The Derby Panthers had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Manhattan 23-21. The win was familiar territory for Derby who now have ten in a row.
Derby can attribute much of their success to Braxton Clark, who threw for 288 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.5 yards per attempt, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Derby also got help from Colton Ruedy who showed off his sure hands for 108 receiving yards.
Manhattan's lost on Friday despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Jaydin Hudley, who rushed for 110 yards. Hudley was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 52 yards. Another player making a difference was Carter Aslin, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Derby pushed their record up to 10-1 with that win, which was their fourth straight on the road. As for Manhattan, their loss ended a 14-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 9-2.
Derby will square off against Washburn Rural at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Kansas (Washburn Rural is ranked eighth, while Derby is ranked fifth). Manhattan does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
