By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural football, which played without injured senior quarterback John Hoytal, will quickly put Friday's 43-0 Centennial League home loss to Manhattan in the rearview mirror and turn all of its attention to the Class 6A postseason.
Washburn Rural junior Jadyn Baum tries to elude a Manhattan defender in Friday night's 43-0 Centennial League loss to the Indians at Bowen-Glaze Stadium. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues, who finished the regular season 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Centennial League, are likely to be the No. 7 6A West seed and receive a first-round home game next Friday when the playoff pairings are announced by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.
"It's time to get ready,'' Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "Now the do or die part comes in. We've got to lean on our seniors and they've been good leaders for us all year.''
Washburn Rural got a big break on the first play of the game when Manhattan fumbled the opening kickoff and the Junior Blues recovered the ball at the Indians' 26-yard-line. Manhattan then jumped offside to give Rural a 1st-and-5 situation at the Indians' 21, but the visitors came up with a big defensive stop to take over on downs at their own 15.
Just two plays later Manhattan reached the end zone on a 78-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Finn Watson to senior JJ Dunnigan and the Indians never looked back.
"You've got to build a little momentum when you have opportunities like that,'' Buhler said. "We didn't take advantage of it early in the game and then they take advantage on a quick-hitter, which takes all the wind out of your sails, so you're not only disappointed by not scoring but then you're disappointed about giving up seven really quick.
"It's a 14-point swing in a matter of seconds.''
Manhattan senior Brady Durtschi picked off a Gavin Vantuyl pass to stop Rural's next possession and the Indians turned the turnover into a 1-yard TD from junior Joseph Mortenson and added a two-point conversion to go in front 15-0.
Mortenson scored his second TD of the night on a 2-yard run at the 8:47 mark of the second quarter and Watson added a 1-yard score with 34 seconds left in the half to put the Indians in command, 29-0.
The Indians who limited Washburn Rural to 50 total yards, added two more touchdowns in the second half -- an 8-yard run from senior Kha'Mario Davis and a 1-yard Watson plunge -- to finish off the win, improving to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the league.
Watson finished the night with a game-high 136 rushing yards and went six of six passing for 149 yards to lead the Indians.
MANHATTAN 43, WASHBURN RURAL 0
Manhattan (6-2, 3-1) 15 14 14 0 -- 43
Washburn Rural (5-3, 2-2) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Manhattan -- Dunnigan 78 pass from Watson (Balderson kick)
Manhattan -- Mortenson 1 run (Davis run)
Manhattan -- Mortenson 2 run (Balderson kick)
Manhattan -- Watson 1 run (Balderson kick)
Manhattan -- Davis 8 run (Balderson kick)
Manhattan -- Watson 1 run (Balderson kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Manhattan: Watson 15-136, Kennedy 3-47, Davis 9-36, Mortenson 9-30, Klanderman 6-(minus)-4, Team 3-(minus)-5. Washburn Rural: Baum 13-24, Minikwu 7-16, Taylor 2-8, Lone 3-6, Oetting 2-(minus)-13, Vantuyl 4-(minus)-4.
Passing -- Manhattan: Watson 6-6-0, 149 yards. Washburn Rural: Vantuyl 2-8-1, 0 yards; Taylor 1-1-0, 3.
Receiving -- Manhattan: Dunningan 2-87, Middleton 2-39, Wassenberg 2-20. Washburn Rural: Roth 1-7, Auten 1-3, Selm 1-(minus)-7.
Punting -- Manhattan: Vikander 1-35-0. Washburn Rural: Vantuyl 5-27.4.
