Class 8-man First Round State Playoff Breakdown
The bracket is set and your final 16 teams are now fighting for a state championship. Your League Champions are: Rocky Mountain Lutheran (Central League), West Grand (Northwest League), Sedgwick County (Plains League), Springfield (Southeast League), Hoehne (Southern League), Sargent (Southwest League). As we know the league champions received the automatic home game. 2 other team also received home games they are Holly and Merino. I will run a breakdown on each game. I will post my predictions in a separate post and awards.
#1 Sedgwick County vs #16 McClave on 11/4 @ 1:00pm
#1 Sedgwick County enters the playoffs as the #1 seed and the #1 team in my power rankings. Sedgwick County is the defending two-time state champion and won the Plains League once again. Sedgwick County is 8-0 overall and 5-0 in league and played 4 playoff teams. Sedgwick County is notorious for not inputting stats and once again don’t have any stats online. Sedgwick County defensively is giving up 11.1 ppg and held 3 teams under 10 points. Sedgwick County defense is not as strong as previous years but their offense is outstanding. Sedgwick County is averaging 41.6 ppg and were only held under 40 points twice this year. Sedgwick County does have plenty of experience and will lean on that to try and win their third title.
#16 McClave snuck into the playoffs as the #16 seed. McClave finished third in the Southeast League. McClave went 6-3 overall and 3-2 in league. McClave faced 3 playoff teams this year going 0-3 against them. McClave lost to Merino (14-8), Holly (22-6), and Springfield 60-22. McClave currently is on a 2-game losing streak and things are not easy for them in the playoffs. Defensively McClave has played solid all year giving up just 15 ppg. Their final two games they did give up 22 and 60. McClave offensively is averaging 30.2 ppg and multiple times this year were held 20 points. McClave also did not input any stats this year.
Sedgwick County is the heavy favorite in this game. Sedgwick County returned plenty of talent to win another title and their offense and defense are very good. McClave ended the season on a bit of a low and with them traveling to face the defending state champion things don’t get easy. I am going with Sedgwick County to win 48-7.
#8 Springfield vs #9 Fowler on 11/4 @ 1:00pm
#8 Springfield surprised everyone this year winning the Southeast League. Springfield upset Holly and McClave to snag the league title. Springfield is 6-3 overall and a perfect 5-0 in league. Springfield played 3 playoff teams this year going 2-1. Springfield lost to Hoehne (42-26) and beat Holly and McClave. Springfield defensively is giving up 24.9 ppg but have improved a ton towards the end of the year. Springfield held 2 teams to under 10 points. Springfield is led on defense by Conner Leonard 116 total tackles, 2 TFL and helping is Beau Dukes 98 tackles, 4.0 TFL, and 5 INTs. Springfield offensively is averaging 40.5 ppg and their offense has been very good. Springfield has broken the 40-point mark 4 times this year. Springfield is a run first team with the ability to throw the ball as well. They are throwing for 763 yards and rushing for 2041 yards. Springfield offensively is led by Beau Dukes 758 yards passing 8 TDs and 4 INTs. Beau Dukes also has 970 yards rushing and 17 TDs. Also helping on offense is Conner Leonard 545 yards rushing and 13 TDs. Springfield biggest strength is their offense. Springfield has really picked up the pace on offense and has helped them win the league title. Springfield biggest weakness is their defense. Springfield has struggled defensively through the year and must pick up the pace now that the playoffs have started.
#9 Fowler enters the playoffs finishing second in the Southern League. Fowler went 8-1 overall and 4-1 in league. Fowler played 2 playoff teams this year going 1-1 against them. Fowler lone loss was to Hoehne 34-28 in OT and their win was over Sargent 26-13. Fowler defensively is giving up 11.7 ppg and held 3 opponents to under 10 points. Fowler on defense is led by Dylan Palomino 99 tackles and Chantz Lange 77 tackles & 5 sacks. Fowler offensively is a run first team with the ability to throw if needed. Fowler is averaging 37.2 ppg. Fowler has 865 yards passing and 2097 yards rushing. Fowler passing attack is led by junior QB Luke Bitter 764 yards passing, 11 TDs, and 5 INTs. Leading Fowler in rushing is junior Quinton Flanscha 918 yards rushing and 13 TDs. Fowler biggest strength is their offense which can throw and pass to keep teams off balance. Fowler biggest weakness is their lack of quality opponents. Fowler only played 2 playoff teams so hopefully Fowler gained experience in those 2 games.
Springfield defensively must improve for the playoffs. They must be able to slow opponents down and give their offense a shot to win games. Springfield offense is very good and will need to help carry their team in this game. Fowler is good on both sides of the ball and their key to winning is slowing down Beau Dukes. If Fowler can slow him down then Fowler will be in good shape. Fowler is my favorite in this game and I am picking them to win 35-17.
#4 Hoehne vs #13 Caliche on 11/4 @ 1:00pm
#4 Hoehne enters the playoffs as your Southern League Champion. Hoehne overall record is 8-1 and 5-0 in league. Hoehne played 4 playoff teams going 3-1 against them. Hoehne lone loss was to Holly 33-14 and Hoehne beat Sargent 30-27, Springfield 42-26, and Fowler 34-28 in OT. Hoehne is giving up 21.2 ppg which is right in the middle of the pack in terms of defense. Hoehne has only held 2 opponents under 10 points this year and their defense given up over 20 points 4 times this year. Hoehne is led on defense by Jacob Yates 80 tackles and Trystan Molter 61 tackles and 6 INTs. Offensively Hoehne is a run heavy team that is averaging 45.6 ppg. Hoehne is passing for 710 yards and rushing for 3702 yards. Hoehne passing attack is led by Jacob Yates 710 yards passing, 10 TDs, and 3 INTs. Yates also has 937 yards rushing and 13 TDs. Leading Hoehne in rushing is Trystan Molter 1011 yards rushing and 12 TDs. Hoehne biggest strength is their rushing attack which few teams have been able to stop. Hoehne biggest weakness is their defense. Hoehne has not played lock down defense like normal but because of their offense have been winning games.
#13 Caliche enters the playoffs as the fourth team from the Plains League. Caliche is the lone team with a losing record to make the playoffs. Their record is 4-5 and 2-3 in league. Caliche played a brutal schedule which included 6 playoff teams. Caliche is battle tested due to their strength of schedule. Caliche is giving up 27.8 ppg and didn’t hold any teams to under 10 points but essentially Caliche has been playing playoff teams all year. Caliche is led on defense by Adam Zink 121 tackles and Dylan Huss 80 tackles. Offensively Caliche is a run heavy team that is averaging 28 ppg. Caliche is throwing for 361 yards and rushing for 3019 yards. Caliche is led by standout QB/RB Adam Zink. He has 344 yards passing but has 2113 yards rushing and 22 TDs. He is the main cog in this Caliche offense. Caliche biggest strength is their rushing attack which is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Caliche biggest weakness is their defense. Their defense has given up a lot of points this year 250 points. They have won games due to their offense controlling the clock.
Hoehne is the favorite in this game. They must take control of the line of scrimmage and must limit Adam Zink. Hoehne also must get their rushing attack going to help control the game in their favor. Caliche must play a complete game on both sides of the ball. They cannot allow their defense to be blow off the field. Caliche must play good defense and must get their rushing attack going. Hoehne is my pick in this game 42-14.
#5 Holly vs #12 Haxtun on 11/4 @ 1:00pm
#5 Holly enters the playoff finishing second in the Southeast League. Holly went 7-1 overall and 4-1 in league. Holly faced 3 playoff teams this year going 2-1 against them. Holly lone loss was to Springfield 32-26 in OT. Holly has wins over Hoehne and McClave. Holly defensively is giving up 10.8 ppg and have held 5 teams to under 10 points. Holly is led on defense by Robert Gutierrez 52 tackles, 3 TFL, and 3 INTs and Alex Ramos 47 tackles, 2 TFL, 9 sacks, and 1 defensive TD. Holly offensively is averaging 38.8 ppg and are one of the more balanced teams in 8-man. Holly has 1432 yards passing and 1310 yards rushing. Holly is led on offense by QB Kobe Davis 1209 yards passing 13 TDs, and 3 INTs. Holly main receiving threat is Jesus Dominguez 607 yards receiving and 6 TDs. Holly biggest strength is their balanced attack on offense and their very solid defense. Holly biggest weakness is their ability to create turnovers. They have only forced 18 turnovers but with as solid of a defense as they have and the ability to get off the field on third downs turnovers are not as important.
#12 Haxtun enters the playoffs finishing 3rd in the Plains league. Haxtun went 6-3 overall and 2-3 in league. Haxtun started the season strong going 5-0 before losing 3 of their final 4 games. Haxtun played 4 playoff teams going 2-2 against them. Haxtun lost to Sedgwick County and Merino and beat Rocky Mountain Lutheran & Caliche. Haxtun defensively is giving up 20.9 ppg and held just 2 opponents to under 10 points. Haxtun towards the end of the season gave up over 20 points in 5 straight games. Haxtun defensively is led by Wyatt Buccelli 128 tackles and 5.5 sacks and helping is Delray Mayhew 72 tackles. Offensively Haxtun is balanced in their attack and are averaging 35.4. Haxtun has 1270 yards passing and 2011 yards rushing. Haxtun is led by QB Drew Coffin 932-yard passing, 10 TDs, and 5 INTs. Coffin also has 610 yards rushing and 8 TDs. Helping on offense as well is Jaxon Brown 556 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Haxtun biggest strength is their offense. Haxtun can attack both on the ground and through the air which makes them tough to defend. Haxtun biggest weakness is their defense. At times Haxtun plays good defense but in their final two games gave up 30+ points.
Holly is hosting their first playoff game in sometime so having the home crowd behind you is a big advantage for them. Holly must play great defense and slow down Haxtun offense. I believe that Holly will have a solid day on offense and must avoid turnovers. Haxtun will need to take care of the ball on offense and must be able to run to open their pass. Haxtun on defense must break their two-game slide of not playing good defense. Their defense will be tested by a very dynamic offense and they must rise to the occasion. I am going with Holly as the favorite and picking them to win 42-21.
#3 Merino vs #14 Soroco on 11/4 @ 1:00pm
#3 Merino enters the playoffs finishing second in the Plains league. Merino went 8-1 overall and 4-1 in league. Merino faced 6 playoff teams this year and besides 3 games this year are known as the cardiac kids. Merino average margin of victory in those 6 games is 7 points or less. Merino has held 3 teams to under 10 points but have shown that their defense can rise to the occasion and win games in the final seconds of games. Merino has not entered any stats on the year. Merino offensively is averaging 23.3 ppg and have won most games due to their toughness in the 4th quarter.
#14 Soroco enters the playoffs as the third-place team from the Northwest League. Soroco went 6-3 overall and 3-2 in league. Soroco defensively is giving up 32.1 ppg and one of the weaker defenses in 8-man. Soroco held one opponent to under 10 points and have given up over 30 points 5 times. Soroco defensively is led by Jace Logan 109 tackles and Jesse Amrein 74 tackles. Offensively Soroco is a run heavy offense that is averaging 39.6 ppg. Soroco on offense is the main reason they have won 6 games and have broken the 40-point mark 5 times. Soroco is passing for 425 yards and rushing for 3277 yards. Soroco is led by RB Jace Logan 2295 yards rushing and 30 TDs. Jace Logan is the main cog in Soroco offense and if he is slowed Soroco struggles on offense. Jace Logan has yet to really be slowed this season and is averaging 14 yards a carry. Soroco biggest Strength is their rushing attack led by Jace Logan. If Soroco plans on having a success he must have a huge day on offense. Soroco biggest weakness is their inability to play defense. Soroco must figure out their defensive woes and if they can slow Merino down could make this an interesting game.
The biggest thing that scares me about Merino is they have been in a lot of close games. In the playoffs you cannot allow a team to stay in games or anything can happen. With Merino must play their best run defense of the season. If Soroco has any success running the ball this could turn into a very interesting game. Soroco will need their defense to get a few stops this game. If Soroco can slow down Merino enough and stay in the game late anything can happen. Soroco must get Jace Logan going and must have plenty of success on offense. Even though this is the 3 vs 14 matchup this could turn into an interesting game. If Merino lets any team stay in a game anything is possible in the playoffs. With I am still picking Merino to snag the victory and pull out a 48-35 victory.
#6 Rocky Mountain Lutheran vs #11 Mancos
#6 Rocky Mountain Lutheran enters the playoffs as the Central League Champion. RML finished the year 7-2 overall and 5-0 in league. RML played 2 playoff teams going 0-2 against them. RML lost to Merino 26-20 and Haxtun 54-14. RML is currently on a 6-game winning streak and have some good momentum heading into the playoffs. Rocky Mountain Lutheran is giving up 15.1 ppg but against playoff teams gave up over 20 points in both games. RML held 5 opponents to under 10 points. RML is led on defense by Charlie Hahm 95 tackles, 13 TFL, 1 sack, 4 INT and helping is Luke Hahm 56 tackles and 7 sacks. RML offensively is averaging 44.2 ppg and have broken 45 points in their past 3 games and have some very good momentum heading into the playoffs. Rocky Mountain Lutheran has 676 yards passing and 2323 yards rushing. Rocky Mountain Lutheran is led on offense by Andrew Zemlick 660 yards passing, 11 TDs and 1 INT. Leading Rocky Mountain Lutheran in rushing is Charlie Hahm 1,205 yards rushing and 23 TDs. Rocky Mountain Lutheran biggest strength is their defense and very good rushing attack. They must continue to play very solid defense and run the ball effectively to win this game. RML biggest weakness is their lack of quality opponents in league. It has been over a month since they played a playoff team and must amp up the intensity.
#11 Mancos enters the playoffs finishing second in the Southwestern League. Mancos is 7-2 overall and went 5-1 in league. Mancos played 3 playoff teams going 1-2 against them. Mancos lost to Sargent (54-14) and Melrose NM (48-0). Mancos lone playoff win was against Norwood. Mancos defensively is giving up 15.8 ppg and have held 4 teams under 10 points. Mancos has not put in stats but I got to watch them against Sargent and they are a run first team. Mancos is averaging 29.6 ppg but against quality competition have struggled to score points.
Rocky Mountain Lutheran has a good shot to win a playoff game against Mancos. They will need their defense to play outstanding at the point of attack. RML also must have their offense produce yards on the ground. Mancos likewise has a chance to pull the upset and in my eyes, this is the best game in the first round. Mancos must rebound from their lost against Sargent but that game could have woken them up. Mancos must play solid defense and must get their offense going in the right direction. Rocky Mountain Lutheran is the favorite in this game. I am going with the upset though and have Mancos pulling the upset 35-31.
#7 Sargent vs #10 Gilpin County on 11/3 @ 6:00pm
#7 Sargent enters the playoffs as the Southwest League Champions and on a 6-game winning streak. Sargent is 6-3 overall and 6-0 in league. Sargent has been playing for their playoff lives every week since opening 0-3 and seem to have found a groove finally. Sargent played 5 playoff teams going 2-3 against them. Sargent lost to Hoehne, Caliche, and Fowler. Sargent beat Norwood and Mancos. Sargent seems to have figured out the problems on both sides of the ball and are going in the right direction. Defensively Sargent is giving up 17.9 ppg and have held 2 opponents to under 10 points. Sargent is led on defense by Christian Schaller 95 tackles and 2 INTs also helping on defense is Rhys Velasquez 72 tackles and 5 sacks. Sargent offensively is a run first team with the ability to throw the ball. Sargent is averaging 37.8 ppg and on their 6-game winning streak have 30 in 5 of their games. Sargent offensively has 924 yards passing and 2483 yards rushing. Sargent is led on offense by QB Ryan Davis 865 yards passing, 11 TDs, and 2 INTs. Ryan Davis also has 759 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Helping run the ball is Trevor Milne 686 yards rushing and 12 TDs. Sargent biggest strength is their defense and rushing attack. Sargent biggest weakness is taking care of the football. Sargent at time gets sloppy with the football and give up fumbles at the wrong time.
#10 Gilpin County enters the playoffs as the second-place team out of the Northwestern League. Gilpin County went 7-2 overall and 4-1 in league. Gilpin County played 4 playoff teams going 2-2 in those games. Gilpin County loses are to Merino and West Grand and their wins are against Caliche and Soroco. Gilpin County defensively is giving up 27 ppg and like to outscore people. Gilpin County held 3 teams under 10 points this year. Gilpin County is led on defense by Josh Trujillo 108 tackles and Austin Boulter 72 tackles and 6 sacks. Offensively Gilpin County is averaging 39.8 ppg and are a run heavy offense. Gilpin County is passing for 428 yards and rushing for 3130 yards. Gilpin County is led on offense by Adam Boulter 428 yards, 6 TDs and 1 INT. Adam Boulter is also leading the team in rushing with 1877 yards rushing and 23 TDs. Adam Boulter is the main cog in this offense and he must lead their team. Gilpin County biggest strength is their rushing attack and ability to score points. Gilpin County biggest weakness is their defense which tends to give up a lot of points.
In my eyes this is the second best game in the first round. Sargent must control the line of scrimmage on both side of the ball. Sargent must also take care of the ball and must be very solid on defense. Sargent offense should have a solid day as well. Gilpin County must play better defense in this game. They also must get their rushing attack going and must get Adam Boulter going. I am going with Sargent in this game 42-17.
#2 West Grand vs #15 Norwood on 11/4 @ 1:00pm
#2 West Grand enters the tournament as the Northwest League Champion. West Grand is 9-0 overall and 6-0 in league. West Grand only played 2 playoff teams and went perfect against them. West Grand still has some questions on how good is this team. West Grand has the best defense in 8-man and have posted 5 consecutive shutouts. West Grand is only giving up 1.5 ppg and the last team to score an offensive touchdown was South Park in September. West Grand is led on defense by Josh O’Hotto 83 tackles and 3 sacks and helping is Marcos Ramierez 35 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 INTs, and 2 fumbles. Offensively West Grand has been on a tear averaging 44 points a game and have broken 40 in every game this year. West Grand is led on offense by Brady Gore 735 yards passing, 7 TDs and 1 INT. Leading West Grand in rushing is Hugh Wheatley 820 yards rushing, 373 yards receiving, and 16 TDs. West Grand biggest strength is their defense. West Grand has dominated everyone with their defense which has led to their offense getting better field positions. West Grand biggest weakness is their lack of quality opponents outside of league. We really don’t know how good this West Grand team is.
#15 Norwood enters the playoffs finishing 3rd in the Southwest League. They went 6-2 overall and 4-2 in league. They played 3 playoff teams going 1-2. They beat Soroco and lost to Sargent and Mancos. Norwood has held 3 opponents to under 10 points. Norwood is giving up 14 ppg on defense but against playoff teams gave up over 20 points in each game. Norwood is led on defense by Jace Sinks 71 tackles and Cord Colson 54 tackles. Offensively Norwood is a run first team averaging 30.7 ppg. Norwood has 646 yards passing and 1661 yards rushing. Norwood is led on offense by Will Gabriel 591 yards passing, 591 yards rushing, 4 INTs and 18 TDs. Also helping Norwood on offense is Hunter Brier 526 yards rushing and 6 TDs. Norwood biggest strength is their rushing attack which is averaging over 200 yards a game. Norwood biggest weakness is their lack of playing quality opponents. They only played 8 games this year 5 of which were weaker opponents and 1 of them was a JV team.
West Grand is the favorite in this game. West Grand defensively should control the tempo of this game and force Norwood to through the ball. West Grand offensively should also be productive and they have 3 very good weapons all of which will be hard to stop. Norwood must play great defense and keep the score close. Norwood on offense must find a way to score points. I am going with West Grand to win 42-7.
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