EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK TWO
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Just one week into the new season and big upsets have already occurred. Crazy weather caused delays and even a cancellation last week, with several games having to be pushed back from Friday to Saturday. Springfield was unable to get its game in due to intense lightning and rain. What will week two have in store? We preview the games involving teams ranked in the MileHigh Prep Report Media Poll, as well as other key match-ups.
#1 SIMLA CUBS (1-0) AT FOWLER GRIZZLIES (0-1) FRIDAY 7PM
Simla was one of the teams that had its game postponed because of the weather last week, with the Cubs having to wait until Saturday to face Hoehne. The Cubs erupted with 39 first quarter points and rolled to a 53-6 victory behind six total touchdowns for TJ Eurich (4 rush, 1 rec, 1 PR). Treven Kochera recorded three sacks and Brent Bowker added two. Fowler also had to endure a delay, as the weather rolled in on Friday night and forced the Grizzlies to finish their contest with Swink on Saturday. They led 14-12 when the game was suspended in the second quarter, but came up short, 32-26. Trever Ketner ran for 203 yards and four scores, and Harrison Proctor led everyone with 23 tackles. Simla snapped a three-game skid in the series with last year’s 35-0 win over Fowler. Caston Cox threw for 203 yards and two scores in that victory.
#2 HAXTUN FIGHTIN’ BULLDOGS (0-0) AT ST. PAUL LUTHERAN, MO SAINTS (1-0) SATURDAY 1PM
Haxtun was originally scheduled to play Holyoke in an 11-man game this week, but plans changed and the Fightin’ Bulldogs were left scrambling to find a contest. They found one, in Missouri. St. Paul Lutheran features a strong running attack that is spearheaded by senior Jayden Maggert, who ran for 268 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-26 win last Friday. The Saints recovered five fumbles in that victory. Haxtun will unleash its own ground game that features Ryland Wolff, who went for more than 1400 yards last year, while also throwing for close to 1400. Kailin Kelley was just 11 yards short of a 1000-yard season a year ago.
#3 MANCOS BLUEJAYS (1-0) AT MONTICELLO, UT BUCKAROOS (1-1) FRIDAY 7PM
For the second straight week, Mancos takes on an out of state opponent, with a trip to Utah on Friday. The Bluejays got 165 yards and five touchdowns from Kail Wayman on the ground in last week’s 58-28 win over Melrose (NM). Wayman led the defense with 11 tackles, a pick, forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, and he also threw for 111 yards to go with his rushing tally. Levi Martin added 96 yards and two rushing TD, and he also returned a kick for a score. Wayman ran for 199 yards and three touchdowns and added another score through the air in a 52-13 win over Monticello last season. The defense did its part, recording six takeaways.
#4 DOVE CREEK BULLDOGS (1-0) AT RANGELY PANTHERS (1-0) FRIDAY 7PM
Dove Creek began its title defense by having to dig out of an early hole at Plateau Valley, as the Bulldogs trailed 6-0 after one quarter. The led 52-6 heading to the fourth, and won by a final of 52-14. Colten Fury tossed three TD passes, two to Taber Dejane, and the running game piled up 371 yards on the night. Dejane, who snagged three passes for 123 yards, also ran for 146 and three scores. Gage Buffington added 123 yards in the ground game. Rangely also had two backs over the century mark in its 28-8 win over Caliche, with Marcos Quintana (127) and Kobey Chism (121) combining for 248 yards. Landon Williams led the defense with three sacks. Dove Creek has won the last three match-ups with the Panthers, including a 60-2 decision last year. The Bulldogs ran for more than 420 yards and held Rangely to just 50 total yards in that contest.
#5T HOLLY WILDCATS (1-0) BYE WEEK
Holly got 117 rushing yards and 114 passing yards from Andre Salgado in last week’s 19-6 win over Dayspring Christian. Rueben Maldonado added 103 yards on the ground and a team-high 15 tackles. The Wildcats intercepted five passes in the game, two by Nick Vasquez. They are off this week.
#5T LYONS LIONS (1-0) AT LAS ANIMAS TROJANS (0-1) FRIDAY 7PM
Malik Sigg-Brown powered Lyons to a 50-0 victory over Walsenburg last week, running for 204 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries. Miles Dumbauld added two more scores on the ground. Wyatt Fitzgerald was the lone player in the game with ore than 10 tackles, as the junior finished with 11. Las Animas held an early 8-6 lead in its game with Calhan on Friday, and trailed 24-16 when the game was suspended due to weather. When the contest resumed on Saturday, the Trojans were outscored 36-0. Both of their touchdowns were scored by the defense. Conan Tyler scored on a fumble recovery and Brander Nichols had a pick-six. Lyons led last year’s contest 32-0 at the end of the first quarter and rolled to a 48-14 victory. Maregu Sullivan scored on an 80-yard reception and a 94-yard kick return.
#7 SANFORD MUSTANGS (0-0) VS SWINK LIONS (1-0) FRIDAY 7PM
Sanford had a bye last week and the Mustangs will open their season on Friday at home against a Swink squad that took a 32-26 win over Fowler last weekend. Hunter Bauserman led the Lions with 244 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and the QB added 139 more yards on the ground. Jackson Tomky hauled in 12 receptions for 156 yards and all four TD. Bauserman paced the defense with 20 tackles, and Tomky added an interception. Sanford has won five straight over Swink, including a 32-14 decision last season.
#8 BYERS BULLDOGS (1-0) VS CROWLEY COUNTY CHARGERS (0-1) FRIDAY 7PM
Byers got out to a 20-6 lead at Akron last Saturday and held on to take a 28-20 win, snapping a string of four straight losses to begin seasons. The Bulldogs, who saw Kaleb Willoughby run for 284 yards and three touchdowns, had not won a season-opener since 2018. Chase Long had 11 tackles to lead the Bulldogs on defense. Crowley County turned the ball over five times and struggled to stop the run in a 28-6 loss to McClave last week. The Chargers allowed more than 300 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in suffering their second opening week loss in the last three seasons. Crowley County has won all five meetings with Byers in the MaxPreps era, including a 36-0 victory last year. That’s the only match-up between the two as eight-man programs.
#9 MERINO RAMS (1-0) AT MCCLAVE CARDINALS (1-0) FRIDAY 7PM
Leading 22-20 late in the first half, Merino punched in a momentum swinging touchdown before the intermission against Front Range Christian last Saturday, and pulled away in the third to claim a 44-26 victory over the Falcons. Jace Curtis provided the final blow, racing in from 36-yards out to put the Rams up by three scores in the third. Deuces were wild for Gavin Tempel in McClave’s win over Crowley County, as the senior carried the ball 22 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns to power the Cards to the victory. Mason Barr added a pair of interceptions as part of a five takeaway performance by the defense. Merino has won five straight meetings between the programs, and has not allowed more than 14 points in any of those contests. Last year, Coen Schmidt ran for 251 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Rams to nearly 500 rushing yards on the day.
#10 AKRON RAMS (0-1) AT ST. MARY’S PIRATES (0-1) FRIDAY 7PM
Anderson Filla ran for 112 yards and one touchdown, and also recorded a game-high 15 tackles in Akron’s loss to Byers last week. The Rams also got a passing touchdown from Ryan McCaffrey to Tucker Stahn, but they were unable to get consistent stops against the running game, and did not force a turnover. St. Mary’s threw four interceptions and could only manage 134 yards of offense in its 30-0 shutout loss against Custer County last week. Chris Allen led four Pirate defenders in double digit tackles with 14 stops, including a sack. Akron rolled to a 40-0 win last year, with McCaffrey tossing three touchdowns and Filla scoring a total of three times, twice on the ground.
WEST GRAND MUSTANGS (1-0) VS CALHAN BULLDOGS (1-0) FRIDAY 7PM
West Grand got four TD passes from Blake Terryberry, two apiece to Joe Probst and Jackson Steinle, and had the sportsmanship clock rolling by halftime in its 46-0 win over Gilpin County. Kai Edson picked off two passes for the Mustangs, and the defense secured four takeaways in the shutout. Calhan’s defense did not allow a score in the 60-16 win by the Bulldogs over Las Animas. That unit also recorded four takeaways. West Grand took a 40-20 victory in last year’s match-up.
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