Even with the playoffs out of the question, the Manhattan High football team finished its 2014 campaign with flair. The Indians marched into Topeka Friday night and routed Washburn Rural, 45-23, and clinched a share of the Centennial League title. Senior Chris Martin finished the game with five total touchdowns: four rushing and one receiving.

“[Martin] had a fantastic game,” head coach Joe Schartz said. “It’s something he’s always going to remember. Chris has been extremely important to us the entire year, offensively and defensively.”

Martin said he has appreciated what the MHS football program has meant to him.

“We came in Monday [and did] up-downs, and everybody usually hates up-downs, but I got choked up a little bit and teary-eyed. Like, ‘the last up-downs ever,’” Martin said. “To come out with a victory and to be with my senior class that I’ve come so close with feels really, really nice. Words can’t really describe it.”

The Manhattan defense forced the WR offense into a three-and-out on its first possession and capitalized on the other end. Martin got into the endzone on a one-yard run, his first score of the night.

“Our offensive line was working [Washburn Rural] pretty well,” Martin said. “Our speed kicked in and they couldn’t really handle it at times.”

After a Joe Trujillo field goal to widen the Indians’ advantage to 10-0, senior Eric Prockish completed a 41-yard pass to set up Manhattan within the Junior Blues’ five-yard line. Martin capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to put MHS up 17-0.

The next three drives featured a lot of points. The Junior Blues got on the board with a 90-yard touchdown pass from Blake Peterson to E’Laja Steele. However, the Indians followed the touchdown drive with one of their own. Sophomore Keadrian McDonald hauled in a one-handed, 26-yard screen pass that resulted in six points, only to be countered with a WR touchdown pass as time expired in the first half. Manhattan led at halftime, 24-14.

The second half saw drives stall for both teams, but Martin put Manhattan up 31-14 with a 36-yard touchdown run on the Indians’ second drive of the half.

“The offensive line stepped up big,” Martin said. “There [were] a whole bunch of holes. Everybody was talking about that we wanted to be ready, ready, ready.”

Washburn Rural would go on to score on a 12-yard touchdown before Prockish completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Martin to put the Indians up, 38-20.

“On that catch, when I broke the tackle, I was like, ‘I’m about to get hit,’ and I turned back around and I saw D’Angelo [Gray] crack him,” Martin said. “I give D’Angelo props because if D’Angelo wouldn’t have cracked that dude I would have been tackled right there.”

Martin continued his stat-stuffing night on the defensive side of the ball at the beginning of the final period. The senior intercepted Peterson and later scored on a one-yard touchdown run on the ensuing MHS drive. Manhattan led 45-20 before Washburn’s Perry Schmiedeler split the uprights with a 19-yard field goal, ending the contest at 45-23.

Prockish felt strongly about his last game in a Manhattan uniform.

“It’s crazy,” Prockish said. “It’s not about me at all, really. It’s about the team. It was really emotional getting in the locker room. Overwhelming, really, realizing this is the last time you’re going to be with your brothers and be out there on the field.”

The Indians finish the season 7-2 with a share of the Centennial League title for the sixth-straight year.