In its last home game of the season last Thursday, the Manhattan High soccer team came out to win. They defeated Hutchinson to once again become champions of the region in a 1-0 victory at Bishop Stadium. Senior Ben Turnley scored the winning, and only, goal of the game after a ball that was crossed from a free kick was lost in the opponent’s box.

“It kind of just happened. Whatever the team needed, I was going to be there,” Turnley said.

After the goal, the match would go scoreless for the remaining 70 minutes of the game leaving the Indians as Regional champions.

After the game, the team would celebrate ecstatically on the pitch, especially the fourteen seniors who waved goodbye to Bishop Stadium as the Indians will not play at home for the rest of the playoffs.  

“It’s a crazy experience, we’ve all been together since we were about ten and to go through everything together was great” senior goalkeeper Wes Whitney said.

The Indians will now play rivals Washburn for the second time this season in the round of Sub-State.
“It happens every year. It’s always a good game and we’re ready to bring it,” junior defender Conall Root said.

In the past two years, both MHS and Washburn have knocked each other out of the playoffs.

“It’s a huge game every year. We knocked them out in 2013 and they knocked us out last year so, we’re up again in 2015,” head coach Frank Alonso said.

Manhattan’s only home loss of the season came at the hands of Washburn in a 4-2 loss earlier this season.

“Every time when we come out [against Washburn], we always come out overhyped and we don’t play our game so we just need to get out there and bully them.” Root said. “ We need to relax. We’re freaking out everytime we get on the field, we’re not playing composed, we’re not playing they way we’re supposed to play. We’re lucky we even got the first goal, but we got the win and that’s all that matters,”

The Indians will travel to play Washburn today to decide which team will move on to State.