Manhattan High wins 1st state football title since 1988
Kansas State High School Activities Association
Manhattan High is back atop the Kansas high school football mountain after nearly 35 years, but it took a lot of work to get back up that hill.
MHS won the Class 6A state title Saturday at Emporia State’s Welch Stadium after defeating Gardner-Edgerton, 21-20 in double overtime. MHS capped off a perfect 13-0 season, while the Blazers finished the year at 9-4.
It marked the first time Manhattan High won a state title since 1988. The school also won a state title in 1974.
In 5A, Mlil Valley won another title after dropping Maize, 28-14, and handing the Eagles their only loss of the year. Both teams finished the 2022 campaign at 12-1. Mill Valley won its fourth straight state title after Saturday’s victory. The program also won titles in 2015 and 2016.
The 4A title game saw another private school in the Kansas City metro area claiming the big prize. Bishop Miege won, 35-14, against Wamego at Topeka’s Hummer Sports Park. Miege capped off its year with an 11-2 record, while Wamego went 12-1, it’s only blemish of course being the championship defeat to Miege.
Miege won its first title since 2019, which was the last in a string of six straight titles. Another KC metro private school, St. James Academy won titles in 2021 and 2022.
Andale secured another state title in Class 3A after blanking Holton, 28-0. AHS finished the year at 13-0, while Holton went 11-2 as runner-up. Andale has now won seven straight state titles.
Another undefeated team was victorious at the 2A level after Nemaha Central dropped Kingman, 33-17, in a battle of unbeatens at Salina District Stadium. NCHS went 13-0, while Kingman was 12-1. Nemaha Central also won a title in 2019.
In Class 1A, St. Marys (11-2) outlasted Inman (11-2) by a 44-41 score. That championship took place at Fort Hays State University’s Lewis Field and marked the Bears’ first-ever state title in football.
In Class 8-Player Division I, Wichita County capped off a 13-0 season with a 54-36 victory against Little River (11-2) at Newton’s Fischer Field for WCHS’ first-ever state title.
Axtell had another undefeated season at 13-0 with a 76-28 victory against Thunder Ridge (11-2) at Fischer Field. The Eagles won their second straight state title. AHS also won a title in 1993.
And in 6-Player, Cunningham also finished a perfect 13-0 after defeating Ashland (10-2) by a 38-16 advantage.