8-Man I Top 8: Manny Chavez

In mid-December Kansas Pregame contacted 8-Man football coaches in an effort to name a first ever Top 8 team of seniors for both divisions of 8-Man football in Kansas. After an overwhelming response from coaches, and once all the votes were tallied, 16 players were selected.

This is the 16th of 16 individual player profiles highlighting the Top 8 selections in each division and released in no particular order.

Manny Chavez, TE/DE, 6-1, 220, Wichita County, Sr.

Manny Chavez’s senior season for the Wichita County Indians was highly successful, but it seemed to be a long time coming. After transferring from Greeley County to Wichita County for his last two years of high school, Chavez had to sit out his junior year. He would not be idle, however.

“We were very aware of how much potential he had during his junior year,” coach Brant Douglas said of Chavez. “He was a force on the scout team and gave us a great look day in and day out. He prepared throughout his junior year like he was going to be playing each Friday. I knew he would fit right in with our culture based on his effort on the scout team. For a player of his caliber to be selfless enough to practice as hard as he did while knowing he was not allowed to see varsity time is extremely commendable. It was a great reflection of his character and team-first mentality.”

When Chavez finally got the chance to suit up his senior season, he did not disappoint. From his defensive end position, Chavez would account for 48 total tackles, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, three recovered fumbles, and an interception. For his efforts on the defensive side of the football, Chavez was named to the first ever Kansas Pregame 8-Man Division I Top 8 list as well as Co-Defensive Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas and first team All-State by the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle.

“This year (Manny’s) leadership on and off the field is one of the main reasons we saw such a jump in our overall defensive aggressiveness and ability,” coach Douglas said. “We went from giving up 394 points in 12 games last season to 172 points in 13 games this season. It took a group effort and we had many playmakers on defense, but his energy and leadership was a big reason why we improved so much defensively.” 

On the other side of the ball, Chavez was also a force to be reckoned with. As the tight end in a dynamic passing attack operated by fellow Top 8 member Kayde Rietzke, he would tally 552 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 receptions. 

Despite Chavez’s solid receiving stats, coach Douglas said he also excelled at the dirty work

“He created a lot of mismatches for us to take advantage of in the passing game, but he was an even better blocker.”

The Indians finished their 2020 season with a final record of 12-1 as they came up just short in a scoreboard light show, 70-58, against a talented Little River squad. The game was a rematch of a quarterfinal playoff contest from 2019, a game the Indians won 74-38.

Prior to their championship loss, the closest game Wichita County had played in was a 54-20 victory over Hoxie, the same Hoxie team that they later beat in the sub-state round 58-6.

“Obviously everyone knows Manny’s talent on the field, but his leadership is what really jumped off the page when he came back,” teammate Kayde Rietzke said. “He was voted a captain and was well deserving. He just added to an already loaded team.”

Chavez is currently sorting between a number of offers, including Garden City Community College, Dodge City Community College, Bethel, Tabor, Ottawa and Sterling. Currently, Manny’s brother, Jose Chavez, is a junior at Sterling College, where he plays linebacker on the football team, making a Chavez brother team up an exciting concept. However, Manny has indicated a desire to go the JUCO route for a potential path to a Division I opportunity down the road.

With all Chavez has to look forward to, he still doesn’t undervalue his path to this point. 

“I’m definitely going to miss my great coaches,” Chavez said. “They welcomed me in my junior year and helped build myself into the football player I am today. I want to thank them for pushing me and holding me accountable, and I want to say thank you to my teammates for never leaving me alone in the weight room and for all the great memories.”