On Friday, October 30, Manitou played against St. Mary’s in the annual “Helmet Game,” which is a competition between the two rival schools. Manitou dominated on both sides of the ball.

Chase Norman (12) ran for a touchdown on each of the Mustang’s first three drives. However, the senior running back’s second touchdown wouldn’t have been made possible without a statement run by Cole Sienknecht (10). With 5:35 left in the first, the quarterback converted on 4th and 16 with a 34-yard run, thanks in part to a key block from Bryce McMillan (12).

Aside from the key fourth-down conversion, Sienknecht also threw for two touchdown passes, one to Dominic Archuleta (12) and the other to McMillan.

The Mustangs’ final three touchdowns came from Wyatt Sedlaceck (12), Davyn Adamscheck  (11), and Konnor Kaltenbacher (11).

Adamscheck and Kaltenbacher both scored on runs of 20+ yards in the fourth quarter, while Sedlaceck scored on a goal line run in the third.

Of course, a team can’t shut out another team without high-performing defense, which the Mustangs supplied. St. Marys’ first first-down didn’t come until there were two minutes left in the second quarter. Adamscheck added an interception for the defensive effort.

Offensive and defensive lineman Steven Jensen (12) said, “I’m really pumped about it, there is no feeling like going to state,” when asked about the teams advancement to state tournament. Jensen was part of the Mustangs’ team that went on to the Final Four in the state tournament two years ago.

It seems the only thing that Manitou lost during the game was the annual food drive between the schools. St. Mary’s and Manitou’s student councils compete to raise more pounds of food within their schools every year, and the losing school’s student council is traditionally rewarded with a pie to the face. As Manitou lost this year, Sophia Ives (12), Vivienne Kriedel-Lincoln (12), Sophie Kilroy (12) and Taylor Finn (12) were each pied.

In the end, though, it was Manitou’s night, particularly for the football teams’ seniors, who played their final football game representing Manitou Springs High School in front of a home crowd.