6-Man League Breakdown (All Leagues)

6-Man League Breakdown (All Leagues)

I have run out of time to break the 6-man into two articles, so I will just do 1.  I am going to try and shorten the article up but still given enough insight into all 6 of the leagues.

Central League

The Central league had a very good year last year with Genoa-Hugo, Edison, and Hanover all qualifying for that Playoffs.  All 3 were eliminated in the first round but playoff experience does make a difference.  Deer Trail went 2-6 last year and finished last in the East-Central league.  Deer Trail now moves over into the Central League and will compete right away.  Deer Trail loses 3 seniors from last year team but are returning their starting QB and their #3 RB.  Deer Trail defensively returns 4 of their top 6 tacklers and their defense should improve from last year.  Deer Trail may be in the hunt for a playoff berth and a league title.  Genoa-Hugo went 6-3 last year but lose 4 seniors from their team.  Genoa-Hugo was also your League Champion last year and Genoa-Hugo will be in the process of reloading for this year.  Genoa-Hugo loses their main offensive threat in Caid Smith and will need someone to step up.  Defensively Genoa-Hugo loses 4 of their top 6 tacklers and like their offense will need to reload for this year.  Edison went 5-4 last year and qualified for the playoffs.  Edison didn’t have a roster or stats from last year so it’s tough to judge what their team is bringing back this year.  My early favorite to win the Central League is Hanover.  Hanover was hit hard by graduation losing 8 seniors but does have some talent coming back.  Hanover has their starting RB coming back and he will need to lead the way for this offense.  Defensively Hanover returns 3 of their top 6 tacklers plus some experience and depth coming back.  The Central League is open this year, but I am going with Hanover as my favorite to win the league.

League Champion: Hanover

Playoff Contenders: Hanover, Edison, Genoa-Hugo, Deer Trail

Dark Horse: Edison

They qualified for the playoffs a year ago but having no roster or stats available hurts telling where this team will finish.

East-Central League

The East-Central League appears to be loaded this year with quality teams.  This 5-team league could be in the hunt for 3 or 4 playoff spots this year.  Flagler/Hi Plains went 2-5 last year and was a bit of a rebuilding year after their state championship run two year ago.  Flagler/Hi Plains loses 3 seniors from last year team but got experience to the right players.  Flagler/Hi Plains returns their backup QB Zayd Bank but they will be searching for a starting RB.  Defensively Flagler/Hi Plains returns 4 of their top 6 tacklers and their defense should improve this year.  Flagler/Hi Plains should improve on their 2-5 record but all 5 teams in the league also are improving.  I think Flagler/Hi Plains may miss the playoffs again, but they may surprise a few teams.  Idalia went 2-6 last year and did not qualify for the playoffs.  Idalia though appears to be in good shape losing just 1 senior who was an offensive lineman.  Idalia returns Junior QB Dax Towns and Senior RB Sam McGinnis both should be leaders for this offense this year.  Idalia must improve on defense this year and they should losing just 1 of their top 6 tacklers.  Idalia could make the leap this year and challenge for a top 3 spot in league and a playoff spot.  Arickaree/Woodlin went 3-5 last year and did not qualify for the playoffs.  It was the first time since the two schools combined that they did not qualify for the playoffs.  Arickaree/Woodlin loses just 2 seniors from last year team so a rebound year may be in order.  Arickaree/Woodlin did not post any stats from last year but more than likely are returning 4 of 6 starters on both sides of the ball.  Leadership will be key for Arickaree/Woodlin this year.  I think Arickaree/Woodlin rebound this year and challenges for a playoff spot.  Otis is coming off an 8-2 season and a playoff appearance.  Otis loses some experience from last year team with 4 seniors graduating.  Otis offensively will be returning their main playmaker with QB Ty Hunt coming back and RB Bryce Miracle.  Otis offensively will be a huge threat especially with the majority of their offensive line coming back.  Defensively Otis has some holes to fill with 3 of their 6 tacklers graduating, Otis will lean on Bryce Miracle and Christian Nation to lead their defense.  Otis should be a playoff team yet again but are hoping for a deeper run in the playoffs.  My favorite and my preseason #1 team is Stratton/Liberty.  Stratton/Liberty was 11-1 last year and lost in the State Championship.  The loss in the state championship could be the motivation they need to reach the title game yet again.  Stratton/Liberty will have some holes to fill with 5 seniors graduating and the biggest hole to fill will be Jacob McCormick who led the team in rushing.  Stratton/Liberty does appear to return most of their offensive line and their starting QB Tyson Lichty.  Eltan Yarger and Owen Clapper may be the two players to step in and fill the whole at RB.  Defensively Stratton/Liberty looks loaded with 7 of their 9 top tacklers returning.  Some depth may need to be established but Stratton/Liberty should have a solid returning defense.  Stratton/Liberty will be looking to avenge last year state championship lose.

League Champion: Stratton/Liberty

Playoff Contenders: Stratton/Liberty, Otis, Arickaree/Woodlin, Idalia, Flagler/Hi Plains

Dark Horse: Idalia

Idalia returns a lot of talent but can they take the next step this year and challenge for a top 3 spot in league and a playoff spot.

North League

The North League is once again loaded with talent and the battle for the league title this year will be a fun race to watch.  Weldon Valley went 0-7 last year and was a rebuilding year for this team.  Weldon Valley loses just 1 senior from last year’s team, so they should improve.  Weldon Valley will need players to really step up this year if they plan to compete for a league title.  Weldon Valley will improve this year, but the question is how much.  North Park comes into the year after a successful year going 6-3 and reaching the quarterfinals.  North Park does lose some talent from last year’s team with 4 seniors graduating and all 4 were big contributors.  North Park offensively loses their starting QB and RB.  North Park will look to Bryce Carlstorm and Waylan Fletcher to fill the holes.  Defensively North Park does return some good experience with 4 of their top 7 tacklers returning.  North Park will be searching for leadership on defense with their top 2 tacklers graduation.  North Park will still be an extremely tough team but will need players to really step up on offense.  Briggsdale improved last year going 4-5 but struggled during league play.  Briggsdale does lose a big senior class but most of their talent from last year is returning.  Briggsdale loses 7 seniors and maybe one of the 7 was an offensive lineman.  Briggsdale returns most of their skill position players with QB Tyler Blickem and RB Luke Stewart returning.  WR is the one position Briggsdale will need to fill.  Defensively Briggsdale returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers.  Briggsdale also returns their leading tackler Toby Cockerham and he will need to lead this defense yet again.  Briggsdale should improve once again but can they break into the top 3 of the league and snag a playoff spot.  Prairie had a great year last year going 9-1 but fell in the quarterfinals.  Prairie probably has a sour taste in their mouth after that game but should be motivation for this year.  Prairie loses just 3 seniors from last year team but all 3 were very important on the offensive side of the ball.  Prairie loses their leading Passer, #1 and #2 rusher and their main WR.  Prairie though does return Mitch Dollerschell who threw for over 300 yards last year.  Patrick Thompson and Trey Mooer will have to step up this year and fill the holes left at RB.  Prairie early on could struggle a bit on offense but they will be effective.  Defensively Prairie is returning a lot of talent.  Prairie is losing just 2 of their top 10 tacklers so Prairie should have a top defense.  Prairie will not take a step back on defense this year.  Prairie should be a playoff team and Prairie, Fleming, and Peetz are all going to be very close this year for a league title.  Fleming went 4-6 last year and qualified for the playoffs.  Fleming pulled a nice upset in the first round but fell in the quarterfinals.  Fleming loses 4 seniors from last year’s team and have just 1 upcoming senior.  Fleming has a lot of juniors and sophomore and this team will be tough for the next two years.  Fleming returns starting QB Kade Comstock and their #2 RB Brandon Williams.  Fleming will have to fill the hole left by Kolton Dickinson who ran for over 1900 yards and their leading WR.  Fleming defensively does lose 4 of their top 6 tacklers but also return 4 players who had over 20 tackles.  Fleming will be in a search of a leader on defense this year and will look towards Brandon William who had over 100 tackles last year.  Fleming should improve on their 4-5 record and once again make the playoffs.  My very slight favorite over Fleming and Prairie is Peetz to win the North League.  Peetz is your defending State Champion.  Peetz went 10-1 last year and showed the grit needed to win the whole thing.  Peetz loses 6 seniors from last year’s team including their QB, #2 and #3 RB, and WR.  Peetz will be returning leading rusher Bryson Long who can either take over a QB or keep leading the team in rushing.  Peetz may start slow on offense but I don’t expect it to slow them down very much.  Defensively Peetz will be hit hard by graduation as well losing 5 of their top 6 tacklers but also return 5 of their top 10 tacklers plus some experience.  Peetz will look to Bryson Long on defense to be the leader as well but also have Xavier Runge and Gage Travis both had over 40 tackles.  Peetz should be able to qualify for the playoffs again but with Prairie and Fleming returning a lot of talent can Peetz keep the league title.

League Champion: Peetz

Playoff Contenders: Peetz, Fleming, Prairie, Briggsdale, North Park

Dark Horse: Briggsdale

Can Briggsdale improve enough to challenge one of the top 3 teams.  Briggsdale will have a lot of experience coming back but can they grow enough from last year.

South Central

The South-Central league is a mix of teams from the old Southwest League and Southeast League.  The South-Central League was scheduled to be a 5-team league, but Aguilar is not fielding a team this year.  The South-Central league appears to be very weak with only 1 winning team last year and for one team it’s their first year back after not fielding a team in 2017.  Manzanola did not field a team in 2017 but did in 2016.  Manzanola appears to have 4 seniors this year but they have not updated their 2018 roster yet.  We will have to keep an eye on Manzanola to see how they do.  Branson/Kim also didn’t update anything from their team last year.  Branson/Kim went 1-6 last year and struggled to score points only scoring 54 point all last year.  Not much else is known about Branson/Kim.  Primero went 2-6 last year and did not post any stats.  Primero also did not update their roster from last year but have 15 kids out for football this year.  I don’t know a ton about this team this year, so we will have to see how they do.  La Veta is the one team in the South Central we actually know some information about.  La Veta went 7-2 last year and qualified for the playoffs but fell in the first round to Fleming.  La Veta loses 8 seniors from their team last year but have 16 kids out again this year.  La Veta was hit hard by graduation at the skill positions losing their starting QB and RB.  La Veta does have Ty Warren coming back who was #3 in rushing and #2 in passing.  Defensively La Veta returns 3 of their top 6 tacklers and have leadership in Ty Warren and Truckee White.  La Veta is the hands down favorite to win the South Central but the real question is can they improve enough this year to get past the first round.

League Champion: La Veta

Playoff Contenders: La Veta

Dark Horse: Any of the 3 teams

Not a ton is known about the other 3 teams in the league, but which will rise and finish second.

South East League

The South East league once again looks to be very tough and with the addition of Granada (8-Man last year) it could make this league much more competitive.  Cheraw went 1-7 last year and only had 7 kids out.  Numbers look much better for Cheraw this year with 14 kids out.  Cheraw is probably a year away from really competing for a league title.  Walsh went 3-5 last year and are losing just 1 senior from that team.  Walsh could be a bit of a surprise this year and are returning their starting QB and both their #1 and #2 rushers.  Walsh is losing their main WR threat and will need someone to step into that roll.  Defensively Walsh is losing just 1 starter on defense but have their top 3 tacklers back that can step up and fill the leadership role.  Walsh will be much tougher this year but playing in the tough league that they are can they improve enough to move into the Top 4 and compete for a playoff spot.  Eads went 4-5 last year and qualified for the playoffs as the #14 seed.  Eads is hoping to improve from last year but are losing 3 seniors from last year’s team.  Eads offensively will need some players to step up.  Eads is losing their starting QB and both their #1 and #2 RB.  Eads does have sophomore Brigden Parker who was #2 in passing and Gary Davis #3 RB coming back to help fill those holes.  Defensively Eads loses 3 of their top 6 tacklers but also lose their top 2 tacklers.  Eads will need someone to step up this year and fill the leadership role.  Eads may be rebuilding a bit this year and could be in danger of being jumped by Walsh in the standings.  Granada is a bit of a mystery team this year.  Granada drops from 8-man down to 6-Man and always tough to judge when teams move up or down in classification.  Granada loses just 3 seniors from last year’s team.  Granada returns their main skill position players in QB Devon Jara and RB Josh Baca.  Offensively Granada could be extremely dangerous but not know how they will play in 6-Man is why they are third on my list for the South East League.  Defensively Granada also returns plenty of talent with 7 of their top 10 tacklers returning.  I think we could be talking a lot more about Granada as the year goes on.  I think Granada could qualify for the playoffs and possibly push the top 2 for the league title.  Cheyenne Wells had another successful year going 9-2 and qualifying for the playoffs.  Cheyenne Wells made it to the Semifinals before being beat by Stratton/Liberty.  Cheyenne Wells does lose 7 seniors from last year’s team and will need some underclassman to really step up this year.  Offensively Cheyenne Wells will be in good shape with QB Quade Pelton returning and #2 RB Jade Cozart also returning.  Finding replacements at WR will be the biggest hole on offense to fill.  Cheyenne Wells defensively returns 4 of their top 8 tacklers including their #1 and #2 tackler.  Cheyenne Wells will just need some players to really step up and hope they can develop some depth.  Cheyenne Wells should still battle for a playoff spot.  Kit Carson also had a good season going 9-2 and reaching the semifinals.  Kit Carson will be losing some experience from last year team with 6 seniors graduating.  Kit Carson has only 2 upcoming seniors, but their junior class is the class to watch for.  Kit Carson returns their #1 and #2 passers from a year ago with sophomore Cordell Farmer (583 passing yards) and junior T.J Conaway (537 passing yards).  Seeing how they handle these two will be interesting.  Kit Carson also returns their leading rushing sophomore Jayden Mccombs-Farmer and their #2 RB.  Kit Carson offensively looks to be fully loaded this season and trying to stop this offense will be tough.  Defensively Kit Carson is also in good shape losing just 2 of their top 8 tacklers.  Kit Carson returns their top 2 tacklers and this defense will be tough to move the ball on.  Kit Carson is my favorite to win the South East league.

League Champion: Kit Carson

Playoff Contenders: Kit Carson, Cheyenne Wells, Granada, Walsh

Dark Horse: Granada

Any time a team drops from 11 men down to 8-man or 8-man down to 6-man it’s always interesting to see how they adapt to the game.  Granada has the talent to compete in this league but how will they adapt to the 6-man game.

South West League

The South West League was also supposed to be a 5-team league, but Antonito couldn’t get enough kids out and decided not to field a team.  The Southwest League qualified 2 of the 4 teams into the playoffs last year but some were hit hard by graduation.  Cripple Creek/Victor went 1-6 last year and couldn’t get much going.  Cripple Creek is losing 3 seniors from last year team.  Cripple Creek played a lot of Freshman and could be a year or two away from really competing for a league title.  They will continue to improve but this year could be another rebuilding year.  Cotopaxi went 6-2 last year and qualified for the playoffs. Cotopaxi though does lose 4 seniors from last year’s team and all 4 were huge parts of this team.  Cotopaxi has just 1 senior this year and Cotopaxi could be rebuilding this year.  I expect them to really compete again in 1 year but with the senior class that is graduation I could see Cotopaxi struggling.  Sierra Grande went 6-3 last year and qualified for the playoffs.  Sierra Grande is losing a talented senior class of 5 but seem to have solid numbers coming out and should still compete this year.  Sierra Grande also has a new head coach in Luis Corona and finding replacement at QB will be his #2 priority.  Sierra Grande does return #2 rusher Caleb Scharsch and he will be the experience they need on offense.  Defensively Sierra Grande returns 5 of their top 8 tacklers.  They are losing their leading tackler but have their #2 and #3 tacklers return both of whom were freshman last year.  Sierra Grande will still be extremely tough and are just behind my favorite to win the South West League.  My favorite to win the Southwest League is Mountain Valley.  Mountain Valley went 2-5 last year and lose 5 seniors from their team.  Mountain Valley though does return their QB sophomore Salvador Vigil and RB Isaih Wellman.  Mountain Valley will need to find leadership on offense but could be very effective this year.  Defensively Mountain Valley returns 5 of their top 8 tacklers including their top 2 tacklers.  Mountain Valley has the leadership on defense, but can they improve enough to snag the league title.  Mountain Valley is just ahead of Sierra Grande and I could see it going either way.

League Champion: Mountain Valley

Playoff Contenders: Mountain Valley and Sierra Grande