Manhattan and Derby are an even 4-4 against one another since November of 2017, but not for long. The Indians will take on the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Manhattan is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 55-31 margin over Maize. Winning may never get old, but the Indians sure are getting used to it with their fifth in a row.
Kha'Mario Davis
| 10/17/25 vs Topeka | 160 |
| 09/05/25 vs Garden City | 128 |
| 10/31/25 vs Garden City | 104 |
| 11/14/25 vs Maize | 88 |
| 09/12/25 @ Lawrence Free State | 76 |
Manhattan's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ja'Marcus Vornes, who rushed for 76 yards and one score. Vornes got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 60 yards. Kha'Mario Davis helped out on the ground, rushing for 88 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Manhattan was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 332 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 153 rushing yards in eight consecutive games.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of JJ Dunnigan, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Derby faced Northwest in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Panthers breezed past the Grizzlies to the tune of 63-21. With the Panthers ahead 42-7 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Manhattan's record now sits at 9-2. As for Derby, their record is now 8-3.
Manhattan was able to grind out a solid victory over Derby in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, winning 31-21. Will the Indians repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
