TOPEKA — After jumping to a 14-0 lead over Hayden in the second quarter, Manhattan High lost momentum and struggled to ever take it back in a 21-14 loss to the Wildcats Friday night.
Led by running back Connor Schumacher’s outstanding performance, Hayden controlled the clock, and thus took control of a game that was physical from the opening snap.
“Our defense played a fantastic game and we didn’t give up many big plays, but we couldn’t bring Schumacher down when we needed to,” MHS coach Joe Schartz said.
Manhattan, who entered the game without having trailed yet this season, got off to another great start against the Wildcats. Taking advantage of good field position, the Indians led 14-0 early in the second quarter on short touchdown runs by Ian Trapp and Blake Wewer.
From that point on, Hayden used timely conversions on third and fourth downs to extend drives and get back in the game.
On the final play of the first half, Hayden quarterback Dallas Crittenden completed a shuttle pass to Schumacher, who broke several tackles and reversed field multiple times in a 45-yard touchdown to potentially tie the game. The Wildcats missed the extra point, but took momentum to the locker room, only down 14-13.
“That drive is when the game changed for us,” Schartz said. “You have to give a lot of credit to them for playing hard and making plays at the right time.”
In the second half, Manhattan just couldn’t get out of its own way. The Indians committed two turnovers, the second on a muffed punt near midfield with 8:14 left in the game.
Crittenden plunged in from two yards out with 5:26 to play and Schumacher added a two-point conversion to put the Wildcats up 21-14.
On the ensuing drive, Trapp led the Tribe to the red zone, but his fourth-down pass fell incomplete at the Hayden nine yard line.
Schumacher finished the game with 91 rushing yards and 68 receiving yards for Hayden, while Trapp led Manhattan with 56 rushing yards and 83 through the air.
MHS is now 2-1 on the season and are on the road again next week to face Highland Park.
“This week, we weren’t able to answer the call against a good football team,” Schartz said. “We need to have the resolve to get better, because we have a lot of good football teams left on the schedule.”
