Manchester’s Stunning One-Year Fall, From State Champs to 0-20, Sets Up Unthinkable Playoff Matchup

After winning its first title in 86 years, the Red Hawks lost a historic senior class, endured a brutal schedule and now enter the CIAC Division I tournament winless — with a potential first-round date against undefeated No. 1 Staples.

Manchester junior Jahssiah Gayle holds the during Manchester's game against Southington on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at Southington High School. / Dan Heary

A lot can happen in a year, and for the Manchester Red Hawks boys basketball team, they’re in a completely different position than they were a year ago. 

Last March, the Red Hawks defeated New London 77-74 to win the CIAC DII boys basketball state title, winning its first state championship since 1938. The Red Hawks finished last season with an impressive 24-2 overall record.

A big reason for the team’s success last year was its productive senior class. Derek Sheets and Will Oden Tann were each named All-State in DII and the team had four All-Conference selections in the CCC with Chance Clark and Joe Mugovero joining Sheets and Oden Tann. Those four alone combined to score 71 of the team’s 77 points in its DII state title game against New London showing how integral they were to the team last season.  

Manchester Has Gone 0-20 This season

Fast forward to nearly a year later after celebrating its first state title in over 80 years, and the Red Hawks have yet to sniff a win this season. With Manchester’s regular season concluding last Thursday, February 19 with a 79-45 loss to East Hartford, they’ve finished their 2025-2026 regular season with an 0-20 record. 

It’s not often you see a team win 20+ games and a state title and go winless the next, but Manchester has done that this season. The team has seven seniors on its roster this year, but many of them don’t have much varsity experience. 

On top of losing a very talented senior class from a year ago, Manchester had no favors with their brutal schedule, facing some of the team’s best teams across the state in Windsor, East Catholic, and Northwest Catholic for a combined five games. 

Despite Being Winless, Manchester Will Appear in the DI State Tournament 

The CIAC boys and girls basketball state tournament pairings will be announced on Tuesday, March 3. 

In DI, which is what division Manchester is in this season, all 16 teams make the postseason despite their regular season records. This is the only division in the state that follows this format, as the division comprises just 16 teams (which happen to be most of the talented teams across the state.)

With five teams tied with 17-3 records in the division, the 19-0 Staples Wreckers have  one regular season game left, but automatically earn the No. 1 seed, being two-and-a-half games ahead of anyone else in the division. They will host Manchester in the first-round of the DI State Tournament. 

If Staples wins its regular season finale against Ridgefield tonight, Feb. 25, we will see a 20-0 team host an 0-20 in the first-round of the DI State Tournament.