8-Man Football League Predictions (Leagues 4, 5, 6 and 7)

8-Man Football League Predictions (Leagues 4, 5, 6 and 7)

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 Four

1. Haxtun

2. Akron

3. Merino

4. Caliche

5. Sedgwick County

6. Dayspring Christian

One of the toughest leagues if not the toughest league in 8-Man is League Four.  All 6 teams have a shot at making the playoffs, but I think at most only 4 or 5 will get in.  That means some great games once this league moves into league play.  My pick to win League 4 is Haxtun.  Haxtun is your defending state champions and have a good mix of experience and youth to help them make another run this season.  Haxtun will be in search of a new QB this season.  Top RB Michael Gerk is back but who else steps up is key for Haxtun.  Look for a player like Kyle Fryrear to have a bigger impact on the offense this season.  The offensive line for Haxtun could have a few holes to fill with possibly 2 starters graduating.  Look for senior leaders like Maclin Tempel, Brock Miller, Kristopher Hadeen, and Jacob Tori to take leadership roles.  Defensively Haxtun returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers and return key leaders in Grant Statz, Kailin Kelley, and Michael Gerk.  Haxtun is the early favorite to repeat but must get some experience to depth players.  Akron is my pick to finish in second place.  Akron had a good mix last season of experience and youth but with key seniors graduating who steps up to replace those seniors is key.  Akron will get key pieces back on offense.  QB Ryan McCaffrey is back after a breakout season along with McCaffrey Akron also returns their top three rushers in Anderson Filla, Ivan Losa, and Jackson Filla.  Akron is loaded at the skill positions, and they will look to take the next step.  The offensive line for Akron has key pieces to replace losing possibly two starters.  Akron will turn to some upcoming seniors to try and fill holes and look for Hunter Molt, Clint Walker, and Anthony Benavidez to step up this season.  Defensively Akron returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers but lose key depth and leadership on defense.  Anderson Filla and Ivan Losa will return as leaders but will look for some depth to really step up.  Merino is my pick to finish in 3^rd place.  Merino is always a threat to win a league title and push for a playoff spot and I don’t see anything changing this season.  Merino returns key pieces at the skill positions to be considered one of the best in the state.  QB Coen Schmidt and RB Deacon Trenkle are both back and lead a talented skill position group.  Merino will look for new weapons at WR.  The offensive line for Merino has the most question marks and must improve this year.  Defensively Merino returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers and 4 of their top 5.  Kaden Piel and Tyler Frank along with Schmidt and Trenkle are players to watch for on Defense.  If Merino gets their offensive line figured out watch out for Merino, this season.  Caliche is my pick to finish in 4^th place.  Caliche started to take steps in the right direction last season and now must put everything together.  Caliche returns key starters at QB in Seth Marick and RB in Tanner Gerk and Andrew Smith.  The offensive line for Caliche will have at least 1 starter to replace but look for some upcoming juniors to fill those holes.  Defensively Caliche returns 8 of their top 10 tacklers but must show improvement.  Caliche has the returning players but now comes down to their growth from last season.  Sedgwick County is my pick for 5^th place.  Sedgwick County will be looking to replace a solid senior class again but with a great coaching staff I don’t see this team dropping off much.  New starters at QB and RB must step up.  Look for Jaxon Carlson and Cameron Hackbart to possibly step up this season.  The offensive line for Sedgwick County must also keep improving and growing this season.  Defensively Sedgwick County returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers.  Sedgwick County will lean on Logan Edson and Liam Buettenback to be leaders this season.  Dayspring Christian is my pick to finish 6^th but I could easily see them finishing higher up.  Dayspring Christian will be losing over 3000 yards of offense from last season.  Dayspring Christian will be searching for new playmakers this season.  Zach Freeman, Ezra Kayl, and Isaiah Bryant could be three players to watch for this season.  The offensive line for Dayspring Christian will also have a few holes with at least 1 starter graduating.  Defensively Dayspring Christian returns 5 of their top 10 tacklers but only 1 of their top 5.  Jaxon Martin and Logan Bonnell must step up this season on defense for Dayspring Christian.  Dayspring Christian will turn to youth this season to step up and if they can they could still make a run.

My predictions for the League Four

League Champion: Haxtun

Playoff Contenders: Haxtun, Akron, Merino, Caliche, Sedgwick County, Dayspring Christian

Dark Horse: Caliche (Can the take the next step in development and push for a playoff spot)

Player of the League: RB Michael Gerk Sr. Haxtun

Others to watch for: Grant Statz So. Haxtun, Kailin Kelley Jr. Haxtun, Maclin Tempel Sr. Haxtun, Kyle Fryrear Sr. Haxtun, Ryan Mccaffrey Jr. Akron, Anderson Filla So. Akron, Ivan Losa Sr. Akron, Jackson Filla Sr. Akron, Coen Schmidt So. Merino, Deacon Trenkle Sr. Merino, Kaden Piel Jr. Merino, Tyler Frank Sr. Merino, Seth Marick Sr. Caliche, Andrew Smith Jr. Caliche, Tanner Gerk Sr. Caliche, Dylan Harms Jr. Caliche, Ben Breidenbach Sr. Caliche, Logan Edson Sr. Sedgwick County, Liam Buettenback Jr. Sedgwick County, Jaxon Carlson So. Sedgwick County, Jaxon Martin Sr. Dayspring Christian, Logan Bonnell Sr. Dayspring Christian, Zach Freeman Sr. Dayspring Christian

League Five

1. Byers

2. Front Range Christian

3. Lyons

4. Gilpin County

5. Justice

6. Belleview Christian

League Five looks to be very top heavy with 3 playoff/league title contenders but can any of the bottom teams step up to challenge the top 3?  Byers is my pick to win League Five.  Byers reached the playoffs last season mainly due to a 4 OT win over Front Range Christian.  Byers will be in search of a new QB but return their top 3 RBs from last season in Ceasar Meza, Zach Cary, and Corey Russell.  Don’t be surprised if one of the 3 move to QB this season.  The offensive line for Byers could be replacing two starters and this group will have the most to prove.  Defensively Byers returns 8 of their top 10 tacklers and defensively Byers must continue to improve.  Byers will lean on Kaiden Powell, Chase Long, and Wyatt Harris to be leaders on Defense.  Byers main question mark is their offensive line but if they get that in check, they could push for the league title and playoffs again.  Front Range Christian is my pick to finish in second place.  Front Range Christian missed the playoffs due to two losses last season and will look to push for the playoffs this season.  Front Range Christian will have the weapons with QB Ethan Whatmore, RBs Jack Edwards and James Schiffers, and WR Nolan Potts all coming back.  The main question marks will be the offensive line with possibly two starters graduating.  More than likely Front Range Christian will turn to juniors to step up and take over the offensive line holes.  Defensively Front Range Christian returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers but lose key depth from last season.  Jack Edwards, Caedan Whatmore, and Nolan Potts will be the leaders of a defensive unit hoping to improve this season.  Lyons is my pick to finish in 3^rd place.  Lyons took steps to compete for a playoff spot last season and they will look to build off that momentum.  Lyons will return most of their skill position players and most were sophomore’s last season.  QB Miles Dumbauld, RB Finn Oetting, and RB Maregu Sullivan are all back and most continue to develop.  The offensive line for Lyons could be looking for 3 new starters but the upcoming junior and senior class has some size to replace the departing seniors.  Defensively Lyons returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers but lose key leadership from last season.  Dumbauld, Oetting, and Sullivan are also leaders on defense and must continue to lead a young but experienced Lyons team.  Gilpin County is my pick for 4^th place.  Gilpin County had a tough season a year ago but will look to improve heading into this season.  Gilpin County will return their QB Trey Lindberg but will look to replace their top two RBs with Cole Tuttle and Bradley Robinson.  The offensive line for Gilpin County should also show improvement this season and will lean on their experience from last season.  Defensively Gilpin County returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers.  Gilpin County should improve this season and look for them to try and push into the top 3 of this league.  Justice is my pick to finish 5^th.  Justice had some success last year winning 2 games but lose senior class that were leaders at most positions.  Justice will be rebuilding offensively at nearly all positions.  Justice will also be rebuilding defensively as well returning just 2 of their top 10 tacklers.  Justice is always hard to figure out year to year.  Belleview Christian is my pick to finish in 6^th.  Belleview Christian will have a team for the first time since 2017.  Belleview Christian will be a team to watch and see as they push thru the season. 

My predictions for League Five

League Champion: Byers

Playoff Contenders: Byers, Front Range Christian, Lyons

Dark Horse: Lyons (Can they take the step with their returning youth to push for the league title.)

Player of the League: QB Ethan Whatmore Sr. Front Range Christian

Others to watch for: Ceasar Meza Jr. Byers, Zach Cary Jr. Byers, Corey Russell Jr. Byers, Kaiden Powell Jr. Byers, Chase Long So. Byers, Wyatt Harris Sr. Byers, Jack Edwards Jr. Front Range Christian, Caedan Whatmore So. Front Range Christian, Nolan Potts Sr. Front Range Christian, Jack Schiffers Jr. Front Range Christian, Ike Denbraber Sr. Front Range Christian, Miles Dumbauld Jr. Lyons, Finn Oetting Jr. Lyons, Maregu Sullivan Jr. Lyons, Trey Lindberg Sr. Gilpin County, Cole Tuttle Sr. Gilpin County, Bradley Robinson Sr. Gilpin County,

League Six

1. Crowley County

2. Fowler

3. Hoehne

4. Custer County

5. John Mall

6. Dolores Huerta Prepatory

League Six will be very top heavy again with the top 3 teams all pushing for the league title and playoff berths.  The bottom 3 could all still be in the mix but must improve from last season.  Crowley County is my pick to win League Six.  Crowley County will return key skill position players but must find a new QB and that could Dalton Carroll.  RBs Dillon Buford and Robert Sanjuan are both back along with top WR Sam Parker.  The offensive line could have to replace 2 seniors but look for Gerald Vaughn, CJ Acord, and Elijah Mcneil to fill key spots.  Defensively Crowley County will return 7 of their top 10 tacklers but will lose their top tackler from last year.  Dalton Carroll and Skeater Baker will look to step into the leadership role.  Fowler is my pick to finish in 2^nd.  Fowler reached the playoffs again last season, but this season look for a deeper playoff run.  QB Gage Gottbehuet, RB Justin Totten and WR Boyd Rogers are all back to lead a talented skill position group.  The main question mark offensively for Fowler is their offensive line with possibly all 3 starters graduating.  Fowler will look to upcoming seniors and juniors to fill the holes.  Defensively Fowler returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers and this unit should show big improvement.  Fowler will look to Harrison Proctor, Boyd Rogers, and Gavin Unrein to be leaders again this season.  Hoehne is my pick to finish in 3^rd place.  Hoehne is a dark horse pick to win the league.  Hoehne returns nearly their entire roster, and the main question is development and growth.  Hoehne returns QB Dario Vezzani, RB Michael Armijo, and WR Isaiah Chavez.  Hoehne will have one spot to replace and that at offensive line.  Hoehne, I think offensively could be very dangerous.  Defensively Hoehne returns 9 of their top 10 tacklers but lose key size from last season.  Andrew Santistevan, Michael Armijo, and Landen Sanchez look to be leaders again this season.  Hoehne can be a team to push for that league title.  Custer County is my pick to finish in 4^th place.  Custer County will look to build off last season and push to finish in the top 4.  Custer County will return QB Chris Mullett, RB Ben Stafford, and WR Garrett Olomon.  Offensively Custer County should show improvement this season, but their offensive line must continue to improve every game.  Defensively Custer County returns 9 of their top 10 tacklers and this is the unit I think makes the biggest improvement this season.  Dolores Huerta or Prepatory is my pick to finish 5^th.  I am not sure if they are changing names, but Dolores Huerta will have some key holes to fill.  Dolores Huerta will be in search of a new QB but return their top RB from last season in Andres Rubio.  Dolores Huerta also returns their top WR Danny Whitney.  The offensive line for Dolores Huerta will be an advantage returning at least two starters.  Defensively Dolores Huerta returns 7 of their top 10 tacklers including their top 3.  Danny Whitney, Marcos Lerma, and Zechariah Maldonado will look to continue to be leaders on defense.  John Mall is my pick to finish 6^th.  John Mall only played 5 games last season and will look to finish a whole season this year and improve from last season.  Offensively a new QB must step up but at RB Elton Chavez and Giovanni Aldretti look to take key steps in the offense.  The offensive line will have the most to prove with possibly all 3 starters graduating.  John Mall defensively returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers including their top 3.  Elton Chavez, Bernard Espinoza, and Giovanni Aldretti are 3 players who must continue to step up. 

My predictions for League Six

League Champion: Crowley County

Playoff Contenders: Crowley County, Fowler, Hoehne

Dark Horse: Hoehne (Did they improve enough to win the league)

Player of the League: QB Gage Gottbehuet Jr. Fowler

Others to watch for: Dalton Carroll Sr. Crowley County, Skeater Baker Sr. Crowley County, Dillon Buford Sr. Crowley County, Byars Brown Sr. Crowley County, Harrison Proctor Jr. Fowler, Justin Totten Jr. Fowler, Boyd Rogers Sr. Fowler, Gavin Unrein Sr. Fowler, Dario Vezzani Sr. Hoehne, Michael Armijo Sr. Hoehne, Isaiah Chavez Sr. Hoehne, Andrew Santistevan Sr. Hoehne, Landen Sanchez Jr. Hoehne, Chris Mullett So. Custer County, Ben Stafford Jr. Custer County, Garrett Olomon Sr. Custer County, Elon Chavez Jr. John Mall, Bernard Espinoza Sr. John Mall, Giovanni Aldretti So. John Mall, Danny Whitney Sr. Dolores Huerta, Marcos Lerma Jr. Dolores Huerta, Zechariah Maldonado Jr. Dolores Huerta, Andres Rubio Sr. Dolores Huerta

League Seven

1. Holly

2. McClave

3. Wiley

4. Swink

5. Las Animas

6. Springfield

League Seven looks to be very tough with possibly 4 playoff teams.  League matches will mean a ton and I am interested to see how this league performs in their non-league match ups.  Holly is my pick to win League Seven.  Holly had success last year and they will look to build off that success.  Holly will have a few key pieces to replace mainly at QB.  Holly will look to Andre Salgado to step into the QB role, but he has weapons with RB Daunte Maldonado and Dominique Maldonado coming back.  At WR Colby Swopes also looks to make a big impact.  The offensive line for Holly also looks to be in good shape but will have at least one hole to fill.  Defensively Holly returns 7 of their top 10 tackler including 4 of their top 5.  Holly will have a shot at a top 5 defense in 8-Man this season.  McClave is my pick to finish in second place.  McClave has been building around this senior class since they were freshman and now it’s time to see what they can do.  QB Ayden Gomez, RB Braden Marks, and WR Aiden Martinez are all back to lead a very talented skill position group.  The offensive line should also be in very good shape with at least two starters if not all 3 coming back.  Defensively McClave returns 9 of their top 10 tacklers including 4 of their top 5.  McClave is another team I think could have a top 6 defense.  McClave though must show big improvement from last season.  Wiley is my pick for 3^rd place.  Wiley is another team with League Title expectations and will return the players to do so.  Wiley did not post stats from last season but will return nearly their entire roster from last season.  Wiley will have a ton of size on the offensive line this season and look for the skill position group of Cade Phillips, Evan Larrick, and Devon Jacobs to have big seasons.  Defensively Wiley must show improvement against top competition.  Wiley gave up over 36 points against teams with better records and if they improve defensively, they will be a top team in league. Swink is my pick to finish in 4^th place but like the three teams above them they have league title expectations.  Swink is also loaded at the skill position group with QB Hunter Bauserman, RB Garlon Guerin, and WR Ben Miner all coming back.  Secondary RB will be the main hole to fill for Swink.  The offensive line for Swink could have to replace two seniors and could be the main question mark for this team.  Defensively Swink returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers but must replace over 280+ tackles from last season.  Ben Miner, Garlon Guerin, and Cody Lockhart look to step into the leadership roles.  Like I mentioned early the top 4 teams all expect to win the league title and these will be great games inside of league.  Las Animas is my pick to finish in 5^th.  Las Animas will be looking to replace most of their skill position players, and they could be very inexperienced this season.  The offensive line for Las Animas could be a strength and possibly have to replace one starter.  Defensively Las Animas returns 6 of their top 10 tacklers and if Las Animas expects to upset any of the top 4, they must step up on defense this season.  Springfield is my pick to finish in 6^th.  Springfield was very young last season, but I have heard of some of their top players transferring.  Springfield has not uploaded a roster for this season so it’s extremely tough to know who is coming back.  Springfield could move into the #5 spot if they return their youth from last season, but we will see how they look once the season starts.

My predictions for League Seven

League Champion: Holly

Playoff Contenders: Holly, McClave, Wiley, Swink

Dark Horse: Las Animas or Springfield (Can either compete with the top 4 and push for a 5^th playoff spot)

Player of the League: QB Ayden Gomez Sr. McClave

Others to watch for: Daunte Maldonado Sr. Holly, Dominique Maldonado Jr. Holly, Andre Salgado Jr. Holly, Colby Swopes Sr. Holly, Aiden Martinez Sr. McClave, Will Pacino So. McClave, Braden Marks Sr. McClave, Julian Gutierez Jr. McClave, Caleb Barr Sr. McClave, Cade Phillips Sr. Wiley, Evan Larrick Sr. Wiley, Devon Jacobs Sr. Wiley, Ben Miner Sr. Swink, Garlon Guerin Sr. Swink, Cody Lockhart Sr. Swink, Hunter Bauserman Jr. Swink