EMPORIA — One year after heartbreak, Manhattan finally got its redemption.
Fueled by last season’s narrow championship loss to Gardner-Edgerton, the Indians returned to the Class 6A title game with purpose — and left no doubt. Behind a dominant defensive performance and a standout outing from quarterback Finn Watson, Manhattan rolled past Olathe Northwest 27-0 on Saturday at Emporia State University to claim its first state championship since 2022.
The shutout victory capped an 11-2 season defined by resilience. Manhattan battled injuries throughout the middle of the schedule — the stretch that produced its only two losses — but once the roster healed, the Indians surged into the postseason looking like their old selves.
“We got healthy and then we just got hot at the right time in the playoffs,” Watson said. “With it being my senior year and last time playing football, this is just an amazing experience, especially after coming here and coming up short last year.”
Watson made sure Manhattan didn’t leave Emporia empty-handed again. The senior accounted for four scores on the ground and through the air, while Miami commit J.J. Dunnigan delivered a championship-worthy performance with three catches for 111 yards and a pair of spectacular touchdowns.
Manhattan's J.J. Dunnigan keeps his eye on a tipped pass that landed in his arms and ended in a 50-yard touchdown pass early in the second half Saturday in Emporia.
The two connected on a momentum-swinging 68-yard catch-and-run just before halftime, giving Manhattan a 14-0 lead. Coming out of the break — with the wind at their backs — they struck again. Watson floated a deep ball toward the end zone, and Dunnigan fought off a defender, tipping the ball to himself before securing the catch and slicing into the end zone for a 50-yard score.
“It means a lot to me,” Dunnigan said. “We lost last year and we came up big with this group. Finn played great today. I am so proud of him.”
It was those two touchdowns plays that turned the tide for the Indians as the two teams battled the wind and cold that afternoon.
“We wanted to see how they would align with that formation on the play before half,” Schartz said. “They aligned liked we thought they would in the bunch formation. We were able to get the ball to JJ, and he did the rest. At halftime, we talked about doing some play action passes and taking a shot with him with the wind and he made a great play on that ball.”
Manhattan quarterback Finn Watson stretches the ball across the goalline for game-sealing touchdown Saturday against Olathe Northwest. Watson had four total touchdowns on the day.
Those touchdowns were more than enough for the Manhattan defense as it held Olathe Northwest, making its first-ever state title appearance, to just 132 total yards and only 49 rushing yards on 29 attempts.
Maximus-Evans Pryor led the Indians’ defense with 12 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, while Brady Durtschi had eight tackles and a first half interception.
“We have the best defense in the entire state,” Watson said. “As long as our defense is playing well, we can hang with anyone.”
Head coach Joe Schartz praised a unit that carried Manhattan through much of the fall — and secured the program’s fourth state championship.
Manhattan's Maximus Evans-Pryor celebrates a big stop Saturday during the Class 6A state championship in Emporia.
“Our defense played really well and to get that shutout was huge for us,” Schartz said. “Once we got the lead we were able to milk the clock and keep the ball away from them, and getting the lead was key.”
Watson finished with 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, and added 118 yards through the air. Manhattan finished without a single punt.
The Indians embraced the cold, windy conditions as part of their identity.
“We knew we had to be tougher than them and be physical,” Watson said. “If we can dominate at the line of scrimmage, that opens everything up.”
Manhattan's Garrison Vikander knocks the ball loose Saturday in Emporia.
It also helped that their star receiver kept making star-caliber plays.
“JJ has been a fantastic player,” Schartz said. “He’s a heck of a football player and a better young man. We are definitely going to miss him.”
For a team that spent much of its season patching itself together, Saturday gave the Indians a sense of accomplishment.
“We set these goals and this is the type of program Manhattan is,” Schartz said. “It’s win a state championship or bust. We have high expectations and it is tough to win a state championship and things have to go right for you. We finally got healthy and started to play good football in the playoffs. Really proud of our guys.”
Manhattan celebrates its first state title since 2022 as the Indians shutout Olathe Northwest on Saturday in Emporia.
MAN 0 14 6 7 — 27
ONW 0 0 0 0 —0
Second Quarter
M: Finn Watson 31 run (Balderson kick)
M: JJ Dunnigan 68 pass from Watson (Balderson kick)
Third Quarter
M: Dunnigan 50 pass from Watson (kick blocked)
Fourth Quarter
M: Watson 5 run (Balderson kick)
TEAM STATISTICS
...MAN ... ONW
First downs ... 16 ... 9
Rushes-yards ... 42-280 ... 29-49
Passing yards ... 111 ... 83
Passing (Compt-Att-Int) ... 3-4-0 ... 5-15-1
Total plays-yards ... 46-391 ... 44-132
Fumbles-lost ... 2-0 ... 0-0
Penalties-yards ... 9-95 ... 2-10
Punts-Avg ... 0-0 ... 1-36
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Manhattan: Watson 17-136, Davis 13-69, Aslin 4-34, Vornes 4-29, Henry 1-6, Dunnigan 1-5, Mortensen 2-5; Olathe Northwest: Randall 12-27, Douglas 6-12, Connell 2-8, Mazella 1-3, Comfort 3-1, Skoczek 1-1, Sullivan 1-0
Passing – Manhattan: Watson 2-3-0, 118 yards; Olathe Northwest: Comfort 3-8-1 51 yards, Hefley 2-5-0, 32 yards
Receiving – Manhattan: Dunnigan 3-111; Olathe Northwest: Sullivan 4-57; Hefley 1-26