SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK TWO
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Blow-outs were the order of the day in the opening week of the season, with only two games decided by fewer than 20 points. Six contests saw final margins of at least 40. Week two gives us two match-ups with ranked teams squaring off, including a second straight such meeting for top-ranked Stratton. We are using the MileHigh Prep Report Media Rankings until more data has been accumulated for the Selection and Seeding Index.
#1 STRATTON EAGLES (1-0) VS #4 GRANADA BOBCATS (1-0) FRIDAY 7PM
Leading 18-16 in the second quarter, Stratton exploded for the final 47 points against Cheyenne Wells last Saturday to claim a 65-16 victory. It was their 15th straight win with the sportsmanship clock. Charlie Tagtmeyer threw four TD passes, two apiece to Cyler Notter and Dawson Thompson, and Notter added three more scores on the ground. Von Isenbart sparked the defense with three interceptions. Granada got a stellar effort from Maddox Coleman in its 58-13 win over Branson/Kim last week, with the junior hitting on 8 of 9 passes, five for touchdowns. Terrance Hainer hauled in three of them. Coleman also ran for a TD and returned a kick for yet another. These two programs had one of the more storied rivalries in 8-man, but Stratton has dominated with both in six-man, winning all five meetings.
#2 OTIS BULLDOGS (1-0) VS BRIGGSDALE FALCONS (0-1) FRIDAY 7PM
Austin Hornung threw for 178 yards and two scores, while Tayte Smith ran for two, thew one, and caught one as Otis rolled past Kit Carson 44-15 in week one. Cambric Klinzmann snagged a pair of TD receptions, and recorded 10 tackles in his first high school contest. Older brother Bohden led the team with 11 tackles. Three interceptions hampered the Falcons in their opening week loss to Idalia, as Briggsdale fell by a 40-16 count. They turned it over five times in last year’s 47-7 defeat at the hands of Otis. Smith ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns in that Bulldog victory.
#3 GENOA-HUGO PIRATES (1-0) VS KIT CARSON WILDCATS (0-1) FRIDAY 7PM
While past meetings between Genoa-Hugo and Eads have been track meets, last week’s game saw both defenses stand tall. Trey Smith still threw for 314 yards and a TD on 12 of 17 passing, and Konner Rowden-Stum ran for two scores and tossed another, as the Pirates won 28-14. Smith led everyone in the game with 18 tackles. Kit Carson had its fair share of struggles with the Otis passing game, as the Wildcats only forced three incompletions and allowed more than 220 yards and four touchdowns. The Pirates have won the last two meetings, including a 64-25 decision last year. Smith threw for 209 yards and three TD in that win, and Rowden-Stum scored four times, once on a long kick return. Keaton Marriott had a receiving TD and also a team-high eight tackles for the Wildcats.
#5 FLEMING WILDCATS (1-0) AT #9 IDALIA WOLVES (1-0) FRIDAY 3:30PM
Wyatt Cochran put Fleming’s offense on his back in last week’s 61-33 win at North Park, with the senior toting the rock 29 times for 293 yards and six touchdowns. He also recorded one of the three fumble recoveries by the defense that helped Fleming pull away over the final 15 minutes of what had been a nip-and-tuck affair to that point. Matix Haney registered 11 tackles, and freshman Conner Marchant added 10. While the pass defense definitely helped Idalia collect the 40-16 win at Briggsdale last week, it was the running attack on offense that powered the Wolves. They piled up close to 300 yards in that phase. Fleming took a 44-6 win in last year’s match-up, after Idalia had beaten the Wildcats twice in 2021. The second of those was in the postseason.
#6 CHEYENNE WELLS TIGERS (0-1) AT CHEYLIN, KS COUGARS (0-0) FRIDAY 7PM
Perry Chadwick tossed a TD to Carson Noe and also returned a kick 79 yards to keep the Tigers within striking distance at Stratton last Saturday. However, the senior went out prior to the end of the first half with an injury and the Tigers would not score again, falling 65-16. He threw a TD in last year’s 45-27 loss to Cheylin, but the Cougars turned the game around with four interceptions. Logan McCarty, one of the top players in the state of Kansas, had one of those four picks, while also running for 147 yards and four scores, and throwing for 119 yards and two TD.
#7 WALSH EAGLES (1-0) AT MOUNTAIN VALLEY INDIANS (1-0) FRIDAY 1PM
With weather conditions severely limiting the passing game, Walsh turned to the run and got 76 yards with two touchdowns from Leyton Jones, and another 71 yards with one TD from Conner McDonald in its 32-6 win over visiting La Veta last week. Jones also providing a big blow on defense, scoring on a 51-yard pick-six. Riley Heater hit on nine of 11 passes for 175 yards and three TD, and added 64 yards and a TD on the ground for Mountain Valley, as the Indians rolled past Hanover 48-16. Damien Ross ran for two and caught two, while Jacob Martinez shined on defense with 16 tackles and a pair of interceptions, one for a touchdown. Jones and Ethan Barwick each had three touchdowns (two run, one receiving apiece) in the Eagles’ 54-8 victory last year. Martinez accounted for the lone Mountain Valley score.
#8 ARICKAREE BISON (1-0) VS NORTH PARK WILDCATS (0-1) FRIDAY 3:30PM
Arickaree had a bye last week after taking a 52-18 win at Deer Trail in Zero Week. Dillon Noletubby put in a workman’s effort in that win, scoring five total touchdowns (2 rush, 1 receiving, 1 FR, 1 INT). Austin Wright and Zarron Skubal each had 11 tackles for the Bison, and along with Noletubby, each recorded a sack. North Park gave up close to 400 yards on the ground in its loss to Fleming, and the offense turned the ball over three times. The Bison overcame a 14-12 first quarter deficit in Walden last year and took a 37-14 win over the Wildcats. Makeon Crum ran for 152 yards and a TD in the loss. He also intercepted a pair of passes and recovered a fumble.
#10T SIERRA GRANDE PANTHERS (1-0) VS EADS (0-1) FRIDAY 1PM
Sierra Grande only ran 21 plays in its 62-6 victory over Manzanola last week, but the Panthers scored on seven of them. Tyler Kester had four rushing scores, and Brian Ontiveros added two. The Panthers also got kick return touchdowns from Derek Martinez and Jadyn Martinez, and Ayden Lopez connected on six of eight PAT kicks. Stockton Mitchek powered the Eagles with 128 yards and two rushing scores in their loss against Genoa-Hugo last week. He also had a team-leading eight tackles in the defeat. Eads claimed a 52-12 win over the Panthers last year, with Mitchek running for 112 yards and a TD. He also added a TD catch. Kester had a TD reception for Sierra Grande.
#10T PEETZ BULLDOGS (1-0) VS PRAIRIE MUSTANGS (1-0) THURSDAY 7PM
After being held scoreless for the opening 10 minutes, Peetz erupted to score 51 points over the final 30 minutes and posted a 51-0 shutout of Kiowa on the road. Chance Segelke tossed a pair of touchdowns, one apiece to Noah Naegele and Nicoli Serkiz, and Rhyder Bayne added a long TD to Naegele, while also running for 116 yards and two scores. The Bulldogs also recorded five interceptions, with Bayne and Serkiz each taking one back for a touchdown. The closest game of the opening week had Prairie eking out a 20-18 victory at Cheraw. The Mustangs struggled to get the ground game going, with Justin Schreiner accounting for all 75 yards in that phase. They did get two TD passes from Wyatt Chase to Brennan Bringelson to help pull out the win. Prairie has won four straight and five of the last six against its North division rivals.
Outside of the top-10, Branson/Kim will host Cheraw on Saturday, with both teams looking for their first win of the season. Saturday also has Hanover hosting La Veta, as both look to bounce back from disappointing losses in week one.
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