Manheim Central High School has an accomplished football team. Head Coach George Male fielded the first undefeated team in 1981 who were captained by Rick Smith and Tim O'Shea. Smith has been the Middle School head coach for more than 20 years. In 2003, the Barons had an undefeated season and were the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Triple-A State Champions. Also, in 2009, the team went undefeated all the way up to the state championship game, where they were named the runner-up. The 2009 team had a 15–1 record. In 2011, the team suffered a detrimental loss to the team; four student-athletes died in a two-car accident on January 16. Nick Bryson, Cody Hollinger, John Griffith, and Devaughn Lee had attempted to get air in a teammate's car. When they landed, they spun sideways into the other lane and were hit broadside, which sent the car flipping into a nearby field. That year for the team became about adversity and the ability to overcome it. With four crucial players gone, the team was young and inexperienced. The first game of the 2011 season was filled with emotion and was dedicated to the boys tragically lost in the accident. The game had four touchdowns, for a total of 28 points. The town speculated that each touchdown represented one of the boys and the total represented another teammate who had died in another car accident, due to a brain aneurysm in 2010. The Barons finished that season 8–3, defying the odds. In 2018, Manheim Central once again made it to the state championships, being named the runner-up. Matt Nagy, head coach of the National Football League's Chicago Bears, quarterbacked the football team in 1994 and 1995. Under Nagy, the Barons went 26–2 as he recorded 3,500 career passing yards and was named Lancaster County Most Valuable Player in his senior year.
Girls' softball
In the 2011 season, the Manheim Central girls' softball team were the LL League Section 3 Champions, the District 3 Champions, and the runners-up in the PIAA Triple A States.
Field hockey
In 1976, Manheim Central's field hockey team, captained by Sue Young, Carol Gibble and Becky Martin beat Springfield to win the state championship. The contest was decided based on penetration time, and many spectators believe it was one of the classic field hockey games of its era.
Marching band
The Manheim Central Marching Barons, under the direction of John Brackbill, won first place in the Liberty A Division of the 2010 Cavalcade of Bands Championships in Harrisburg. In 2016 the Marching Barons won first place in the Patriot A Division with a score of 92.25 at Hershey Park Stadium. They also won the special awards for Best Percussion, High Visual, High Music, and High Overall Effect.
