8-Man League Predictions (Leagues 1, 2, and 3)
I have decided to only do 3 or 4 leagues at a time instead of the full 7 leagues. I will be giving my league predictions on who finishes where. This is all in fun and I do not wish bad on any teams. Good Luck to all teams this season.
League One
1. Dove Creek
2. Mancos
3. Sanford
4. Sargent
5. Norwood
6. Dolores
League continues to be one of the tougher leagues in 8-Man Football. The past two years teams have reached the State Championship but have come up short. Dove Creek is my pick to win League One. Dove Creek will have a few holes to fill but will look for their shot at the top of the league. Dove Creek will need to find a new QB but return top RBs in Gage Buffington and Kade Hankins. The offensive line for Dove Creek looks in great shape with just 1 senior graduating. Defensively Dove Creek returns 8 of their top 10 tacklers. Dove Creek will have great leadership back in Quaden Huffaker and Tyson Beanland. The main question is can Dove Creek get over the hump this season. Mancos is my pick to finish in second place. Mancos reached the state championship last season and will have a few holes to replace. Mancos will return QB Ayden Mathews and #2 RB Kail Wayman. Mancos will have key leadership to replace and over 1800 yards of rushing to replace. The offensive line for Mancos could be looking to replace 2 starters but look to have a solid group of seniors to fill the holes. Defensively Mancos returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers and 4 of their top 5. Ayden Mathews and Chris Medina look to be standouts on a very solid defensive team. Mancos has a big hole to fill offensively but look for good leadership to fill those holes. Sanford is my pick to finish in 3rd place. Sanford had a interesting season last year with a key injury slowing them down. They still made a great run to the semifinals but now must replace a very good senior class. Sanford will be searching for a new QB and new top RB. I look for Cash Caldon and Gauge Lewis to step up this season for Sanford. The offensive line for Sanford will also need to be reworked a bit but look for them to be physical up front. Defensively Sanford returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers including their top 2. Sanford defense will look to anchor a young offense and look for standouts in Cash Caldon and McCray Larsen to lead a very physical defense. Sanford will look for a mix of experience and youth to help them improve this season. Sargent is my pick to finish 4th. Sargent was very young last season featuring mostly sophomores and freshman, but that experience will be key for them heading into this season. Sargent will look to replace their starting QB but at RB look for 3 different players to step up in Tyler Chapman, Fernando Venzor, and Cooper Gosar. The offensive line was also very young last season but will have to replace 1 starter and a player who transferred. Defensively Sargent will return 7 of their top 10 tacklers but growth will be vital to Sargent having success. Norwood is my pick to finish in 5th. Norwood only played 3 games a season ago and forfeit one going 0-4. Norwood will look to play a whole season this year, but we will keep an eye as this season goes on for Norwood. Dolores is my pick to finish in 6th. Dolores did not have a team last year but did scrimmage teams in the area last year. Dolores will play its first season of 8-Man and it will be interesting how they adapt to the 8-Man game.
My predictions for the League One
League Champion: Dove Creek
Playoff Contenders: Dove Creek, Mancos, Sanford
Dark Horse: Sargent (They are very young can they take the next step)
Player of the League: RB Gage Buffington Jr. Dove Creek
Others to watch for: Kade Hankins Sr. Dove Creek, Tyson Beanland Jr. Dove Creek, Quaden Huffaker Sr. Dove Creek, Ayden Mathews Sr. Mancos, Chris Medina Jr. Mancos, Kail Wayman Jr. Mancos, Cole Guilfoyle Jr. Mancos, Cash Caldon Jr. Sanford, McCray Larsen Sr. Sanford, Gauge Lewis Sr. Sanford, Lincoln Reynolds Jr. Sanford, Parker Vannoy Sr. Sanford, Wyatt Cross Sr. Sargent, Tyler Chapman So. Sargent, Cooper Gosar So. Sargent, Fernando Venzor So. Sargent
League Two
1. Vail Christian
2. Hayden
3. West Grand
4. Rangely
5. Plateau Valley
6. Soroco
League Two continues to improve but have not performed as well in the playoff recently. League Two looks to be very competitive again this season. Vail Christian is my pick to win league two. Vail Christian will have some holes to fill offensively but return key leadership as they hope for a deeper playoff run. Vail Christian returns QB Taylor Shull who had a huge season last year. The rest of the skill position group will be very inexperienced and that could put extra pressure on the QB. The offensive line will look to replace 1 starter but should be in good shape for this season. Defensively Vail Christian returns 5 of their top 10 tacklers. Vail Christian will look for new leadership to step up and look to Andre Skweir and Jack Pryor to fill those voids. The main question mark around Vail Christian is at the skill position group. Hayden is my pick to finish in second place. Hayden will return their entire roster, but can they take the next step to reach the playoffs and challenge for the league title. Hayden went 5-3 last season but against top teams they lost by 40+ points in all 3 games. Hayden will look for growth in QB Brayden Dale along with RB Sabyn Hager and WR Kodi Ingols. As mentioned, Hayden will return their entire roster, but the offensive line must also grow as a unit. Defensively Hayden dominated against teams they were supposed to beat but against Mancos, Vail Christian, and Rangely gave up over 40 points in each game. Sabyn Hager, Cody Hawn, and Jake Lindley must push this defense to improve. Hayden has a real good shot at a playoff spot and league title but must improve from last season. West Grand is my pick to finish in 3rd place. West Grand had some success last season and look to build off that success. West Grand will return key pieces on offense as they look to improve on that side of the ball. QB Wyatt Shearer and RB Wyatt Howell both return to lead an improved offensive attack. The offensive line for West Grand also looks in good shape replacing just 1 senior. Growth of the offensive line could be key for West Grand. Defensively West Grand returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers including their top 3. Wyatt Shearer, Wyatt Howell, and Ollie Bergman all return to lead the defense. West Grand should show huge improvement this season. The main question is can they push for a league title and a playoff spot. Rangely is my pick to finish in 4th. Rangely lose a very good senior class and will look to the upcoming seniors and juniors to fill holes. Offensively Rangely lose the majority of their skill position players. A new QB will be needed along with replacing their top rushers from last season. Kobey Chism and Marstan Wagner are two players I think could step into key roles offensively. The offensive line could also have a few holes to replace but look for some depth to come back and help build a new core. Defensively Rangely will return just 3 of their top 10 tacklers but solid leadership returns in Chism, Wagner, and Wyatt Wiley. Rangely will be rebuilding their core on both sides of the ball this season but don’t expect much of a let down from this team. Plateau Valley is my pick to finish 5ht. Plateau Valley will be losing a solid senior class that nearly pushed them into the playoffs. Plateau Valley will be replacing over 3000 yards of total offense this year. A new QB and top RB must be replaced for Plateau Valley. Dalton Crites and Bode Satterfield could be a pair of players who could step up this season. One big bright spot could be Plateau Valley offensive line as they might have to replace just 1 senior and could help anchor a new skill position group. Defensively Plateau Valley also returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers and this unit should also be very tough. Dalton Crites, Cadden Rocha, and Bode Satterfield will help lead the defense this season. Plateau Valley will have success this season if their defense steps up. Soroco is my pick to finish last in League Two. No Stats or roster was uploaded last season. They did win two games last season but struggled against top teams in league. We will watch and see how Soroco does this season.
My predictions for League Two
League Champion: Vail Christian
Playoff Contenders: Vail Christian, Hayden, West Grand
Dark Horse: West Grand (How much can they improve from last year to this year)
Player of the League: QB Taylor Shull Sr. Vail Christian
Others to watch for: Andrew Skweir Sr. Vail Christian, Jack Pryor Sr. Vail Christian, Brayden Dale Sr. Hayden, Sabyn Hager Sr. Hayden, Cody Hawn Sr. Hayden, Jake Lindley Sr. Hayden, Kodi Ingols Sr. Hayden, Wyatt Shearer Sr. West Grand, Wyatt Howell Sr. West Grand, Ollie Bergman Sr. West Grand, Evan Crandall So. West Grand, Kobey Chism Jr. Rangely, Marstan Wagner Sr. Rangely, Wyatt Wiley Sr. Rangely, Dalton Crites Sr. Plateau Valley, Cadden Rocha Sr. Plateau Valley, Bode Satterfield Jr. Plateau Valley
League Three
1. Simla
2. Calhan
3. Elbert
4. Pikes Peak Christian
5. St. Mary’s
6. South Park
League Three looks to be very top heavy with 3 teams pushing for playoff spots but also 1 team has been a top contender but look to rebuild/reload for this season and 1 team who drops from 1A to 8-Man and did not have a program last season. Simla is my pick to win league 3. Simla had a great season a year ago with a young core, but a pair of losses cost them the playoffs. Simla will look to build off last season and should find success. Offensively Simla returns QB Caston Cox, along with top RBs Brayden Glover and TJ Eurich. Simla also returns their top target at WR in Brent Bowker. The offensive line has the most question marks this season with possibly two starters graduating. Wille Swennes and Clayton McMillin look to be leaders on the offensive line but who else steps up and fills the holes. Defensively Simla returns 8 of their top 10 tacklers and this unit could be a top 4 unit this season. Simla will have to replace their top tackler from last season, but I see plenty of returning leadership to fill that hole. Simla main question mark this season is can they finish strong. Calhan is my pick to finish in second place. Calhan reached the playoffs a season ago, but can they build on that success. Calhan will return key pieces offensively in QB Aiden Jack and WR/RB Logan Jack but must replace over 1500 yards of offense lost to graduation. Calhan will be in search of other playmakers this season. The offensive line for Calhan could also see new faces with possibly all 3 starters graduating. Defensively Calhan will return just 3 of their top 10 tacklers but they return their top 3 from last season. Aiden Jack, Logan Jack, and Tayten Blasingame are all back to lead an inexperience defense. Calhan has question marks, but I think can build off last seasons success. Elbert is my pick to finish in 3rd place. Elbert will look to bounce back from a tough season a year ago. Elbert will return QB Logan LaFollette who had a great season a year ago. The rest of the skill position group will be very inexperienced and look for people to step up. Waylen Potestio and Brody Thompson could be a pair to step into key roles this season. The offensive line for Elbert could lose just 1 starter but will look for someone to step up their as well. Defensively Elbert returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers but only 2 of their top 5. Waylen Potestio and Tayden Wangerow could be the leaders this season. Elbert has a few holes, but can they push for a top 2 finish in league. Pikes Peak Christian is my pick for 4th place. PPC started the season on fire and look to be a top team again, but a pair of losses hurt their seed and they fell in the first round. PPC offensively will be looking to replace every skill position. PPC lose their QB, top WR, and their top 3 RBs from last season. The skill position battle is key for their success this year. The offensive line for PPC should be in decent shape returning possibly 2 starters and could be the anchor for this team. Defensively PPC returns 5 of their top 10 tacklers. Eddie Harmon and Samuel Edwards are two names to watch for on defense this season. Pikes Peak Christian has had a strong tradition the past few years and we will see how they do this year. St. Mary’s is my pick to finish 5th. St. Mary’s did not have a team last season and drop from 1A to 8-Man. St. Mary’s is a complete mystery and will be a team to watch how they adapt to 8-Man. South Park is my pick to finish last in League 3. South Park was very young last season featuring mostly sophomores and freshman. They will look to build around this young core and we should see this team take steps to improve this year. Offensively they must find something that works with these young kids and continue to develop the offensive line. Defensively they are led by 5 upcoming juniors and these 5 must step up and be leaders on both sides of the ball. South Park should improve this year but developing these kids is key.
My predictions for League 3
League Champion: Simla
Playoff Contenders: Simla, Calhan, Elbert
Dark Horse: St. Mary’s (Did not have a team last year and moving from 1A to 8-Man)
Player of the League: QB Caston Cox So. Simla
Others to watch for: Brayden Glover Sr. Simla, TJ Eurich So. Simla, Brent Bowker Jr. Simla, Jonathan Zimmerman Sr. Simla, Aiden Jack Sr. Calhan, Logan Jack Jr. Calhan, Tayten Blasingame Jr. Calhan, Logan LaFollette Jr. Elbert, Waylen Potestio Sr. Elbert, Tayden Wangerow Sr. Elbert, Eddie Harmon So. Pikes Peak Christian, Samuel Edwards Sr. Pikes Peak Christian, Luke Lindberg Jr. South Park, Jw Miller Jr. South Park, Dyllan Newman Jr. South Park
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