MileHigh Prep Report Way to Early 8-Man Football Top 5 and Teams to Watch
Last year’s Football season was very interesting. Limited number of games and teams either playing Fall or Spring season. 8-man looks to have some very tough teams and of course can Sedgwick County continue dominating 8-Man. What I am planning on doing is ranking my Top 5 and then listing between 8 to 10 teams to watch for outside the top 5. This is a very early look and when I kick up full articles again at the end of July, I will dive much deeper into each Class.
Class 1A
| Rank | Team | Notes |
| #1 | Sedgwick County Defending State Champions, Fall Season | Sedgwick County is your defending State Champions from the Fall Season. Sedgwick County is going for the 7peat this season. Sedgwick County will have a few holes to fill with 7 seniors graduating. The main returner on offense will be Brody Parker who will anchor the offense. Defensively Sedgwick County returns 4 of their top 10 tacklers with Nolan Carlson leading the unit. Sedgwick County is always well coached! |
| #2 | Sanford Made the playoffs, Runner up | Sanford was your runner up a season ago. Sanford returns a lot of talent with just 3 seniors graduating. The offensive line will have the biggest holes to fill and a new defensive leader. Offensively Sanford returns QB Josh Holman and RB Kelton Gartrell who will lead a very dangerous offense. Defensively Sanford returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers but who become the leader is the biggest question mark. |
| #3 | Merino Made the playoffs, lost in the Semifinals | Merino reached the semifinals a year ago falling to Sanford in a great Semifinal game. Merino returns some key players but lose 4 seniors mainly at the RB position. RB will be the biggest hole for them to fill. Merino returns WR Derrick Alber and QB Deacon Trenkle who had a big season a year ago. Also look for Tyler Frank to see his role on offense continue to expand. Defensively Merino returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers but lose their top 2 from a season ago. |
| #4 | Haxtun Missed the playoffs, went 3-3 Fall Season | Haxtun missed the playoffs a season ago but return tons of talent for a deep run this season. Haxtun lose just 1 senior from last year and return everything else. QB Owen Knode and RB Michael Gerk both are back to lead a talented offense. Defensively Haxtun returns 9 of their top 10 tacklers. Haxtun will be led by a big group of upcoming seniors and juniors. |
| #5 | Mancos Made the playoffs, lost in the first round | Mancos reached the playoffs a year ago before falling to Sanford in a great first round game. Mancos will have a few holes to fill on the offensive line along with a new Defensive leader. Mancos does return QB Ayden Mathews and RB Chase Moore. Defensively Mancos returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers but who steps up to be a leader will be key. |
| Others to Watch For | (not in order) | |
| Holly Missed the playoffs, went 2-3 Fall Season | Holly missed the playoffs a year ago going 2-3. Holly returns a ton of talent this season and could be considered a dark horse entering the year. Holly returns QB Dakota Eaton along with RB Eli Ramos, and WR Fernando Dominguez. Defensively Holly returns 8 of their top 10 tacklers and Holly lose just 2 seniors from last season. | |
| Dove Creek Made the playoffs, lost in the Semifinals | Dove Creek reached the semifinals last year before falling to Sedgwick County. Dove Creek does lose 5 seniors from last years team. RB will be the biggest hole on offense to fill. QB Chorbin Cressler will be the anchor of the offense. Defensively Dove Creek has a few more holes to fill losing 3 of their top 4 tacklers but does return 6 of their top 10. Who steps up to be a leader on defense for Dove Creek is the biggest question mark. | |
| Rangely Made the playoffs, lost in the first round | Rangely made the playoffs a season ago before falling to Dove Creek. Rangely had a solid season losing just the 1 game in the playoffs. Rangely will have a few holes to fill losing 6 seniors but have a lot coming back for a deep run. Rangely returns QB Keihlin Myers and RB Zane Varner. Defensively Rangely returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers but lose their top 3 and key leadership. | |
| Crowley County Made the playoffs, lost in the first round | Crowley County played their first season in the 8-Man ranks last season. Crowley County reached the playoffs before falling to Sedgwick County. Crowley County will be looking for a deeper run this season and have the talent to do so. Crowley County returns QB Tach Brewer but will be looking for an RB to step up this season. Defensively Crowley County returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers and this unit should be fun to watch. | |
| Dayspring Christian Missed the playoffs, went 4-3 Fall Season | Dayspring Christian missed the playoffs a season ago but look primed for a playoff run this time around. Dayspring Christian lose just 2 seniors but will be looking to replace most of their offense with QB Christian Still graduating. Garrett Krehbiel did take snap at QB in 2019 and we will see if he takes over at that position. RB Wyatt Eichman and Jacob Martin could also see their roles on offense expand this season. Defensively Dayspring Christian returns 9 of their top 10 tacklers and this could be one of the toughest units in 8-Man this season. | |
| Calhan Missed the playoffs, went 3-3 Fall Season | Calhan missed the playoffs a season ago but went 3-3. Calhan lose key pieces on both offense and defense. Calhan biggest need will be at QB on offense. RB Ryan Campbell and WR Zach Peterson should see their roles increase on offense this season. Defensively Calhan returns a key leader in Aiden Jack and this unit should see an improvement this season. | |
| Swink Missed the playoffs, went 5-1 Fall Season | Swink missed the playoffs last season but went 5-1. Swink will have a few holes to fill losing 7 seniors, but RB Matthew Mendoza will be the biggest hole to fill on offense. Swink will return QB Hunter Bauserman and #2 RB Clay Roweth. Defensively Swink returns a lot of talent with 7 of their top 10 tacklers returning including 4 of their top 5. | |
| Akron Missed the playoffs, went 2-5 Fall Season | Akron did not make the playoffs last season but were mainly JR and sophomore heavy. Akron lose just 2 seniors from last years team and could be poised for a breakout year. Akron will need to replace the QB position but return RB’s Xavier Livesay and Evan Vogt. Defensively Akron returns 8 of their top 10 tacklers including 4 of their top 5 from a season ago. | |
| Hoehne Defending State Champions, Spring Season | Hoehne won the State Championship during the Spring Season. They were senior heavy at the skill position and will turn to an upcoming Junior Class to take over. Hoehne Michael Armijo and Dario Vezzani will be the two names to watch on offense. Hoehne defensively returns 5 of their top 10 tacklers. Hoehne will be looking for leadership on defense. | |
| Other Teams to Watch | Plateau Valley, Pikes Peak Christian, Fowler, Sargent, Norwood, Las Animas, Vail Christian, Springfield, Elbert, Caliche |
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