Mulvane quarterback Manny Myers has led the Wildcats to a 5-1 start.
Mike Garza/Furious Sports Photography
Mulvane quarterback Manny Myers has led the Wildcats to a 5-1 start.

Myers’ influence strong as ever for Mulvane | South Central Kansas Football Standouts

10/14/2025 4:00:15 PM

By: Scott Paske, KSHSAA Covered

Mulvane senior Manny Myers has earned the label of dual-threat quarterback over three seasons as a starter for the Wildcats.
 
Yet Myers is on pace to throw just over half as many passes as he did a year ago, when he spun it for 1,264 yards during Mulvane’s 7-3 season.
 
And in the Wildcats’ somewhat surprising 34-3 homecoming victory over then-Class 4A No. 4 McPherson on Friday, it was Myers’ younger brother, Grady, who crossed the goal line four times in a 190-yard rushing performance.
 
The older Myers is happy to share the success and accolades, however, as Mulvane has started a season 5-1 for the second consecutive year. After toppling McPherson by a double-digit margin like they did on the road in 2024, Myers was pleased to spotlight a deserving group of Wildcats.
 
“Our linemen,” Myers said of a key to Mulvane’s 328-yard rushing performance against the Bullpups. “They do a great job every week, but last week they did everything perfectly.”
 
Myers hasn’t needed to go to the air as much this fall. After throwing nearly 17 passes per game as a junior, he has completed 30 of 56 this season for 352 yards and three touchdowns. One of the scoring passes went to Hudson Myers, Grady’s twin and another of Manny’s younger brothers.
 
Thanks to a veteran line that includes four returning starters among senior left tackle Nathan Maudlin, junior left guard Colter Light, senior center Rocky Heersche, senior right guard Gunner McGrew and senior right tackle KJ Schanz, the Wildcats are averaging 348.5 yards on the ground.
 
“We work on it in practice and there’s going to be a time where we’re going to have to throw it,” Mulvane coach Daniel Myears said. “But it’s also a good feeling when your five linemen are coming over and saying, ‘Let’s run it. Coach, you have to do this.’ I’m going to trust them and put it in their hands.”
 
Manny Myers has still flourished in Mulvane’s option offense, running for 766 yards and eight touchdowns through six games. That’s just off the team-leading pace set by Grady Myers, who was Manny’s top receiving target last season with 26 receptions.
 
Grady’s big game against McPherson raised his team-leading rushing totals to 828 yards and 12 touchdowns on 8.7 yards per carry.
 
“He’s just bringing another level of energy to what we do,” Manny Myers said. “He’s one of those guys who can go outside and go 70 yards down the sidelines or go up the middle and through your facemask. He’s balling out right now.”
 
It’s helped to have a steady hand at quarterback, where Manny Myers ran for a team-leading 1,372 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, giving him more than 2,600 yards of total offense. Myers contributed 119 rushing yards in 18 carries with a touchdown in the victory over McPherson. He also completed 3 of 5 passes for 35 yards.
 
“It’s worked out kind of just the way you would plan it,” Daniel Myears said. “When you start a sophomore, you know there’s going to be some bumps in the road. There were maybe a few runs near the goal line that he couldn’t finish, and we’d tell him, ‘Your senior year, you’re going to be finishing those.’
 
“Manny is mentally sharp too. I’ll call a play sometimes and forget something and he’ll say, ‘Don’t you mean this instead?’ He’s almost like a second coach on the field for me.”
 
Mulvane, which entered the Class 4A rankings at No. 5 this week, has won five consecutive games since a season-opening, 34-27 loss to Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III leader Buhler. The winning streak included a gut-check victory at Augusta in which the Wildcats trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter before rallying to win 26-23.
 
“Going into Augusta we knew they’re a really good team even though their record doesn’t really show it,” Manny Myers said. “The jumped out on us, but we fought back and learned a lot about ourselves. There’s no quit in this team and we’re going to fight as long as we have to.”
 
With remaining regular-season tests at home against Coffeyville and on the road at Winfield – a team the Wildcats lost to 42-21 a year ago – Myears said his team has focused on eliminating mistakes. Having a couple of the Myers brothers in his backfield has helped.
 
“We just have a great balance between those two,” Myears said. “Sometimes when a team looks to take Manny away, Grady has been able to step up. And when they look to take away Grady, Manny has been able to step in and do his thing. We’re honestly really blessed to have two kids like that.”

 
OTHER WEEK 6 FOOTBALL STANDOUTS
  • Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior Wyatt Sullenger ran for two touchdowns in a 21-point opening quarter to boost Class 4A’s top-ranked Crusaders to a 35-13 victory over Bishop Carroll. Sullenger scored on a 15-yard run in the first minute after Carroll fumbled the opening kickoff. He added a short touchdown run later in the quarter that helped Kapaun post its third consecutive victory over Carroll and improve to 6-0.
  • Wichita Southeast junior Kedrick Harrison ran 27 times for 143 yards and a touchdown in the host Golden Buffaloes’ 21-10 victory over Garden City. Quarterback Mack Obar added and 18-yard touchdown pass to his brother, Will, as Southeast improved to 4-2.
  • Wichita South senior Rashawn Johnson ran 22 times for 161 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion that lifted the visiting Titans to an 8-7 victory over Wichita Heights.
  • Maize remained Class 6A’s only unbeaten team, using three rushing touchdowns and a passing score from senior quarterback Brayden Myovela to defeat visiting Maize South 49-0. Junior Peace George added rushing and receiving touchdowns for the Eagles, No. 1 in 6A. Myovela completed 11 of 17 passes for 208 yards and added six carries for 106 yards. The Eagles limited Maize South to 98 yards of total offense.
  • Derby juniors Blade Clark and Michael Castillo connected on touchdown passes of 21, 48 and 8 yards as the Panthers improved to 4-2 with a 48-19 victory at Valley Center. Clark finished 11 of 18 for 256 yards and four touchdowns, while Castillo hauled in seven passes for 181 yards. Running back Arieus Finley added 15 carries for 202 yards and three scores.
  • Hutchinson senior Robert Hunter passed for 147 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 156 yards and another score as the Salthawks blanked Campus 42-0. Hunter completed 12 of 21 passes, connecting with junior Lamar Govain for touchdowns of 17 and 11 yards.
  • Salina Central continued its best start to a season since its 2005 state championship, improving to 6-0 with a 23-13 victory over Andover Central. Senior Cooper Reves ran 27 times for 203 yards and a touchdown, and junior quarterback Griffin Hall ran for 142 yards and a score, and hit Gannon Cole for a 41-yard touchdown.
  • Andover junior Pete Vega ran 32 times for 213 yards and two touchdowns, and his classmate, Will Quinn, added 182 yards of total offense as the host Trojans won their fourth straight with a 42-27 victory over Newton. Vega’s second touchdown, a 54-yard dash with 6:40 remaining, cushioned the Trojans’ lead to 35-20. Quinn, who had 15 carries for 126 yards, sealed the victory with his third TD, a 3-yard run with under three minutes to play.
  • Goddard junior Erik Olivas ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a 33-yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Brock Sullivan in the host Lions’ 34-27 victory over Salina South last Thursday. Sullivan added 126 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns as Goddard won its third straight to improve to 4-2.
  • Buhler quarterback Asher Zachary completed 7 of 8 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns as the Crusaders defeated El Dorado 63-6. Senior Ben Clouse added four touchdown runs, finishing with 56 yards on seven carries as Buhler improved to 4-2.
  • Eisenhower senior Brayden Pappas ran 29 times for 382 yards and five touchdowns as the Tigers got their second victory of the season, 49-21 over Arkansas City. Senior Eli Ribaudo passed for 180 yards and two scores for Eisenhower, both to senior Hayden Nall, who had six receptions for 104 yards. 
  • Andale quarterback Sam Harp completed all six of his passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, and added three touchdown runs in the Indians’ 68-0 victory over Smoky Valley. Harp connected on a 45-yard scoring pass to Noah Stanley for Andale, No. 1 in Class 3A. The Indians capitalized on three Smoky Valley turnovers with touchdowns to roll to their 19th consecutive victory.
  • Clearwater senior Dalton Wulf ran a fake punt 42 yards for a touchdown with two minutes remaining to help the Indians secure a 15-7 victory at Wichita Collegiate. Wulf’s touchdown helped Clearwater snap a three-game losing skid and gave the Indians their first victory over Collegiate since 2019.
  • Rose Hill used an effective ground game to defeat visiting Circle 42-12. KJ Jones had 14 carries for 194 yards and three touchdowns, while Kai Kirchhoff-Jones added seven carries for 158 yards and two scores.
  • Wellington continued its high-scoring ways, rolling up 536 yards of total offense in a 46-28 victory at Winfield. Senior Jalik Armstrong ran 17 times for 203 yards and four touchdowns, while sophomore Colton Elmore completed 16 of 31 passes for 212 yards and a pair of scores to sophomore Jackson Curry, who had seven receptions for 87 yards.
  • Cheney junior Colton Young scored second-half touchdowns runs of 6 and 26 yards to help the Cardinals pull away from Chaparral 34-7. Young finished with 18 carries for 135 yards. Quarterback Reece Tolar completed 14 of 25 passes for 204 yards and two scores as Cheney improved to 4-2.
  • Garden Plain senior Emrick Hays ran for 168 yards and three touchdowns, and led the Owls with eight tackles in a 37-0 victory at Kingman. Junior Jack Helten added a rushing touchdown for Garden Plain, which is 5-1.
  • Medicine Lodge junior Mavrik Inslee completed 16 of 24 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns as the host Indians defeated South Sumner County 47-21. Senior Zayne Keller had six receptions for 121 yards and two scores, and senior Braxx Farr ran nine times for 109 yards and two TDs for Medicine Lodge, which improved to 3-3.
  • Pratt seniors Cresten Pore and Arley Morrell led the Greenbacks’ offensive production in a 62-34 victory over visiting Phillipsburg. Pore completed 10 of 14 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns while running for 104 yards and two scores. Morrell caught nine passes for 173 yards and four TDs as Pratt won its fifth straight to move to 5-1. Sophomore Cade Liggett added 85 rushing yards and a pair of TDs as Pratt averaged 15.1 yards on 20 carries.
  • Hesston senior Blayne Wilson ran 18 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and added a fourth score on a 98-yard kickoff return in the host Swathers’ 66-34 victory over Wichita Trinity. Junior Jerick Humphreys completed 15 of 21 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, all to senior Daxon Deering, who had five catches for 161 yards.
  • Nickerson junior Rylan Morrell ran 24 times for 292 yards and four touchdowns as the host Panthers earned their first victory of the season, defeating Lyons 35-14. Senior Kristopher Monroe added 79 rushing yards and a touchdown for Nickerson, which snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season.
  • Caney Valley’s Austin Freisberg returned an interception for a touchdown on the third play of the game, the first of three defensive TDs by the visiting Bullpups in a 66-32 victory over Fredonia. Quarterback Layne Denney threw a pair of touchdown passes for Caney, which improved to 5-1.
  • Cherryvale’s Ethan Umbarger and Zaiden Rash scored on first-half touchdown runs and the visiting Chargers improved to 3-3 with a 28-6 victory over Galena.
  • Humboldt senior Mason Sterling ran 16 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the visiting Cubs’ 28-6 victory over Bluestem. Sterling also caught a 57-yard scoring pass from junior Gavin Gunderman, threw a 16-yard TD pass to sophomore Kolton Hanson and registered a team-high 14 tackles as Humboldt moved to 2-4.
  • Sterling seniors Zane Farney and Wyatt Newberry combined for six touchdown runs – five of at least 35 yards – as the Black Bears moved to 6-0 with a 46-20 victory over Conway Springs. Farney finished with 10 carries for 249 yards and Newberry added four carries for 161 yards as Sterling rolled up 462 rushing yards. Farney’s touchdowns covered 77, 35, 65 and 8 yards, while Newberry scored on runs of 88 and 64 yards.
  • Moundridge senior Paul Grill ran 13 times for 212 yards and a touchdown, and classmate Owen Colwell passed for 134 yards and two scores in the Wildcats’ 28-12 victory over Marion. Grill’s 97-yard TD run opened the scoring in the second quarter. Colwell followed with a 20-yard touchdown to Easton Shahan that gave Moundridge a 14-0 halftime lead, and a 13-yard TD to Heath Churchill in the fourth quarter.
  • Hutchinson Trinity’s Drew Dechant passed for two touchdowns and Luke Kerns ran for two in the visiting Celtics’ 26-0 victory over Ellinwood. Dechant, who finished with 163 yards, bookended TD passes of 31 yards to Bentyn Chastain and 46 yards to Kaid McElgunn around scoring runs of 47 yards and 1 yard by Kerns as Trinity improved to 5-1.
  • Ell-Saline senior Collin Dent caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Kas Kramer with 33 seconds remaining, then intercepted a pass in the end zone in the closing seconds of the host Cardinals’ 22-20 victory over Eight-Player I No. 2 Little River. Kramer added 13 carries for 47 yards and two rushing scores for Ell-Saline, which topped the Redskins by two points in District 3 play for the second straight year. Senior Reese Krone completed 13 of 19 passes for 185 yards for the Cardinals, who won their fifth straight to improve to 5-1.
  • Hutchinson Central Christian remained unbeaten with a 36-0 road victory over Argonia-Attica, as junior quarterback Luke Eigsti completed 15 of 19 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Eigsti also ran for a pair of scores, finishing with 12 carries for 41 yards. He also had one of the Cougars’ three interceptions.
  • Oxford junior Logan Gaither followed up a big performance in a Week 5 victory over Pratt-Skyline with 25 carries for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-6 victory at Kiowa County, improving the Wildcats to 6-0. Gaither added a 32-yard touchdown pass sophomore Dwayne Fountain, an interception and a fumble recovery. Senior Pearson Rush led Oxford’s defense with 13 tackles and three sacks.
  • Cedar Vale-Dexter junior Cooper Criss completed 15 of 22 passes for 320 yards and seven touchdowns in the Spartans’ 58-8 victory over Central-Burden. Senior Wyatt Martin had six receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns as Cedar Vale-Dexter moved to 5-1.
  • South Barber junior Austin Swonger accounted for 320 yards of total offense and all four touchdowns in the visiting Chieftains’ 25-21 victory over Ingalls. Swonger completed 13 of 28 passes for 173 yards, and ran for 147 yards on 10 carries in the battle of ranked Six Player teams. Sophomore Steele Smith hauled in two of Swonger’s touchdown passes and finished with three receptions for 62 yards.
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