Northwest is 0-5 against Manhattan since October of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Grizzlies will welcome the Indians at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Northwest is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 76-7 victory over West. Given the Grizzlies' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Pioneers are ranked 162nd) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Augie Fast
| 10/03/25 @ West | 4 |
| 09/26/25 @ Kapaun Mt. Carmel | 2 |
| 09/19/25 @ Junction City | 1 |
| 09/12/25 vs East | 3 |
| 09/05/25 vs Bishop Carroll | 3 |
| + 4 more games |
Northwest's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Augie Fast led the charge by rushing for 91 yards and four scores on only nine carries. That's the most rushing touchdowns Fast has posted since back in October of 2024. Jaylen Mason was another key passer, throwing for 186 yards and four touchdowns on only 13 passes.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Jaelynn Ligon, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Manhattan's strategy against Emporia on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Indians blew the Spartans out of the water with a 41-6 final score. With the Indians ahead 27-6 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Northwest better focus on containing EJ Massenburg and Finn Watson as the pair were huge in Manhattan's win. Massenburg rushed for 141 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 8.8 yards per carry, while Watson rushed for 39 yards and a pair of scores.
Manhattan was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 321 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Manhattan's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. Max Evans-Pryor refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Another thorn in Emporia's side was Evans-Pryor, who picked up 1.5 sacks, forced two fumbles, and made 13 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Manhattan's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Northwest, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 4-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Northwest has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 276.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Manhattan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 240 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Northwest might still be hurting after the 49-28 loss they got from Manhattan when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Thankfully for the Grizzlies, Carter Aslin (who threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns on only 18 passes, and also rushed for 112 yards and one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
