Varsity football produces electrifying win in overtime

Cole Schmitt, Staff Writer

After a 14-point scoring spree from Topeka High in Friday’s Varsity football game, Manhattan came back to tie it late in the fourth quarter and eventually won by one on the last plays of the game in overtime.

“The key there was the key to the entire game,” Head Coach Joe Schartz said. “Never quitting. Our kids hustled across the field and did just enough to stop him short.”

Topeka High (1-1) scored a touchdown in overtime to put the score at 21-20 favoring Manhattan (2-0). They had a chance to win the ballgame by going for a two-point conversion. Topeka’s running back went left first, with nowhere to go. He then crossed the entire field and Manhattan’s defense stopped him on the one yard line.

Topeka had the first say in the game going up 6-0 after a quarterback sneak for a one-yard touchdown. In the second half Topeka ran a run option pass, in which the running back received the ball from the quarterback and threw it 63 yards to a wide receiver for a touchdown.

In the third quarter sophomore Dayne Aschenbrenner dropped back to pass and delivered a 31-yard pass to senior Chace McIlvaine to set up Isiah Childs for a two-yard touchdown run.

Topeka High responded well by going down the field and scoring a touchdown that would have put them up 20-6 if not for the illegal procedure by them. They would start again from the MHS seven-yard line with first and goal and this time with a different outcome.

“It was huge,” Defensive Coordinator Adam O’Neil said. “It kept the points off the board.”

Topeka High threw the ball into the endzone and MHS defender Nathaniel Hanson came up with an interception to give the ball back to the offense. Later in the fourth quarter MHS went down the field and leveled the game at 14-14 from a Kevontae McDonald touchdown run. Soon after the game would be decided in overtime.

High school football overtime rules are each team gets the ball once from the 10-yard line, team with the most points after wins the game, if both are tied do it over again.

Manhattan would get the ball first and score quickly and easily off a Childs touchdown run to put the Indians up 21-14. Next up Topeka High scored a touchdown and would go for two to decide the ball game. The rest is history.

“Trust is a must,” Schartz said, “You have to trust in your training, you have to trust in your technique, you have to trust in your teammates, and you never quit. The kids did that tonight and we were able to pull out a victory.”

Manhattan (2-0) goes on the road Friday to take on Seaman (2-0).

This online exclusive story is written as an assignment for 21st Century Journalism, Manhattan High’s introductory journalism class.