aslin and senior Charles Morgan, taking a 21-10 lead at the half. 

“We started the game off slow and that’s something we have to fix for the later rounds in the playoffs,” Coach Joe Schartz said.

In the third both teams struggled to score until WNW scored with two minutes left in the quarter cutting their deficit down to five with a quarter to play. Five minutes into the fourth Aslin scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and extended the lead to 12. After the Aslin touchdown NW drove down the field and scored with six minutes left to play. After the touchdown Manhattan ran out the clock and won the game 28-24 taking the two seed in the West.

“We knew we had to win this game for a top seed in the playoffs so we all left it out on the field and now we have to translate it over to the playoffs next week,” Aslin said.

Manhattan’s next game will be against Wichita Southeast at Bishop Stadium on Oct. 27 on Friday.