SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK FOUR BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The regular season hits the midpoint next week, but this week will see some of the biggest match-ups of the year. There will be shake-up in next week’s MileHigh Prep Report’s Media Poll, with the top six teams squaring off against each other in three huge games. But, there’s still more meat on the bone, as key contests can be found lower in the rankings and just outside of the top-10. This is the final week we will use the MHPR Media Poll for the rankings, as midway through the season, there will be enough data entered to shift to the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index.

#1 STRATTON EAGLES (3-0) AT #3 GENOA-HUGO PIRATES (2-0) FRIDAY 7PM

Stratton keeps on chugging along, with the Eagles garnering their 16th straight victory via the sportsmanship clock last week. Charlie Tagtmeyer tossed two touchdowns in the 50-12 victory, giving him nine on the season. He had a career high 11 as a sophomore and in 35 career games as the starting QB has 29 against only eight interceptions. Cyler Notter caught both scoring passes, and added three more on the ground. Those two also shone on defense, with Tagtmeyer picking off three passes and Notter recovering two fumbles. Genoa-Hugo had its bye last week and the Pirates will bring their own dynamic duo into the match-up. Trey Smith has complete 72.7% of his passes this season for almost 40 yards and four scores. Konner Rowden-Stum has rushed for two scores, caught two TD passes, and thrown one. Stratton won last year’s meeting 76-34, despite Smith throwing for more than 300 yards. The Eagles racked up more than 350 on the ground. Stratton has won 11 of the last 12 meetings in the series.

#2 OTIS BULLDOGS (3-0) VS #5 IDALIA WOLVES (3-0) FRIDAY 7PM

With five teams in the top eight, every contest in the East Central shapes up to be huge. The winner of this match-up will own a share of the league lead with the winner of the Stratton and Genoa-Hugo game. Otis rolled to a 75-7 win at Hi-Plains in league play last week, with 11 different players combining to run for 282 yards and seven touchdowns. Ten Bulldogs had at least one TD in the game, with Erick Thorn scoring twice. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 179-35 on the season. Idalia won its league opener in a different fashion, with defense and special teams taking the starring role. Kagen Hoyda returned a punt 70 yards for a TD and had a receiving score for the Wolves as they beat Arickaree 12-8. The Wolves were held to 139 yards of offense, but were helped out by two takeaways, including an interception by Hoyda, who had 11 tackles with a sack. Idalia owns a 10-9 edge in the recent history of the series,, despite Otis’ 46-26 win last year. Tayte Smith ran for 197 yards and four TD for the Bulldogs in that victory.

#4 GRANADA BOBCATS (2-1) VS #6 WALSH EAGLES (3-0) FRIDAY 7PM

With several of the teams that were expected to challenge for the East title this year struggling, this match-up could determine the eventual champion of the division. Granada bounced back from its week two loss at Stratton to dominate Fleming 71-19 last weekend. The Bobcats got a monster effort from Maddox Coleman, who threw for 185 yards and five scores (two to Jonus Guevara), recorded 13 tackles (all solo), picked off a pass and recovered a fumble, and returned two kicks for scores. Lupe Martinez hit the century mark on the ground and scored two total TD, while Guevara finished with three scores on the day. Walsh built a 52-0 halftime advantage against Primero and went on to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season, 58-26. Cody Malone tossed a pair of touchdowns to Leyton Jones, who also ran for two and returned a punt and a kick for scores. Cole Tedder got in on the return action, hitting the end zone on a scoop-and-score. Granada won a wild shootout last year, 102-74, giving the Bobcats four straight wins over Walsh in six-man. Terrance Hainer had three touchdowns for Granada, while Coleman and Guevara each had two. Jones scored seven times for the Eagles.

#7 PEETZ BULLDOGS (3-0) BYE WEEK

The Bulldogs rolled into their bye week with a 3-0 mark after squeezing out a 40-38 win over Cheyenne Wells last week. Chance Segelke and Rhyder Bayne combined for more than 200 yards and four TD through the air, and Bayne ran for 92 yards with another score. Noah Naegele hauled in five passes for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs had six players with 10 or more tackles in the contest (Segelke, 18; Bayne, 15; Conner Schumacher, 12; Naegele, 11; Aiden Hill, 10; Nicoli Serkiz, 10). Dylan Wagner got his first career TD on a kick return. The Bulldogs return to action next Saturday for a North division clash at North Park.

#8 ARICKAREE BISON (2-1) AT BRIGGSDALE FALCONS (1-2) FRIDAY 7PM

Arickaree’s defense was strong in its 12-8 loss at Idalia last Friday, holding the Wolves to fewer than 140 yards of offense. Freshman Jorge Ramos led the effort with a dozen tackles. Austin Wright (10), Nic Hermes (9), Zarron Skubal (8), and Dillon Noletubby (7) also swarmed to the ball for the Bison. Wright added an interception and Clay Axtell jumped on a fumble. Wright scored the lone touchdowns in the loss. Briggsdale got a strong rushing performance from Dallas Glass, who put up 140 yards and four TD to help the Falcons rally past Prairie 32-18. That stopped a two-game slide by the Falcons to open the season. Scott Francis (19 tackles) and Tanner Fiscus (17 tackles) balled out on defense, with Fiscus providing the final blow on a pick-six late in the game. He had two interceptions on the night. Arickaree won last year’s contest 59-20, with Skubal and Wright combining for 29 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. Fiscus did not play for Briggsdale as he was out with an injury.

#9 BRANSON/KIM BEARCATS (2-1) AT SANGRE DE CRISTO THUNDERBIRDS (2-1) FRIDAY 1PM

In what was one of the most exciting games of the week, Branson/Kim punched in the go-ahead TD with just over a minute left and got a defensive stop on the final play of the contest to beat Sierra Grande 45-40 last Saturday. Kolter Cranson scored five times for the Bearcats, and Brock Doherty struck for the game- winner on a one-yard plunge. Sangre de Cristo rolled all over Antonito, 80-36, in a game that officially went down as a JV contest. The Thunderbirds beat Kiowa 26-20 the week before, and will have a boatload of confidence heading into this Southwest division fight. It will be the first meeting between the two teams on the varsity level.

#10 SIERRA GRANDE PANTHERS (2-1) VS HANOVER HORNETS (1-2) FRIDAY 7PM

The Panthers amassed more than 400 yards of offense with a balanced attack in the tough loss at Branson/Kim last week. Aron Ojeda was efficient throwing the ball, completing 7 of 12 attempts for 201 yards and three scores, and Manny Miranda scored twice on the ground. Tyler Kester led the defense with 13 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception, while Brandon Kester scored on a fumble return. Hanover got into the win column by handing Weldon Valley its first defeat of the year, 52-8. Tyler Decker hit on 9 of 13 passes for 145 yards and a TD, and Junior Diaz ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns. David Byers was the top defender, racking up 15 tackles. Sierra Grande has won both meetings in the series, 51-8 in 2021 and 51-0 last year.

LA VETA REDHAWKS (2-1) AT PRIMERO BULLDOGS (2-1) THURSDAY 7PM
La Veta picked up its second straight win after opening the season with a loss to Walsh, as the Redhawks flew past Mountain Valley 60-26 last week. They blew open a close game with 46 second half points. Jessey Montunnas threw for 68 yards and three TD, while adding 75 yards and a score on the ground. Kade Andreatta led with 92 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and he caught a TD as well. Trey Medina posted a hat trick, scoring on a reception, a punt return, and a kick return. Primero came on strong in the second half of its loss to Walsh, getting 184 yards and three touchdowns from Brett Kendall. Kendall also had a passing TD and 78 yards on three completions in four attempts. La Veta owns eight wins in the ten game series, including two straight. The Redhawks won 103-51 two years ago, with Montunnas throwing for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Last year, he threw for 144 yards and five TD to help the Redhawks to a 71-40 victory.

EADS EAGLES (1-2) AT KIT CARSON WILDCATS (1-2) FRIDAY 7PM
Eads got on the board last week with a commanding 70-26 victory over Greeley County (KS). Case Nelson lit up the Jackrabbits for 130 yards and three touchdowns, while the ground game chewed up 354 yards and accounted for seven scores. Stockton Mitchek (161 yards), Shaine Winder (86), and Keenan Smith (54) each scored twice. Smith and Mitchek also had a receiving TD apiece. Kit Carson also got into the win column for the first time last week, as the Wildcats beat Kiowa 52-22. The Wildcats had scored 44 points in two combined losses prior to that win. Those were against two of the top three teams in the rankings. Eads snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with a 68-32 win last year.

MIAMI-YODER BUFFALOES (2-0) AT KIOWA INDIANS (0-3) FRIDAY 7PM
After storming past Manzanola 48-18 last week, Miami-Yoder has a chance to move to 2-0 in the Central division with a win at Kiowa. Gavin Howard ran for 319 yards and seven TD in the win last week and his 13 tackles made him one of five defenders in double digits. Rowan Glaze and James Orozco each had 19 to lead the unit, while Cesar Beltram (16) and Isaac Labrecque (10) also reached that plateau. Kiowa did a lot of damage on special teams in its loss against Kit Carson, with the Indians scoring on a punt return by Vicente Bolivar and a kick return by Chris Carlson. Carlson also had a rushing TD. Kiowa is looking to keep a winning streak going against the Buffaloes, as the Indians won 48-20 last year, pushing the streak to four dating back to their eight-man days.