8-Man Football Quarterfinal Prediction Breakdown
Playoff Football Time! A great first round and one upset in the first round. This should be a very fun week this week with a lot of great games and I could see 3 of the 4 games being decided by less than 14 points. Best Game of the week in 8-Man must be Sanford vs Vail Christian.
#1 Haxtun over #8 Akron
Haxtun rolled into the quarterfinals defeating Byers 56-16. Haxtun scored 48 points in the first half and had the mercy rule going by Halftime. Haxtun defensively played outstanding giving up just 8 points in the first half when most of the starters were still in. Offensively Haxtun racked up 451 yards of total offense. QB Owen Knode, RB Michael Gerk, and RB Isaac Andersen powered the Haxtun offense. Haxtun this week will face league rival Akron and these matchups always make for an interesting playoff game.
Akron moved into the quarterfinals with a 47-22 win over Calhan in the first round. Akron built a 41-6 lead going into halftime and finished off the scoring with 6 points in the 3rd quarter. Defensively Akron played well forcing 2 sacks and 1 turnover as well as holding Calhan to just 8 first downs. Offensively Akron racked up 484 yards of total offense. QB Ryan McCaffrey played well with 3 passing TDs and RB Anderson Filla also had a big day rushing the ball. Akron will now look for some revenge against league rival Haxtun.
I am going with Haxtun over Akron. These two teams meet during the regular season with Haxtun winning 58-0. Haxtun built a quick lead in that game and cruised to the win. Akron will look to fix the mistakes from the first matchup. Limiting turnovers must be the first thing to fix. Akron had 4 turnovers against Haxtun in the first matchup. For Akron to pull the upset Akron offensively must perform better and must get a rushing attack going. Haxtun to avoid the upset must put pressure on the QB and keep their potent rushing attack going. I am going with Haxtun over Akron in a closer game this time around.
#4 Dove Creek over #5 Holly
Dove Creek advanced into the quarterfinals with a 50 to 0 win over Crowley County. Dove Creek was dominate in the game putting up 44 points by halftime and being able to rest their starters for this week’s game. Defensively Dove Creek was stout holding the power rushing attack of Crowley County. Dove Creek had 16 TFL in the game and really played well on defense. Offensively Dove Creek racked up 443 yards of total offense. QB Chorbin Cressler and RB Kade Hankins had big performances. Dove Creek will now hit the road to face opposite corner of the state opponent in Holly.
Holly battled its way into the quarterfinals with a 37-20 win over Swink in the first round. Holly took at 15-13 lead into halftime and then outscored Swink 22 to 7 in the second half. Holly defensively played a physical game. Holly forced 2 sacks, 8 TFL, and 3 turnovers in the game. Offensively Holly racked up 467 yards of total offense. QB Dakota Eaton led the charge with 206 yards passing. Donovan Pecina also had a big game with over 100 yards of total offense. Holly will look to advance into the semifinals when they host Dove Creek.
I am going with Dove Creek over Holly. These two teams have 1 common opponent in Crowley County. Dove Creek beat Crowley County 50 to 0 and Holly beat Dove Creek 55-36. Holly to get the win must have a big performance from their offense. Holly needs their offense to be on top of their game as this could turn into a shootout. Look for the senior leadership of Holly to really set up. Dove Creek to be successful must play tight defense and force Holly to run. Dove Creek offensively also must be ready to score points if this turns into a shootout. I am going with Dove Creek because I think their defense is better and one or two stops could be the difference in this game. I think this could be a close game and a fun one to watch.
#2 Mancos over #7 Dayspring Christian
Mancos rolled into the quarterfinals with a 59 to 12 win over Fowler in the first round. Mancos had a strong first half to build the lead scoring 38 points in the first half. Mancos then came out strong in the second half and had the mercy rule going with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Defensively Mancos brought the pressure forcing 4 turnovers in the game and 3 sacks. Mancos did give up 2 scores, but they held a high-flying offense to minimal points in this game. Offensively Mancos was unstoppable racking up nearly 500 yards of total offense. RB Chase Moore and QB Ayden Mathews had a huge game for Mancos. This week Mancos will face a high scoring offense in Dayspring Christian.
Dayspring Christian moved into the quarterfinals with a 58-30 win over Merino. Dayspring Christian avenged their loss to Merino during the regular season. Dayspring Christian defensively had a few key stops and forced 3 turnovers in the game which proved to be the difference. Offensively Dayspring Christian racked up 595 yards of total offense. QB Garrett Krehbiel had a massive day with 547 yards of total offense and 8 TDs. He had a breakout game that was needed to get the win. Dayspring Christian this week will face a team that can score with them and should be a fun matchup.
I am going with Mancos over Dayspring Christian. These two teams did not play during the regular season but have 2 common opponents in Merino and Sanford. Dayspring Christian went 1-2 against these opponents. Mancos went 2-0 against these opponents. Dayspring Christian to pull the upset will need their offense to probably break the 45-point mark. I am not sure if Dayspring Christian defensively can slow Mancos so it will come down to Dayspring Christian offense to carry the load. Mancos to avoid the upset must also have their offense going at top tier. I also think defensively Mancos must contain the QB of Dayspring Christian. I think this could turn into a shootout but should be a good matchup. I am going with Mancos over Dayspring Christian because their defense I believe can slowdown Dayspring Christian enough and I also feel as though Mancos can go score to score with nearly any team. This will be a very good game and is another one of those top 8-man games in the Quarterfinals.
#11 Sanford over #3 Vail Christian
Vail Christian moved into the Quarterfinals with a 46 to 14 win over Pikes Peak Christian in the first round. Vail Christian jumped out to a 32 to 6 lead at halftime and then put things away in the 3rd quarter scoring 14 more points. Defensively Vail Christian played tough holding Pikes Peak Christian 185 yards of total offense. Offensively Vail Christian had success scoring 46 points on a very tough defensive team. Vail Christian will now look to avoid the upset when they travel to face Sanford.
Sanford pulled the upset defeating Sedgwick County 36-18. Sanford built an early lead jumping out to 14-0 in the first quarter. Sanford continued to keep things rolling building a 36-6 lead at halftime. Sanford would give up two more scores in the second half but Sanford was able to avenge their early season loss to Sedgwick County. Sanford defensively played well holding Sedgwick County to just 6 points in the first half and setting the tone. Offensively RB Kelton Gartrell had a solid day along with QB Josh Holman. Sanford now looks to avenge another early season loss when they host Vail Christian.
I am going with Sanford to upset Vail Christian. These two teams meet back in September and Vail Christian got the 36-22 win. Sanford had key injuries happen in that game and could have made a difference. Vail Christian was not really challenged after the Sanford game blowing past all opponents. Vail Christian this week will turn to QB Taylor Shull and the balance attack of their offense. Defensively look for Vail Christian to contain the rushing attack of Sanford. For Sanford to pull the upset they must play tough defense and put pressure on the QB. Offensively Sanford must have a big performance from their key players in Gartrell and Holman. I am going with Sanford to upset Vail Christian. I think Sanford has some key momentum and are nearly healthy. This will be a great game and don’t expect more than a 14 point difference in the score.
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