Wayne Shirley kicked a 27-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Junction City Blue Jays to a 17-14 victory over the Manhattan Indians at Bishop Stadium.

Shirley’s game winning kick after the Blue Jay defense stopped Manhattan on fourth and inches at the goal line. Junction City took over control of the football, ran three plays, and then brought Shirley in for the final kick.

On the fourth down play at the goal line there appeared to be a fumble by Manhattan, the Blue Jays picked up the football and began returning it for a score, but the officials ruled the ball down.  So Junction City then ran three plays before kicking the final field goal.

The postgame comments of the two head coaches: Randall Zimmerman of Junction City: “They weren’t in. The ball was behind the offense. ” Zimmerman added his team scooped up the loose football and scored but the officials didn’t see it.

Manhattan coach Joe Schartz felt his team scored on the fourth down play at the goal line. “We scored, six inches and we got two feet. We were in. The ball should have been dead at that point. As Ian was in the pile after he had already scored, he was trying to make sure that he scored and he reached the ball out and that’s when it came loose.”

The win secured Junction City at least a tie for the Centennial League championship. The Blue Jays are 6-0 while Manhattan fell to 4-2.