It’s a proud moment in this family tree. Three area coaches’ teams are still alive in the postseason, and they all come from a coaching lineage that stretches back to J.W. Emerson, who led the Manhattan High football team from 1969 to 1975.
Before they coached their own teams, Rock Creek head coach Shane Sieben and Wamego head coach Weston Moody were assistants for MHS football coach Joe Schartz. And Schartz himself was on the staff of Butch Albright, who worked with Lew Lane, who worked with J.W. Emersen. All of the Manhattan coaches except Albright earned state crowns as head coach (though Albright got his teams two state title games twice).
